Stateside
Dorri Lawrence (Cook) is an actress and singer who resides in Hollywood, California. She has undiagnosed schizophrenia, which causes problems in her career. After another concert goes wrong due to her untreated disease, she is finally sent to get help for her schizophrenia.
Meanwhile, Mark Deloach (Tucker) is a rich high school kid miles away, attending a Catholic school. Though generally shy around girls and a good kid, he takes part in underage drinking. His brother, Gregory, who has secret sexual rendezvous with the prestigious Sue Dubois (Bruckner), has one of their dirty notes blamed on him. He and a buddy of his decide to pay him back by taking Sue back to her mother and reveal what's been going on with her and Gregory which they knew she will not approve of. In the process a DWI car crash occurs, resulting in the injury of both Sue and Father Concoff (Begley), the principal of their high school.
Sue's mother, Mrs. Dubois (Fisher), decides to press charges against Mark. However, a deal is made to have Mark serve in the Marine Corps instead of jail time.
Mark departs to his training and finds that the Senior Drill Instructor, Staff Sergeant Skeer (Kilmer), has taken an interest in him as his pet project due to Mark using the Corps to escape jail time. Eventually, Mark satisfies the tough platoon leader and Mark officially becomes a Marine.
Once back home he finds himself cutting ties with his friends and ends up befriending Sue, who is now in a half way house, and Dorri, who is her roommate. He also apologizes to Father Concoff, who accepts his apology though still angry with what occurred. Mark and Dorri set up a date with each other to go to a dance, but she doesn't get to go. Mark leaves her a gift. Later, he and Dorri go out on a date and Mark loses his virginity to her.
Dorri and Mark keep in contact through letters and phone calls, but eventually Dorri's illness worsens and she loses touch with reality. Friends and family beg Mark to help Dorri get treatment, but he opposes any suggestion that might separate them. Eventually, an intervention support group keeps the two away from each other.
Mark is deployed to overseas action and is injured in the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983. He returns home with an honorable discharge. Apart for two years, Dorri contacts Mark in a hospital where he has been healing from his wounds. They plan to marry and start a new life together.
insanity, flashback