Randy (MATT DILLON) is an average down on his luck bartender whose life has been turned so upside down that he's hired Mr. Burmeister (MICHAEL DOUGLAS), a bingo-playing hit man to take care of the person who's driven him to this point. As Randy recounts his tale to Burmeister, we see him rescue a beautiful woman, Jewel (LIV TYLER), from Utah (ANDREW SILVERSTEIN), a thug.
Jewel puts the moves on Randy right away, quickly snaring him into her manipulative web, particularly when she learns that he has his own house, something she's always dreamed off. After a quick bout of sex, Randy learns that Jewel and Utah have set him up to be robbed. Jewel, however, has second thoughts and ends up shooting and killing Utah, but convinces Randy to take the rap.
Meanwhile, a St. Louis cop, Detective Charlie Dehling (JOHN GOODMAN), wishes to make a confession to his priest, Father Jimmy (RICHARD JENKINS), about a woman who's thrown his life off kilter. She, of course, is Jewel, who he meets while investigating Utah's murder. He's immediately enamored with her, and suddenly finds himself believing that it's his mission in life to protect and then be with her.
He's not the only one as Carl (PAUL REISER), a lawyer and Randy's cousin, confides to his shrink, Dr. Naomi Green (REBA McENTIRE), that he too is in love with Jewel despite being married with kids. As the various men recount their involvement with the femme fatale, we see the effect that Jewel has on them, as well as their perspectives regarding their relationships with her.