"Cookie" Orcutt (Patricia Neal) -- salt of the earth and cornerstone of her small Southern town -- leaves a terrible void as well as a huge fortune when she dies. So her two estranged, greedy nieces (Glenn Close and Julianne Moore) angle for the estate. Meanwhile, Cookie's man Friday (Charles Dutton) and grandniece (Liv Tyler) attempt to unravel the intrigue surrounding Cookie's fortune. Legendary director Robert Altman helms this ensemble dramedy.