At the time of its release, it received special attention because, eight years after his death, it was the first (and still only) film to feature previously unreleased material from John Cassavetes.

The film stars Sean Penn and John Travolta as two men who bid for the affection of Maureen Murphy Quinn (Robin Wright).

Harry Dean Stanton co-stars as a friend of Penn's character, and James Gandolfini plays the abusive neighbor.

This effect is even more pronounced in She's So Lovely, an unproduced Cassavetes script given the '90s treatment and filled with stars by the late director's son.

The final product features some of the year's best performances...."[3] Sean Penn won the award for Best Actor at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.