Chain Mail International has had a banner year; the tanking economy is proving an unexpected boon for the firm’s time-honored business — creating and forwarding chain letters. Through the lens of the firm’s holiday party, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of the business, and come to see that as progress moves relentlessly onward, not everyone will be sharing in the group’s success.

Richard and Kate have lost everything: Job, home, lifestyle. Now, with everything they own packed into their battered old station wagon, they’re just trying to make it to Cleveland, where Richard’s brother has offered a chance to start over. But making the journey is easier said than done, and when Richard’s plans to borrow money from an old friend fall through, they are left with no choice but to seek out an old flame of Kate’s for help. But will this truly be a chance to move on, or the catalyst for a larger life change?

Roland “Rolly” Gentry is a hardened private eye who thought he’d seen it all. But when a mysterious woman steps into his office and asks him to have a “talk” with her ex-husband, Rolly is tossed into a seedy world where not even his entire collection of self-help books and CDs can assist him: Suburbia. As he delves ever deeper into the darkest corners of homeowners’ association politics, he faces a threat not only to the façade of stabilty society presents, but to the inner wisdom within his own secret soul.

Every Sunday, a group of close friends gets together for a backyard barbecue. But one day, Smitty decides to bring along his new girlfriend — and everyone is shocked to discover that she looks strikingly similar to Samantha, another friend who died several years ago. As the afternoon progresses, each of the friends must not only deal with the new addition to their little circle, but confront the ghosts of their own past relationships — resulting in unplanned revelations.

Ever since he was a child, Reuben knew he was different… and despite all his attempts to fit in with “normal” people, he remains isolated and alone. But a chance encounter with an up-and-coming rock star gives him the spark needed to hone his supernormal skills, to shape himself into a true hero. And then Campbell, a new face in his office, demonstrates abilities comparable to his own, but with a bizarre twist — and nefarious intent. Reuben’s coworkers are oblivious to the danger she represents, and slowly fall under her spell. As Campbell spreads her nefarious influence, Reuben’s friends must decide: Soup… or hero?

Solomon is a genie at the top of his game. But after winning award after award, he decides that the life of a genie just isn’t what it used to be. After discussing his concerns with his otherworldly “boss,” he opts to take an extended sabbatical, choosing a simpler life working in a hardware store (though still performing miracles on a substantially smaller scale). But one afternoon he is approached by a slick-talking “headhunter,” who relentlessly tries to recruit him back into the magical world, promising a substantially improved lifestyle with a new employer…

Making a good first impression at a job interview is critical, as Mary well knows. But from the start, fate seems to be working against her. She oversleeps, and has to scramble to get ready. She can’t find a taxi, and has to walk from her hotel to the office. She can’t get into an overly crowded elevator, and has to take the stairs. But despite the setbacks, she manages to make it to the office on time, only to discover that — before she can utter a single syllable — the atmosphere is quite contrary to what one would normally expect. And that atmosphere becomes more bizarre with each passing moment.

Kevin can’t seem to catch a break in the romantic arena, and his poker buddies aren’t afraid to let him know it. Over the course of a friendly game, they recount his romantic misadventures, and a pattern emerges — all of Kevin’s concepts of romance derive from 1980s-era films. Which might be all right, except that Kevin can’t seem to execute them the way they come off in the movies. Whether he’s reenacting his favorite scenes from “Pretty in Pink,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Top Gun,” or “Say Anything,” he always manages to end up with egg on his face. That is, until he meets just the right woman…

Sebastian is eager to show off his latest acquisition to a cadre of eccentric — and soon-to-be-jealous — art collectors, even hiring his photographer nephew to capture the unveiling for posterity. But when the “Schlimmer” turns up missing, accusations of theft begin flying, and long-simmering resentments begin to undermine the group’s cohesion.