At the center of Stars Screaming is Ray Burk, a network censor struggling to break into The Business as a screenwriter. As his wife begins to lose her mind, Burk spends entire days in his car, circling Los Angeles on an endless path, worrying about the future of his five-year-old son and remembering all the friends, enemies, and lovers he has known. Through his seemingly aimless wandering, a searing picture of Los Angeles emerges. John Kaye's vision of Hollywood does not convey the alluring promise of stardom, but the acrid disappointments of the damaged souls that inhabit L.A.'s underside.