The film begins with Everett breaking free of a chain gang with two other prisoners, Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson). Together, the three men start out on a Homeric journey to discover a treasure that Everett has supposedly buried before its location is flooded.
The Baptism
After breaking free, the men are betrayed by Pete's cousin and almost captured. Later, while in the woods, they witness a baptism ceremony and Delmar and Pete are baptized. They soon meet up with Tommy (Chris Thomas King), an African American man who says he recently sold his soul to the devil to learn to play the guitar. The men end up recording a song at a local radio station for a little money. Tommy later runs away when they almost get caught once again. The men end up meeting up with notorious criminal Baby Face Nelson (Michael Badalucco), who robs a bank, gives them all of the money from the heist, and leaves.
The Sirens
While driving down the road later, the men come upon three women. They end up getting drunk and they pass out. When Everett and Delmar wake up, they discover that Pete is missing and think he's been turned into a toad. The toad is later killed by a Bible Salesman name Big Dan Teague (John Goodman) who robs the two of all their money. They find out that Pete is alive and break him out of jail, after which he admits that he told the police about the treasure. Everett then admits that there never was a treasure and that the whole thing was a cover for the fact that his ex-wife was about to remarry and he had to stop it.
Meeting the KKK and Breaking Tommy Free
After breaking Pete free, the men stumble about a group of the KKK who is about to lynch Tommy. They disguise themselves as clansmen and rescue Tommy. The Grand Dragon turns out to be Homer Stokes, the archenemy of the current governor, Pappy O'Daniel. The four men, in disguise, go to town to find Everett's wife, who is at a fundraising event for Homer Stokes. They get on stage in disguise and start playing the song they recorded earlier, only to discover that it had become a big hit and that the audience loved it. Stokes then walks in and stops the show, claiming that the men had messed up his KKK meeting earlier. Pappy O'Daniel seizes the opportunity to promote his campaign and has Homer run out on a rail, literally. He pardons the men and allows them to keep playing.
Flood and Conclusion
Because his wife's new fiancé was the campaign manager of Stokes, she leaves him and goes back to Everett because he is now the successful one. She insists that he retrieve her wedding ring from their cabin. When Everett, Pete, and Delmar arrive, the sheriff is there, along with three nooses and three dug graves. Before they are about to be hanged, they pray to God and the valley floods. The men surface alive and well, but Everett claims that the valley floods all of the time, and that there was a scientific explanation, and that there was no miracle involved.
In the end, Everett is reunited with his wife and children.
 |
