In the midst of a spat, film critic Terry Thorpe (William H. Macy) accidentally kills his lover. Though Thorpe covers his tracks, he raises the suspicions of a private investigator (James Cromwell), who then tries to blackmail him. Thorpe also falls under the watchful eye of Detective Fred Stapelli (Adam Arkin), a cop who is intent on becoming a screenwriter. Before long, Thorpe's girlfriend, Kit (Felicity Huffman), and Stapelli's wife, Patricia (Julia Campbell), are roped into the case.