In a tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and 'Baby' Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister going to ever greater extremes.

Virginia small town local Ford Sawyer, a comics artist, takes an instant liking to his new neighbor, Cilla McGowan, a former child TV starlet who moves from L.A. to renovate her Hollywood celebrity grandmother Janet's rural last residence and start a career after passing the local contractors exam. Grumpy old neighbor Carl Hennessy is suspected of the vandalism on her garden, garage and home, even knocking friendly ex Steve Chensky. Seeking comfort and security, Cilla comes to depend on Ford, who elected her as model for his next hammer-swinging Celtic comic heroin, and they fall in love. Janet's stuff yields intriguing information which proves relevant for the present aggression, with unexpected ramifications.