Hawn stars as a rich, bitchy society lady who lives on a luxury yacht with her snotty husband (Edward Herrmann) and long-suffering butler (Roddy McDowall). When the yacht pulls into harbor for repairs, she hires a local carpenter (Kurt Russell) to work on her closet space. Then she refuses to pay him because he didn't use cedar wood - and doesn't everybody know closets are constructed of cedar? In the disagreement that follows, she kicks Russell overboard and pitches in his tools after him.
Later that night, Hawn herself falls overboard, is struck by a garbage scow, and ends up in the local hospital with amnesia. Seeing her bedraggled photo on the TV news, Russell maps his revenge: He will claim Hawn as his long-lost wife, and bring her down a notch or two by turning her into a domestic laborer and baby-sitter for his four ill-behaved boys.
All together now, everybody, what happens next? Is there a scene of rebellion? And then a scene where Hawn shows how incompetent she is, even cleaning the windows with furniture polish? And a scene where Russell and the boys play mean tricks on her? And a scene where she begins to change, just a little? And a scene where the boys get to like her? And a moment when she begins to feel she belongs with this family, and feels love and pride? And then a scene where her snotty husband turns up again? And a scene where she gets mad at Russell for having so cruelly deceived her?
If you can't find each and every one of those scenes in "Overboard," you're out at the candy counter. The general outline of this story - spoiled character is reformed by humbling experience - even has been followed before by Hawn herself, in "Private Benjamin."
The things that make "Overboard" special, however, are the genuine charm, wit and warm energy generated by the entire cast and director Garry Marshall. Hawn and Russell work well together, never overplaying scenes that easily could have self-destructed.
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