A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover turned boss who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.
Tom Sanders is a manager at a computer company in Seattle. Happily married with children, Tom had big hopes for a promotion by his boss, but it goes to Meredith Johnson, Tom's seductive ex-girlfriend, instead. Somehow Tom takes it with a grain of salt, until a personal meeting turns into a seduction when Meredith decides to relive her sexual fantasy and pick up from where they left off. Tom refuses, making Meredith frustrated. Tom's only choice; to sue for sexual harassment. But everyone believes it was the other way around and his boss wants to transfer him to another division, forcing him to lose everything. Tom discovers not only is the system rigged against him, but Meredith's going to destroy his career, and bolster her own by blaming him for a serious error of judgment on her part.—Christopher Howell ([email protected])
Seattle technology company DigiCom is about to merge with a publishing company, and company founder and president Bob Garvin (Donald Sutherland) plans to retire. Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas), head of manufacturing, expects to be promoted to run DigiCom after the merger. However, he learns that the post instead has gone to operations executive Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore), a former girlfriend of Tom. Meredith is brought on to handle the merger, as Garvin wanted to "break the glass ceiling".Tom lives with his wife Susan (Caroline Goodall), Son Matt (Trevor Einhorn) and daughter Lisa. He is a happily married man. Chindy Chang (Jacqueline Kim) is Tom's PA at office. There are rumors at the office that after the merger, the Austin plant will be sold off.
Garvin introduces Meredith to her new subordinates. Co-workers like Mark Lewyn (Dennis Miller) comment to Tom on how attractive Meredith is. Others like chief financial officer Stephanie Kaplan (Rosemary Forsyth) seem to be aware that Tom and Meredith had a relationship in the past.Meanwhile Tom is still wondering if he is out of a job as both Garvin and Meredith evaded the question. Garvin doesn't want Tom to quit, as he wants to project an image of "one big happy family" to the new buyers. And he also believes that when push comes to shove, Tom does not have the guts to quit.
Late that evening, Meredith calls Tom into her office, ostensibly to discuss problems with DigiCom's new advanced CD-ROM drive, being manufactured in Malaysia. Instead, Meredith aggressively tries to resume her romantic relationship with him. Tom resists (with difficulty) as he is now a married family man. However, Meredith seduces him.Although he repeatedly turns her down, Meredith ignores Tom, forcing herself on him. Tom allows her to perform oral sex but rebuffs her attempts for sexual intercourse.Tom initially is tempted, but after catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror, he regains control and pushes Meredith to the ground. As he leaves, Meredith screams a threat to make him pay for spurning her.
The next day, Tom discovers that Meredith has alleged sexual harassment complaint against him with the help of legal counsel Phillip Blackburn (Dylan Baker). To save the merger from a scandal, causing Garvin to lose $100 million if the deal falls through DigiCom officials demand that Tom accepts an assignment to the company's Austin office.Colleagues refuse to believe his protestations of innocence. Tom does not want to do this, as he would lose his stock options, ruining his career and family. He will be left jobless when the other location is sold following the merger. However, since no one believes his story and Meredith is now his boss, he appears to have no choice.
Just as all seems hopeless, Tom receives an e-mail from someone identified only as "A Friend". It directs him to Seattle attorney Catherine Alvarez (Roma Maffia), who specializes in sexual harassment cases. Tom counter-sues, alleging that Meredith is the one who harassed him.At the initial mediation, a tearful Meredith repeatedly lies and blames Tom. Garvin, believing the merger will fail without her, proposes Tom drop the lawsuit in exchange for keeping his position. Tom suspects Meredith's accusations are vulnerable. He remembers dialing a number (by mistake) on his cell phone during the encounter with Meredith, but not hanging up, thus capturing the entire event on a colleague's voicemail. Tom rejects Garvin's proposal and plays the recording at the next meeting, discrediting Meredith. DigiCom agrees to a settlement calling for Meredith to be quietly eased out after the merger.
As Tom celebrates his apparent victory, he receives another e-mail from "A Friend" warning him that all is not what it seems. Tom overhears Blackburn telling Meredith that although they lost the sexual harassment suit, they will make Tom look incompetent at the next morning's merger conference since Tom is unaware of what is causing the CD-ROM drive issues Meredith alluded to earlier. Since the production line in Malaysia is Tom's responsibility, he can be fired for cause.
It turns out that Meredith and Garvin's legal counsel, Philip Blackburn, had weakened the quality control specifications at the Malaysian plant to cut costs. The changes resulted in severe defects in the drive, and Meredith and Phil are planning to make Tom the scapegoat.
Accessing the company database for clues, Tom finds his access privileges revoked. Using a virtual reality demonstration device with access to the company database, he accesses DigiCom's files but finds that Meredith is already deleting them. Tom's Malaysian colleague faxes him copies of incriminating memos and videos. They show that Meredith, and one of the heads of operations in Malaysia, changed Tom's production specifications to gain the Malaysian government's favor and cut costs to make DigiCom appear more profitable to complete the merger. These changes caused problems with the Malaysian CD-ROMs line. To save her career, Meredith (with Blackburn's support) staged the sexual encounter with Tom to falsely accuse him of sexual harassment, forcing him out of DigiCom and covering for her mistakes.
When Tom makes his presentation at the conference, Meredith immediately brings up the production problems. Tom publicly shows the evidence that exposes her direct involvement in causing the hardware defects. Garvin, realizing the full extent of Meredith's incompetence and deceit, fires her. While cleaning out her office, Meredith reveals to Tom that she has become disillusioned with Garvin following his unexpected turn against her, further refusing to accept accountability for her mistakes.
Garvin announces the merger's completion and names Stephanie Kaplan to head up the Seattle operation, a decision Tom supports. Tom then asks Stephanie's son, Spencer, a University of Washington student, if he knows "A Friend". Spencer confirms he is Professor Arthur Friend's research assistant at the university. Tom realizes that Spencer would have had access to Friend's email account, enabling Stephanie (via her son) to warn Tom as "A Friend", as she knew what was happening involving the CD-ROM drives and Meredith. A grateful Tom happily resumes his position as head of manufacturing.
