The beautician, Joy Miller (played by Fran Drescher), is a talkative and vivacious woman who runs her own beauty salon in Queens, New York City. One day, she receives a call from a man named Boris Pochenko (played by Timothy Dalton), who is the prime minister of a small sovereign state called Slovetzia. Boris is seeking a school teacher for his three children, but due to a miscommunication with Joy's friend who answered the phone, Joy is mistakenly hired as the teacher.
Joy, who has no teaching experience, agrees to take on the job and travels to Slovetzia. Upon arrival, she meets Boris and his children, but quickly discovers that not only does she not speak the language, but also that the country is in political turmoil and she has landed in the middle of a dangerous situation. Boris is also initially unhappy with Joy, as he finds her loud and uncultured, and she is not accustomed to the formal and strict protocol of the palace.
Despite these challenges, Joy refuses to leave and works hard to teach his children while also bringing some much-needed joy and fun into their lives. She also begins to bond with Boris and ultimately helps him navigate a political crisis that threatens to overthrow his government.
As Joy and Boris grow closer, they begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. However, they ultimately decide to part ways due to the differences in their cultures and the fact that Boris is still technically married to his estranged wife.
The film ends with Joy returning to New York, but not before she has made a lasting impact on the lives of Boris and his children, and vice versa.