Anxious to make their sex life more "meaningful," a middle-aged couple consult the eminent Dr. Fish, a sexpert whose doctorate happens to be in American history. The wife and the doctor get along swimmingly once she has overcome her reluctance to say certain forbidden words, but the husband, a down-to-earth type, remains unconvinced. The efforts of the eager young Dr. Fish to overcome the doubts of this worthy couple lead to some enormously funny moments, but the one who finally wins over the husband is Dr. Fish's slightly dotty grandmother—who keeps bustling in with unwanted advice and steaming bowls of homemade lentil soup. In the end the grandmother, the husband, and a tureen of soup depart together, leaving Dr. Fish and his patient to ponder the deeper mysteries of sexual malaise and its cures.