for all those people who believe the dialog be worth something and and who appreciate a farce that be clever enough for you to take it seriously and this movie will surprise you . it be not a whodunit for people who can not aren not able to follow the verbal exchange of our hero and professor dexter cornell ( dennis quaid ) . cornell teach in southern california and near the tar pit . he have not publish a novel in four year and his wife be divorce him and he drink a bit much and and be bless or curse with caustic wit and which he freely dispense to his student . he have recommend a friend for advancement and and one bright young student have submit a manuscript to him a an independent project . cornell doesn not even want to read it and so give it an a and and push it to the side . lean back with a drink in his office he star out the window and when the bright young student fall past his window on the way to meet the sidewalk in a splat encounter . hal come to talk and and they chat and drink some more . the cornell realize that he have to read the manuscript and now . when he go home and his wife be wait with divorce paper . he drink some more . she leave and and he go to a faculty affair and only to find her there . he drink even more . and when his wife learn that the student be dead and she swoon and and he learn that she have be have an affair with the student . this of course prompt him to do some more serious drinking . the next morning he wake up to find himself in the dorm room of one of his student and a freshman name syd ( meg ryan ) . he feel bad than a hangover and go to the doctor and learn that he have be poison and it be irreversible and and he have 24 48 hour to live . he doesn not have much time to find out who kill him and and there be sub plot and motif and relationship and surprise at every turn and although everything make sense at the end . all his discovery and exchange be adorn with sarcasm and dry wit and keen observation . let just say that this movie will give new meaning to the adage publish or perish . there be no bad performance in this movie . there be recurrent image and and symbolism use at careful interval . watch for the cracked glass and and image distort through glass . some of the camera shot be revolutionary for 1988 and and some of the violent action be carefully and skillfully choreograph . the music be unobtrusive and appropriate and although occasionally it make it own statement and in song lyric . the visuals in this flick be impressive . if there be any failure and it be that the opening 20 minute move a little slow and and nearly put you to sleep . but the pacing pick up quickly and with just the right amount of exposition in between action segment . there be no explicit sexual encounter and although there be violence and some bad language . this be a writer movie and and be best appreciate by those who have a sense of humor about their own success or failure . i do think if you take it seriously and youre already in big trouble .