"The Stand In" tells the story of a disaffected comedy actress and her ambitious stand-in trading places (played by Drew Barrymore). Candy is a washed-up movie star, busted for a tax evasion, who hires her unemployed, adoring stand-in Paula to do community service in her place. However, a weird co-dependent relationship ensues as Candy begins to use Paula as a stand- in in all parts of her life to escape from the stressful demands of fame.

Eventually, Paula starts to take over Candy's identity, career and boyfriend, finally kicking Candy out of her own house, where she is forced to survive in the real world for the first time while Paula lives the celebrity life of her dreams, until her boyfriend discovers the truth about the woman he's sleeping with.