The story of Nothing Left to Do But Cry follows Saverio (Benigni) and Mario (Troisi), a school teacher and a janitor respectively, who get caught in a huge rainstorm in the Tuscan countryside with their car broken down. They find an old-fashioned inn and decide to spend the night, but find themselves in the year 1492 when they wake. After a man in the inn gets murdered, Saverio and Mario are forced to acquaint themselves with the man’s family and life in the 15th century, while also trying to find a way out. Saverio is enthusiastic, but Mario just wants a ticket home, until he meets the nubile Pia (Amanda Sandrelli). Then Saverio suggests that if they can prevent Christopher Columbus from sailing to the New World, America would never be discovered and the Native Americans would not suffer. Along with this scheme come skits like Saverio explaining a few modern machines to Leonardo Da Vinci. The pair’s constant squabbling and Mario’s crush on Pia only slow them down in their efforts to escape.