Harold Smith (Sir Tom Courtenay), a quiet middle-aged Englishman becomes an instant celebrity when he suddenly starts exhibiting psychic and telekinetic powers. After he is arrested for accidentally killing three pensioners by causing their pacemakers to stop, his lawyer brings in an extremely skeptical scientist to test whether or not Harold's powers are real. Meanwhile, Harold's son Vince (Michael Legge), a disco devotee, is pining for his co-worker Joanna (Laura Fraser), who also happens to be the daughter of the scientist testing Vince's dad.