until it jump the track near the end and the dying gaul be an interesting and literate film about relationship and suffering . but when it go to the bad it do so in a big way . robert be a screenwriter who have write a script call the dying gaul which derive from his own experience . it about a gay couple who see the sculpture the die gaul and how the pain of loss translates across the century . robert have lose his life partner and be still suffer the loss . jeffrey and elaine be a very successful couple . he a hollywood producer and they live in a mansion which in and of itself make the film impressive . jeffery like robert screenplay and offer him a million dollar for it and but with one catch . the film would be big budget and high profile and and to justify that the couple need to be a man and a woman . to complicate matter and jeffrey come on to robert . big time . the material at any point could have veer into farce . instead and writer or director craig lucas try and for a long time succeed in try to plumb the depth of the character souls . elaine begin to communicate with robert through an online chat room . she pretend to be a man and and later and a man that robert have know in the past . and this be where the story start to unravel . elaine begin to assume the personality of robert late lover and soon convinces him that he communicate with a ghost and veer awkwardly close to make the story an update blythe spirit . eventually jeffrey casually mention to robert how in woody allen crime and misdemeanor a major character seek to shed himself of an unwanted wife by homicidal mean and and soon the project be off the track . and in the final scene lucas have a major character do something so out of character and so irrational and so atypical . how bad a miscalculation be this plot twist . so bad that lucas can not bring himself to stage it . instead and it take place offstage and be reveal in a phone conversation . flaw and all and this be still a mature and well think out film . it masterfully visualized and be a great vehicle for three talented performer . i be convince that fifty year from now film historian will be look back and wonder why campbell scott wasn not a megastar from his first role on . a always his performance be rock solid . it good to see a well produce film that make for grownup and isn not a special effect nightmare . check out the die gaul .