Hermia (Anna Friel) and Lysander (Dominic West) run away into the forest to escape Hermia’s father Egeus (Bernard Hill) who demands that Hermia marries Demetrius (Christian Bale). Demetrius pursues Hermia, followed by Helena (Calista Flockhart), who adores Demetrius. The foursome find themselves near the secret home of the fairies, where fairy trickster Puck (Stanley Tucci) administers a secret love potion, causing the lovers to mix and match with outrageous results. Meanwhile a band of actors rehearsing a play in the woods are interrupted when its star actor Bottom (Kevin Kline) becomes a pawn in the love battles between Oberon (Rupert Everett), King of the Fairies, and Titania (Michelle Pfeiffer), his Queen.