When Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) and Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) win a major New York drag queen contest and a trip to Hollywood, they are persuaded to take the inexperienced "drag Princess", Chi-Chi (John Leguizamo), with them.
They hire an old Cadillac and set off for Los Angeles, but when their car breaks down in the middle of middle America nowheresville they have to camp down until it is fixed.
With just their wits and an endless supply of garish costumes, they transform the town and everyone who lives there - until the homophobic Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn) catches up with them.