A group of three friends, Harry (Jared Leto), Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and Tyrone (Marlon Waynes) think that they'll get easy money by peddling various drugs on the street. But things turn sour when they're own addictions interfere with their plans. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn) is becoming more and more dependent on doctor prescribed weight loss pills in order to slim down in an effort to fit into her only good dress, her desire to do so being born from a chance offered to her to appear on a TV game show. Things quickly begin to unravel for all involved as they become more and more desperate to find their next hit.