Hurlyburly (1998)

Based on the popular stage play, Hurlyburly (1998) features an all-star cast deserving of a story about 19080s Hollywood decadence: Sean Penn, Robin Wright-Penn, Kevin Spacey, Meg Ryan, Chazz Palminteri, Garry Shandling, and Anna Paquin. Set in the Hollywood Hills, the film follows the intertwining lives of low- to mid-level Hollywood players, more notably Eddie (Penn), a casting director who runs on booze, women, and coke, and his partner and roommate Mickey (Spacey). The script, written by Hurlyburly playwright David Rabe, is sharp, witty, and dark. Very dark. Unfortunately, there’s no naked Penn or Spacey to brighten up all that darkness — just a scene of Penn shaving shirtless while smoking a cigarette. But, his critically-acclaimed performance is so good, we might just forgive him.