This is an enchanting adult fairy tale based on a true story. In 1817, a beautiful and exotic woman (Phoebe Cates) calling herself Caraboo is found in a field outside an English village. She is taken in by a social climbing family. Mrs. Worrall (Wendy Hughes) is convinced that Caraboo is an East Indian princess who has escaped from a slave trader's ship. Soon she and her boorish husband (Jim Broadbent) are busy finding ways to benefit from her presence in their house. An Oxford linguist (John Lithgow) examines her to find out whether she is an authentic Oriental princess. While Caraboo wins over high society, Frixos (Kevin Kline), the butler, remains skeptical about her background, and Gutch (Stephen Rea), a local journalist out to find the truth, falls in love with her.

This snappy and exuberant comedy directed by Michael Austin celebrates creativity as an asset of free spirits. It also contains some delightfully wicked jabs at English class consciousness.

The DVD contains filmographies of Director Michael Austin, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, Stephen Rea, Jim Broadbent, and Wendy Hughes.