An Innuit hunter races his sled home with a fresh-caught halibut. This fish pervades the entire film, in real and imaginary form. Meanwhile, Axel tags fish in New York as a naturalists gofer. Hes happy there, but a messenger arrives to bring him to Arizona for his uncles wedding. Its a ruse to get Axel into the family business. In Arizona, Axel meets two odd women vivacious, needy, and plagued by neuroses and familial discord. He gets romantically involved with one, while the other, rich but depressed, plays accordion tunes to a gaggle of pet turtles