Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Carey Elwes may be billed as the stars of Twister, but the film's real attractions are the tornadoes themselves. Best experienced in a theater, the nail-biting blow-the-audience-out-of-their-seats computer generated graphics, cutting edge sound, and other special effects are designed to take viewers straight into the roaring funnel of a gigantic tornado. In order to focus on special effects and action, the story is simple and the characters are drawn in broad strokes with little depth. Jo (Hunt) became a storm chaser after a large tornado sucked her hapless father into oblivion when she was a little girl. Bill (Paxton) was a storm chaser too, but left to become a successful weatherman. His change of profession ruined his marriage to Jo. Before separating, they invented DOROTHY, a gizmo designed to release thousands of tiny sensors when a tornado passes over it. They hope the information transmitted by the sensors will provide insight into the tornadoes' nature. Backed by a large corporation, the villainous Dr. Jonas Miller (Elwes) has created a similar machine. Neither has been field tested and both groups of storm chasers are anxious to find tornadoes. At the peak of the worst tornado season in decades, Bill shows up at Jo's truck with his prissy fiancee, Melissa (Jami Gertz), so she can sign divorce papers. Suddenly a tornado is spotted. With little hesitation, Bill rejoins the mad rush to reach it in time to activate DOROTHY. Jonas and his team are right behind them. Throughout the day the tornadoes become worse and the rivalrous race becomes more intense. As they continue facing incredible dangers together Bill and Jo find renewed love while poor Melissa finds only an intense desire to get away from these storm-obsessed lunatics.