If, in the first ten minutes, you find yourself wondering who the hell these characters are and what possible roots they may have in reality--do yourself a favor and cut off the power.John Irving aside, this is a Hollywood script-by-committee movie.You will truly never empathize, relate, or give a flying *#@! about any of the characters, unless you are possibly made of cardboard, and sleazy cardboard even.This movie can pull itself together on no level at all--not even musically. The plot insinuates all over the place, but leaves all factors dangling except for a truly heart-wrenching bit at the end when you find out how the crucial deaths occurred. If you are not asleep at this point, you will scream obscenities, I guarantee you.