The Multi-Protagonist Film is an insightful and provocative introduction to this important new genre. * Explores the origins and history of one of the most exciting new developments in contemporary film worldwide * Guides readers through the genre's central characteristics and conventions, as well as it's evolution and cultural relevance * Provides a theoretical framework that is developed through the analysis several films, including Grand Hotel, Singles, American Pie, Short Cuts, and Syriana. * Reveals the duality of the genre's contemporary preoccupations: the impact of globalization on human lives versus the current state of intimate affairs, the crisis of marriage, and the proliferation of sexual choices