An ancient Chinese proverb says that there are four emotional cornerstones of life; happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love. These emotions are really elements that, rather than standing alone as isolated feelings, work together to make up the entirety of human existence. These four emotions are personified in four people, whose lives swirl together, their paths linked to each other. Love (Kevin Bacon) is a doctor who must rush to save the love of his life. Happiness (Forest Whitaker) bets (and loses) all his money on a horse race, and later meets Pleasure (Brendan Fraser). Pleasure is a hit-man who has the bad luck of being able to see the future, but is unsure that he should follow his visions. He feels no remorse for his hits until he meets Sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Sorrow is a pop-star who becomes a victim to crime boss Fingers (Andy Garcia).