Paul Thomas Anderson
year. 2002
country: US
run-time. 95 mins
A dark comedy centering around Barry Egan, the socially impaired owner of a small business-distributing novelty toilet plungers-in the San Fernando Valley. Dominated by seven sisters, and constantly negotiating his own manhood, he is unlikely to find romance unless romance finds him. In an attempt to resolve his loneliness, while having a vulnerable moment, Barry contacts a phone sex operator who, in turn threatens him with blackmail. Connected to a larger business network, the operator sends some thugs on a mission from Utah to California, to follow, scare, and extort Barry. Barry becomes desperate, until a new door opens in his life. Therefore, when one of his sisters fixes him up with a lovely young English woman, Lena--who has rather quirky qualities herself--his emotions go haywire, fluctuating between lust, self-doubt, and uncontrollable rage. Nonetheless, Barry will embark upon whatever adventure it takes, just to have a shot at true romance.