[1][a] The film stars Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale, Patricia Arquette, and Matthew McConaughey.

The film's plot revolves around an average-sized man (McConaughey) who struggles with revealing to his pregnant fiancée (Beckinsale) that his entire family are dwarves, as he worries that their unborn child may be born with dwarfism.

[1] Carol, a talented painter and independent woman, falls in love with Steven without knowing much about him other than feeling he is the perfect man.

As Carol decides to carry the child to term, she and Steven grow further apart, and she begins to rely on Rolfe to teach her about life as a dwarf.

[1] Thirty years after the screenplay was written, Bright's stepfather gave a copy of the script to Cops creator John Langley, who was interested in producing Tiptoes.

"[4] Variety reviewer Lisa Nesselson described the film as "an honorable failure" that "comes up short in many departments", despite its "bracingly peculiar premise and astonishingly fine [performance] from Gary Oldman".

[2] Oldman was included in BBC critic Mark Kermode's "Great Acting in Bad Films" in 2012.