Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is a light-skinned African-American college professor who has kept his true racial identity secret for the majority of his life. His career comes to a sudden halt when he makes a comment that is misinterpreted as a racial slur. Soon after he is fired, Silk hooks up with young Faunia Farely (Nicole Kidman), a local janitor. The affair with Farely, who is almost half Silk's age, becomes small-town gossip, and attracts the attention of Farely's psychotic ex-husband, Lester (Ed Harris). As Lester seeks vengeance, still angry at his ex-wife, Silk must make some tough decisions about his affair with Farely, leading to the film's nail-biting conclusion.