A modern day fable, this movie tells the tale of Randall (Dave Foley), a neurotic talking goose, who is kidnapped by Congreve Maddox (Chevy Chase), the principal of the local elementary school. Maddox plans to fatten up Randall so that he can cook the bird and enter him in a culinary contest in Banff, Alberta. But Randall has a savior in eleven-year-old Will Donnelly (Max Morrow), a sweet and sensitive boy who stopped speaking after the death of his mother. Will and Randall meet and immediately become best friends - they share a love of butterscotch candies and rude noises. With Randall's help (the goose considers himself the Sigmund Freud of the goose world), Will begins talking again. He then becomes determined to prevent his pal from ending up as a side of foie gras. Together with his sister, Emily (Isabella Fink), and some classmates, Will hatches a plot: they'll kidnap Congreve's mother and arrange a hostage exchange for the goose. When that plan lays a goose egg, Will comes up with an even bolder rescue attempt, enlisting the aid of his beautiful teacher, his dad, and even Congreve's mother. With the stakes high, a wild goose chase ensues with everyone in hot pursuit.