While dining out with friends, Sy suggests the difficulty of separating comedy from tragedy. To illustrate his point, he tells his guests two parallel stories about Melinda ; both versions have the same basic elements, but one take on her state of affairs leans toward levity, while the other is full of anguish. Each story involves Melinda coping with a recent divorce through substance abuse while beginning a romantic relationship with a close friend's husband.

Genres

Cast

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Ellis Moonsong

Will Ferrell

Hobie

Jonny Lee Miller

Lee

Radha Mitchell

Melinda Robicheaux

Amanda Peet

Susan

Chloë Sevigny

Laurel

Wallace Shawn

Sy

David Aaron Baker

Steve

Arija Bareikis

Sally Oliver

Josh Brolin

Greg

Steve Carell

Walt

Stephanie Roth Haberle

Louise