Synopsis

A group of affluent friends and neighbors find their relationships unraveling as affairs, resentment, and sexual rivalries expose the selfishness beneath their polished lives. As partners betray one another and friendships become battlegrounds, the characters use intimacy as a weapon rather than a source of connection. Neil LaBute's dark comedy presents an unsparing portrait of emotional manipulation in modern middle-class America.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was deliberately designed to feel as though it could take place anywhere in affluent America. The production avoided recognizable city landmarks, and some background palm trees were digitally removed to prevent Los Angeles from being identifiable.

• The characters' names all rhyme: Mary, Barry, Jerry, Cary, Terri, and Cheri. The device reinforces the film's portrait of interchangeable relationships and emotional disconnection.

• Despite containing no physical violence and very little nudity, the film initially received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. After an appeal, it was reclassified as R.

• The film became the first movie reviewed on Rotten Tomatoes when the site began operating in August 1998.

• Aaron Eckhart reportedly gained more than 30 pounds for his role.

• The opening and closing credits use Apocalyptica's cello-based version of Metallica's "Enter Sandman."

• Roger Ebert included the film among his ten best movies of 1998. He compared its structure and intensity to the stage drama "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

• Filming took place in Los Angeles between April 6 and June 4, 1997, although the finished movie intentionally conceals the location.