人間と人魚が共存する未來社會を舞臺とする本作。船舶を製造する會社で働くサラリーマンのステファンは、ある日突然、人魚王國の姫?チャオに求婚される。ステファンはわけがわからないままチャオと一緒に生活する中で、純粋でまっすぐなチャオに少しずつ惹かれていく。

　　World War II is around the corner, but the only thing Sally Bauer can think of is the ocean. Her dream is to swim across the English Channel. Her father has tried to exorcise her obsession with swimming since she was a toddler, without success. An unwanted pregnancy forces her to abandon her dream – and herself. The child’s father does not want to be involved, so as a woman in the ‘30s in Sweden, Sally has no choice but to do what is expected of her: to be a mother. There is no place left for her dreams and Sally is pulled into bottomless darkness, until her sister Carla saves her. With renewed purpose, together the sisters begin to dismantle the conventions they are constantly facing. In late August 1939, Sally stands on the shore at Dover and takes her first step into the English Channel. She swims across the open and icy sea for 15 hours, waving to the Navy who are readying for war. A couple of days after Sally swims ashore at Calais, Poland is invaded.

　　哈瑞（杰瑞德·萊托 Jared Leto 飾）和瑪麗安（詹妮弗·康納利 Jennifer Connelly 飾）彼此相愛，夢想著開個服裝店，夢想著有個美好的明天。然而他們都離不開毒品，并想著以銷毒賺得第一桶金。哈瑞的母親是個徹底的電視迷，最大的夢想是上電視，為此不顧年邁吞食減肥藥。由于藥品里的毒品成分，她漸漸上了癮。哈瑞的朋友狄龍（馬龍·韋恩斯 Marlon Wayans 飾）同樣是個癮君子，為了掙大錢加入了黑社會。為了夢想，他們努力著，卻一步步深陷毒品難以自拔。 哈瑞的胳膊因注射毒品感染而被割去；瑪麗安為了毒品出賣肉體和自尊；哈瑞的母親最終住進了精神病院受盡折磨；狄龍鋃鐺入獄。當視線變得模糊，夢在遙遠處呼喚，迷失的人該以怎樣的姿態安撫自己的靈魂。

　　Al（提姆·麥錫森 Tim Matheson 飾）是個十分被看好的州長候選人，很怕因為他的笨蛋老弟Mike（克里斯·法雷 Chris Farley 飾）蒙羞，于是雇了Steve（大衛·斯佩德 David Spade 飾）來看管Mike以免他出什么亂子，從這一刻起就狀況百出、 笑料不斷。　　全片就像是一個喜劇大雜燴，讓您捧腹大笑，跌破眼鏡。