Newly graduated psychiatrist Sam and his fiancee Alex move to Los Angeles for Sam's residency, into Sam's mother's house in upscale Laurel Canyon. Only problem is, Sam's mother is still there, supposedly finishing up a record that she's producing for the band of her new boy toy, Ian. She seems more interested in smoking pot and drinking than actually working, though. Alex doesn't mind, but Sam is quite upset. Alex starts off focused on her work (finishing a dissertation on genomics), but is soon distracted by the rock-'n-roll lifestyle going on around her. Meanwhile, Sam is equally distracted by beautiful Israeli intern Sara.

Frances McDormand ... Jane
Christian Bale ... Sam
Kate Beckinsale ... Alex
Natascha McElhone ... Sara
Alessandro Nivola ... Ian McKnight

Jane: Are we ever gonna have a relationship?
Sam: Here we are - having it.

Jane: Listen, you should be with her if you want to.
Ian: I don't want to be with her, I want to be with you. I want you to be with her.

Sara: Do you resist me?
Sam: No.
Sara: Do you give yourself over?
Sam: Yeah.
Sara: Completely?
Sam: Completely.
Sara: [exhales] That gets me on.
Sam: You're easy.
Sara: No. With you I am.
Sam: So I get to... I get to work on you for a while or do we just fall asleep?
Sara: You can work on me all night long.

Sam: Why did you break up with Bobby? I thought Bobby was the real thing.
Jane: Well, then I got to know him.

Jane: What about the trip to Vera Cruz?
Sam: Yeah, when Ronnie went to jail?
Jane: No, before that when we were out on his boat.
Sam: In the storm?
Jane: Yeah.
Sam: That was fun? That sucked!
Jane: No it didn't. It was exciting. Even you thought it was exciting.
Sam: I wasn't excited, I was hysterical! There's a huge difference between hysteria and excitement.