Nines, The (2007) - Synopsis

John August, the acclaimed screenwriter of GO, BIG FISH, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and THE CORPSE BRIDE, makes his directorial debut with THE NINES, an intricately constructed intriguing blur of reality, virtual reality and metaphysical fantasy. The film unfolds in three parts, featuring the same actors in different (and in some ways overlapping) incarnations.

Ryan Reynolds stars with Melissa McCarthy, Hope Davis and Elle Fanning as:

Gary

(Reynolds) - a TV actor who finds himself under house arrest after one too many benders. He is tended to by an impossibly chipper publicist (McCarthy) and a sexually tempting new mother next door (Davis).

Gavin

(Reynolds), a show-runner who is the subject of a reality TV show about the thorny process of creating a network series (not dissimilar to August himself). His show stars his (and August's) best friend, the actress Melissa McCarthy, much to the chagrin of the network's development executive (Davis). He also happens to own the house where Gary is imprisoned (John August's actual home).

Gabriel

(Reynolds) - a successful video game designer who runs into car trouble with his wife (McCarthy) and daughter (Fanning) in the woods and then into even greater trouble when he seeks help from an attractive hitchhiker (Davis).

Together, the three stories form a single narrative that explores the relationships between author and character, actor and role, creator and creation. Alternately funny and unsettling, The Nines is like a riddle where the answer may just lead to another question.