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SUMMARY

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a wealthy investment banker, seemingly has it all. On the eve of his 48th birthday, Van Orton lives in a sprawling San Francisco mansion and enjoys an impeccably structured life. But the trappings of his affluent lifestyle fail to mask a dark truth; Van Orton fears that he's following in the lonely footsteps of his father, who died at 48 after a suicidal plunge from the roof of the Van Orton mansion.

Van Orton's younger, free-spirited brother Conrad (Sean Penn), surprises Nicholas on his birthday with a mysterious gift; a personalized "game" voucher from Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). The game has no rules, no timetable, and no apparent objective. Conrad promises that the game will "change your life."

When Nicholas visits the plush CRS offices, he finds more questions than answers. A fast-talking CRS salesman named Jim Feingold (James Rebhorn) says the game provides "whatever is lacking" and convinces Nicholas to endure a battery of unusual physical and mental examinations. Nicholas later returns to his mansion and discovers a clown-faced mannequin positioned in the same spot where his father lay after his fatal plunge from the rooftop. His game has begun.

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