Synopsis

In the Hollywood Hills, troubled casting director Eddie shares a volatile, drug-fueled world with his friend Mickey, an actor named Phil, and the eccentric Artie. Eddie's obsession with Darlene collides with Mickey's infidelity, while a series of reckless encounters exposes the men's emotional emptiness. As their indulgent lifestyle spirals toward collapse, Eddie begins to question the values that have shaped his life.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts David Rabe's 1984 play, which originally ran for more than three hours. Rabe condensed the material for the screenplay and shifted its setting from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s.

• The production was financed partly through the sale of foreign distribution rights. The principal performers also accepted reduced salaries, helping the independent project move forward despite its controversial drug use and abrasive subject matter.

• Filming took place in the Hollywood Hills between December 1997 and January 1998. The film was released in the United States on December 25, 1998, through Fine Line Features.

• The production received significant festival attention before its American release. Sean Penn won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1998 Venice Film Festival, while the film's director was nominated for the festival's Golden Lion.

• The film received only a limited theatrical release, opening in 16 theaters and reaching a widest release of 84 theaters. Its domestic gross was approximately $1.8 million.

• Penn and Garry Shandling promoted the film during the final episode of The Larry Sanders Show, using the program's mock-interview style for an intentionally comic plug.