The concept of the film is based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones - Happiness (played by Whitaker), Pleasure (Fraser), Sorrow (Gellar) and Love (Bacon). The proverb speaks of these emotions, not as isolated fragments of feelings, but as elements that make up the whole of the human existence. Each of the four main protagonists is based on one of the four emotions; and like the proverb their paths are inextricably linked to each other.