The film starred Nick Nolte and Whittni Wright, with supporting roles filled by Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Joely Richardson and Tracey Ullman.

Matt auditions for a role in pompous, self-absorbed, and clueless film producer Burke Adler's new project but fails to get the part.

When Matt goes in to make a screen test for a lead in a film, he leaves Jeannie with a friend at the studio, and when he picks her up he's stunned to learn she's been cast in a sitcom.

Throughout this time, Matt also navigates his complicated professional relationship with Burke, while Jeannie’s success forces him to rethink what truly matters in his life.

As Matt grows closer to his daughter, he finds a new sense of purpose and fulfillment in their relationship, even as his acting career remains uncertain.

In his three-star review in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert called it "one of those offcenter comedies that gets its best moments simply by looking at people and seeing how funny, how pathetic, how wonderful they sometimes can be .

[9] While other versions of songs penned by Prince resurfaced on some of his later projects, Girl 6 and The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, none of the actual performances from the movie were ever officially released.

Although James L. Brooks has mentioned he would like to release a director's cut restoring the musical numbers and including a making-of documentary, that project has yet to come to fruition.

It was to be a comedic song sung by Albert Brooks where he is begging a test audience to favorably review his latest film.

[11] In August 2020, an underground live stream attempted to screen the "Musical Cut" online, but this was cancelled after the hosts were sent a cease and desist by the Prince estate.