Jack Marcus, a charismatic writer, and Dina Delsanto, an enigmatic, well-respected painter, are both teachers at a New England prep school. As they supervise a spirited ongoing debate between their students as to whether or not a picture (her forte) really is worth a thousand words (his domain), Jack's extroverted wit clashes with Dina's private nature, and mutual dislike turns to rivalry, then rivalry to powerful attraction.