As far as infatuated female movie fans are concerned, Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel) is the best thing ever to come out of Hollywood. Drooling over his latest movie in the local movie house in their West Virginia hometown of Fraziers Bottom (!) are star-struck, dewy-eyed Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth) and her friend, Cathy (Ginnifer Goodwin). With them is Pete Monash (Topher Grace), the girls friend and manager of the Piggy Wiggly supermarket where they work who looks on in disbelief at the soppy sentimentality in Hamiltons latest chick flick.
Theres more than a touch of jealousy attached to Petes dismissal of the screen heartthrob; hes been in love with Rosalee for years, but he has kept his feelings a secret. So when she enters a competition and actually wins a date with the handsome movie star, Pete is a little more than nervous and he may have reason to be. The competition has been a publicity stunt dreamed up by Tads manager (Nathan Lane) and agent (Sean Hayes), both - curiously - named Richard Levy. They want their superstar to re-establish his boy-next-door image by being seen with the girl next-door because his reputation has recently taken a beating in a photograph showing him speeding in a car, fondling a female companion, drinking and (horror of horrors!) littering
simultaneously!
Rosalee is a perfect breath of fresh air for Tad and their much- publicised date - once she comes down from the clouds and recovers from an unattractive bout of motion sickness in his chauffeur-driven limo - goes smoothly. In fact, Tad is so smitten by Rosalees innocence and genuineness that he is convinced she is just what he needs to change his life around and he follows her to her hometown where he starts dating her on a regular basis. The townsfolk are ecstatic about the presence of a superstar in their presence and even Rosalees dad (Gary Cole) gets the Hollywood bug and starts reading up on all the latest gossip in Variety and wearing movie industry-inspired t-shirts.
The only person not caught up in the moment is Pete whose reluctance to tell Rosalee about his real feelings for her could soon see him losing her forever - especially when Tad gets a new offer for a movie and asks her to return with him to Tinseltown.