Martin Scorsese's segment is titled "Life Lessons" and stars Nick Nolte as a successful abstract painter named Lionel Dobie. Lionel is deeply in love with his assistant, played by Rosanna Arquette, and uses loud rock music as inspiration for his artwork. As Lionel's feelings for his assistant become muddled by his possessiveness and jealousy, he begins to lose control of his artistic process.
Francis Ford Coppola's segment is titled "Life Without Zoe" and follows a young girl named Zoe, played by Heather McComb, who lives in a luxurious hotel in New York City with her wealthy parents. When her parents separate, Zoe takes it upon herself to bring them back together. Her adventures include enlisting the help of the hotel staff, a young musician, and a troupe of child acrobats.
Woody Allen's segment is titled "Oedipus Wrecks" and centers around a neurotic Jewish lawyer named Sheldon, played by Allen himself, and his overbearing mother, played by Mae Questel. When Sheldon jokingly expresses a wish for his mother to disappear during a magic show, she actually disappears and begins floating above the city. As Sheldon tries to navigate the fallout of his mother's disappearance, he also confronts his own unresolved issues with her.