Domineering minister Abner Hale (Max Von Sydow) moves to Hawaii with his wife, Jerusha Bromley Hale (Julie Andrews), and assumes that the islanders will simply modify their way of life to suit him. Jerusha is exactly the opposite, welcoming the people of Hawaii and attempting to learn all about their culture. Discontent with her life, she eventually finds solace in the company of a former love, Rafer Hoxworth (Richard Harris).