Hartley has crafted here what many consider to be his crowning achievement: a sprawling epic of a story that tackles any and everything he decides to mock, satirize, or challenge. Simon is a factory worker who lives with his nymphomaniac sister and manic depressive mother. Along comes Henry Fool, a convicted sexual offender who moves into Simon`s basement. Henry sparks Simon`s mind and challenges him to write the great American poem. To everyone`s dismay, he does just that. From there, events spiral even further, until Simon must eventually make an important decision: remain loyal to his friend and help him flee the country, or turn his back on what they shared together in the past. Funny, shocking, and impressively grand in its ambitions, Hartley`s script takes turns that most writers would never consider actually writing down. This is an original work that will stand as one of 1998`s most exhilarating motion picture experiences.