The Sweet East (2023) Movie Script
1
Wanna hang on to it?
Oh, my God!
Never know.
Might be worth something
if I blow up.
You good, girl?
Yeah, sure,
Hell, I'll go again
if you want.
That's okay.
Hmm?
What?
No, I was just thinking about
the end of that movie.
What about it?
She was funny, right?
I mean, I thought
it was kind of retarded.
Oh, Lillian...
They were all
from different planets,
and they spoke
the same language.
-Oh...
-Doesn't make sense.
Come on, it's just a movie.
Hey, you fucking rank bitches.
We're in fucking
Washington, D.C.
What do you have
to say to your fans?
Oh, shit!
A lot of this city
was built up from scratch.
But Rock Creek
was already a cemetery,
and this was still
the province of Maryland.
Now, almost 300 years later,
many famous Americans
are buried there.
Upton Sinclair.
Anybody know who that is?
Nobody knows
who Upton Sinclair is.
Uh, oh, it's The Jungle.
It's a book about labor.
Hey, I got something
for you, Annabel.
Troy you're fucking rank.
Ew.
On my left here,
across that body of water,
that's the campus of
Howard University.
Some of the famous alumni
from there,
Thurgood Marshall,
Phylicia Rashad
from the show
The Cosby Show.
This is a big day
for the west front
of the building,
which may have previously
been considered the rear.
Explaining this breach
from protocol,
President Reagan, who had been
the governor of California,
explained that
he wanted to look west
to the rest of the country.
So I'll leave you with that.
And when we reconvene,
we'll see
what's going on inside.
Annabel, I've got something
to show the president.
Come back.
We're doing Bible study
at 6:00 p.m.
What the fuck?
You fucking redneck...
-Scared the shit
out of them, boy!
-Where are they from?
Ohio. Showed 'em how we do it
down in South Cackalacky.
Oh, we leaving soon?
I could eat the shit
out of a dead goat's asshole!
Ew! Don't be disgusting, Troy.
"Ew! Don't be
disgusting, Troy."
Okay. I'm gonna get ready.
Bye, haters.
Annabel, wait up.
You're just gonna be
pissed at me
this whole entire trip?
Mmm-mmm.
I hate this.
It was your idea.
I know. That's the worst part.
Say hi, Max.
Better drop some beats.
Take the mic, Annabel.
This is for the
Capital Steps whiteys.
Yes, whitey.
You're just afraid
to let them in.
(RAP CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]
Excuse me.
Calm the fuck down.
Calm down!
I need to speak to the manager.
He knows why I'm here.
You. I'm gonna say this
once and only once.
Little creepy motherfucker.
I need to know what's going on
down in that basement now.
Basement?
Give me the keys
to the basement!
I assure you, sir,
we do not have a basement.
You're gonna look at me
in the eyes and tell me
that you're not
raping kids down there?
He's raping kids down there!
Any of you guys get raped?
I'm getting out of here.
Are you coming?
It seemed so much
bigger when I was a kid.
Anyway, the emails
were written in code,
"CP" which was supposed to be
for "cheese pizza,"
and some genius
in this board decided
it was child pornography,
and they basically Rosetta
Stoned it from there.
I just realized
I don't know who you are.
I'm no one, really.
Oh, hi, nobody. I'm Caleb.
Lillian. I'm just a student.
Hey, you go to college here?
-Yeah.
-Whereabouts?
Um, Howard.
No. Really?
Really, why?
No reason.
Where the fuck
are you guys, huh?
Well, fucking hurry up,
then, you pussy.
Bring the van around.
Sweet green on D?
All right, I'll be there.
Fancy a trip to Charm City?
It's really pretty.
Not if you know what's in it.
Whoo! Hey!
-Hey. You hungry?
-Hey, get in there.
You know, this is mostly
dumpster stuff.
We never pay for food
or anything here
in restaurants or, you know,
supermarkets, whatever.
I'm kind of full, though.
What do you guys,
like, do for work?
We run things here
on a collective model.
We've got
three adjunct professors,
a public defender,
a flight attendant.
For everybody here
it's very important
to be as mobile as possible
to facilitate
political activity, protest,
other direct action
type activity,
which is the essential
aspect of what we do.
Like that thing
in Trenton tomorrow
that I was talking about.
Cool.
Are you an artist, too?
I say artivist.
What I had to ask was,
how do you render browsing
as a performance?
Because that's what
I wanted to do.
I wanted to take this
everyday activity
that shapes people's perceptions
to a far greater degree
than they're even aware of.
De-familiarize it.
So take what happened today.
Whatever it was
that happened today.
The sound manipulation
gives the experience
a whole different dimension.
There's a layer of distortion
on the distortion,
so you can really
feel the process.
Wait.
So do you post these videos
online or, like, what do you...
That would kind of undermine
the nature of the performance,
which is supposed to be
a one-off and have an aura,
not to sound pretentious,
but the main thing,
shit's only gonna
keep getting heavier.
That shit you saw today,
that's just the beginning.
What are you looking at?
What, you've never
seen gauges before?
No, I have.
They hurt?
I mean, not really.
They do them over time.
They go up in sizes.
But, you know,
it's the same as anything.
Your body gets
used to it during practice.
Kind of like losing
your virginity.
I thought about getting
my tongue pierced for a while.
Most of my hardware
is downstairs.
Want to see it?
What?
Oh, Jesus.
Before you ask,
I usually pee sitting down.
But it works
for everything else.
You wanna touch it?
No. What the fuck?
Oh, my God.
-I freaked you out...
I'm just fucking around.
-No.
I'm a Boy Scout.
I swear I'm a Boy Scout.
No monkey business.
Scout's honor.
Scout's honor, yeah.
I don't know.
-Hey.
-Hey.
Do you wanna smoke?
Oh, I'm good. Thanks though.
All right.
Actually, I'll smoke.
Oh, thanks.
Do you mind if I use
your phone for a minute?
-Because I broke mine.
-Go for it.
Thanks.
Everything okay?
You look kind of spooked.
Yeah...
It's none of my business,
but I have a pretty good sense
for when somebody is
running away from something.
I'm not running away
from anything.
-Oh.
-Do I look like I'm running
away from something?
Mmm, no, it's just...
I used to live with this guy
who was like a total toxic
piece of shit.
I mean, I lived off
of him, really.
Which made me feel pathetic,
which made him think
I was pathetic,
which he lorded over me
and I let him
because my self-esteem
was trash.
I had nowhere else to go.
And then suddenly one day
he just, closed fist,
hit me in the face...
Boom! That was it.
That's messed up.
How are you getting
to D.C. tomorrow?
I was thinking I might
go with you guys, actually.
To Trenton, seriously?
Did Caleb explain
the situation to you?
It's gonna get pretty heavy.
Yeah, he did.
He told me everything.
I'm sure he did.
What do you mean?
Hmm, nothing. I mean,
Caleb's fine for a rich kid.
He's rich?
He doesn't look rich.
Yeah, he went
to high school everywhere,
like Brazil, Swaziland,
Timbuktu...
The only thing
Caleb's running from
is a Georgetown townhouse.
Good morning.
Scrapple?
No, thanks.
Okay, we gotta get in
before it gets dark,
because it's a public park.
Which means we've got
a narrow window to hit him in.
Okay, you got that?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Okay.
But then,
you got seven minutes.
- Right?
- Right, right.
It's a lifetime
of the fight, right?
Right.
But that does not mean
we can afford to fuck around
and waste time.
- Right?
- Right.
So grab your man,
or woman, and engage.
Let's go!
Hey, who wants
this dog shit?
No one's here.
Didn't say anything
about which parking lot?
Dude, he just said
"the parking lot."
What the fuck is this?
I don't fucking know,
I'm telling you what he said.
Of course,
nobody thought to fucking
map it out.
Dude,
they're not even here.
Bro.
For real?
Dude, this is
a nature preserve,
not a public park.
Nature reserve
is a public park.
Okay.
-Bro.
-What do we do?
I'll tell you
what we don't do.
We don't split up our force.
That's rookie shit.
Adam's right.
Ow.
-I dropped my phone.
-What the fuck?
I don't see any Nazis.
Ah! I'm getting eaten alive
by mosquitoes.
What am I supposed to do
about that?
I don't know.
Didn't you plan this
whole thing?
Maybe bug spray?
Brian risked his ass
to get us this info,
you know.
Well, then,
maybe Brian should've
- Yo, tell this bitch
-told you to bring
some fucking OFF!?
-to shut up.
Oh, my God!
-I gotta pee.
-You want me to watch?
Ew, no.
I mean, watch out for you.
-No.
-Be careful.
Whatever. I'll let you know
if someone waves
their nasty ass
Swiss cheese dick at me.
There's a competition
to be organized
within our European brotherhood
bringing in the sweat fields
in Africa,
in our Europe civilization,
so that the financial part
in one European country
can be used as against
the financial part in another.
All the great financial central
power of the world,
now shipping
from the city of London
to Wall Street, New York,
shall be able,
on the mass of money, of wealth,
and of power,
which it brings to it,
again and again...
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Are you sure
you're in the right place?
I feel certain
I've never seen you
at one of these affairs before.
I would have remembered.
I have a very good memory
for faces,
and you're very striking.
I'm Lawrence.
Annabel.
You kidding?
Why would I be kidding?
So are these,
like, your friends?
Come on.
It pains me to say this,
but one doesn't always find
the better class of white men
at these events,
an irony unique
to this early stage
of racial consciousness.
Moreso I, uh...
I can't be seen
at these things.
You know, popping up
in group photos
is a bad look.
Why?
-Because of my work.
-What do you do?
I'm in academia.
Let's say, there are
certain fields of study
that the liberal arts
department, so-called,
does not recognize
as socially acceptable.
And so I run
a great deal of risk
any time I come out
of the closet, as it were.
If this were a tranny
Communist convention,
it'd be a different story.
I'd probably be
on a tenured track.
So, like, you're an activist?
An activist?
Like, stuff for elections
and stuff.
The election was
a pre-scripted puppet show,
just like every year,
only more so.
I mean, you must know
votes determine nothing.
They're used
for private analysis insight
by the control grid
to assay how their synthetic,
social, political
and economic designs
affect the minion masses.
-Hmm.
-Now, what those stats
supposedly indicate
is carefully engineered
to make minority victim groups
feel anger or animosity
towards a supposedly
evil white America
and deepen
their feelings of hate
towards a manufactured enemy.
Are you quite all right?
I'm sorry.
I just, like, literally
haven't had anything to eat
since yesterday afternoon.
Ah, okay, uh,
just give me one second.
It seems the organizers
of this event
made ample provisions
for alcohol,
but not enough for food.
I can get you something
more substantive, if you like.
This is really good.
Yeah, I... I eat here
whenever I'm in the city,
which is as little
as possible.
Where do you live?
Not far, right on the Delaware,
on the Jersey side,
close to New Hope.
-You been?
-No.
Oh, it's beautiful,
I'd be happy to show you.
Hmm. That'd be, like,
kind of weird.
No, I live by myself.
Did I say something wrong?
No, no, you didn't. No.
Then what?
No, I'm just in, like,
a shitty situation right now,
and I don't really know
what I'm gonna do.
The clothes
I'm wearing are, like,
the only clothes I have,
and I don't know
where I'm gonna
stay and stuff.
I'm down from Baltimore.
Uh, from Baltimore.
It's south of here.
Sorry,
I'm... I'm being a pedant.
-A what?
-No, it's okay.
I apologize.
What were you saying?
I'm... I'm sorry...
It's just the guy
I was living with...
Yeah?
Yeah, um...
...he hit me.
Closed fist,
like a week ago.
Down in Baltimore?
Yeah. I'm sorry, I shouldn't...
I shouldn't have brought it up
because I just...
I can't...
I can't talk about it,
but I'm just scared shitless.
You know.
So stay with me
if you want to,
-of course.
-No, I shouldn't, I'm...
I'm... I'm sorry...
You wouldn't be
putting me out at all.
I have plenty of room.
No, it's... No,
it's not that. It's just...
like, the last guy
I was living with,
like, I kind of...
lived off of him,
more or less...
he, like, used that and,
like, lorded that over me,
and acted like he...
like, owned me or something,
and I just...
I can't put myself
in that situation again.
You don't have to worry
about that.
Just think of me
as a well-wisher.
I only wanna help.
-But?
-No buts.
I'll ask nothing in return.
You'd really do that?
There's something
I've always found compelling
in Poe's character.
Not just this self-destructive,
romantic, melancholic stuff,
which certainly brought me in
as an adolescent,
as it still does today,
but which, ultimately,
I think is irrelevant
and feeds into a rather
self-indulgent,
pernicious archetype
which has poisoned the arts.
I mean,
the popular image of Poe
is living alone
and in penury is,
it should be said,
not entirely accurate.
I need to go in here.
Oh, okay.
I'll wait here.
Have you lived here long?
I grew up here.
Me and my sisters.
Yep.
My dad bought this place
back in '68.
He was a brake man
on New Jersey Transit.
Back when you could afford
a house like this
on a brake man's salary.
It was very working class
back then.
Now it's all faggots
from Philadelphia and New York.
You must be tired.
I can take you to your room.
We could do
the grand tour later.
I'm sorry. It's such a mess.
I have very few visitors.
Uh, if you need
to send an email,
wait for me to set you up
with a remote IP.
And if you have
to send any letters,
give it to me
to post out of town.
Thank you so much.
Oh, please.
This is my pleasure.
So the bathroom is right
around the corner.
It's the one I used to share
with my siblings.
I think there's some
clean towels.
And there's plenty to read.
I stay up late,
should you need anything.
Do you know that
you share your name
with a poem about jealousy?
Mmm-mmm.
The jealousy of the angels.
Anyway, uh, there's plenty
of women's clothes here
if you'd like
to go through them later.
Sisters, mother, grandmother.
Nothing too contemporary,
but I sense that
you aren't either.
Yeah.
That's a compliment.
I know.
"Annabel. I'm off to work.
"I didn't want to wake you.
"Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
are my teaching days.
"If you stay on,
you'll have them to yourself.
"Feel free to use the desktop
computer in my office,
"which is on the first floor,
just off the main entryway.
"The password is 'cecropia.'
"If you feel like a walk,
"I've made a map
that will take you
on my favorite river route.
"Help yourself to anything
in the fridge.
"I should mention that
I don't eat meat
and I barely drink.
"I've left stationery
and envelopes,
"though remember what I told you
about mail.
"I'll be back around 6:30,
we can figure out dinner.
"Yours, Lawrence."
"Tessa,
I hope you're all good.
"I'm all good.
"I like it here.
I'm honestly chilling,
"and I'm not
in any trouble at all.
"You're the only person
I'm writing,
"but if you feel like
you have to tell my parents
"that I wrote, I get it.
"If you do,
tell them not to look for me.
"Not that that would
keep them from doing
"what they're gonna do.
"But, whatever. Like, I said,
"I'm fine
and I'm not in any trouble.
"And this is my choice,
"which now that
I'm saying that
"I know that's what
a kidnapper would say to say.
"Whatever.
If you see my parents,
"please say hi
to Spider for me.
"Your bitch, Lillian."
So in 1906,
one of the short
sighted decisions
that world governments
specialize in...
...a parasitic fly
was introduced
to control the native
moth population.
So, you won't see too many
of these out in the wild.
You can pet it.
Beautiful, huh?
So that's the finished project,
and, uh, that's the rough...
What do you think?
Another piece
of lemon yogurt cake?
Mmm.
Thanks.
Wash it down
with some of this.
It's bitter.
You spend time
out on the water much?
Mmm...
I went with my uncle
a few times when I was little,
it was different.
He had one of those,
what d'you call it...
a catamaran.
I found being
out on the open water
has a very strange
effect mentally.
It imbues
a real sense of epic destiny.
And I'm afflicted with enough
vainglory already.
Most people
don't think like you.
And most people don't think.
What in your young life
could you have encountered
to inspire you? Huh?
Reality TV?
Blockbusters? Megachurches?
To Kill a Mockingbird?
It's poison food.
Everything you're force fed
from the minute
you're out of the cradle
by a degraded culture.
Yeah, I don't know.
I never really cared
about that stuff.
I'm not dumb.
Of course you didn't.
Presented only with choices
that are beneath you,
you opt out.
You grow up
with nothing to hold on to.
You end up
with some vulgar idiot
who treats you like a doormat
and you hold on to that
because it's at least real.
Grimly so.
There's something
very fine in you.
Something delicate
that cries out
for a civilization
to cultivate it.
You were born too late.
Why too late?
Why not too early?
Maybe I don't exist yet.
So... you still think about him?
The guy that hit you.
I used to. Not anymore.
Not, like, never, actually.
Like you said, vulgar.
That's not my type.
Not that I, like, have
a type, I guess.
No principles, no type.
Maybe you should have one.
How'd my shoe come untied?
Some dramatic license
was taken with the timeline.
Poe was, in fact steadily
employed in the years
prior to Virginia's death
in 1847, and two years
before that,
he enjoyed enormous
popular success with
the publication of The Raven,
factors which allowed
for the purchase of his house
at Fordham,
which depicted here,
if my memory serves
with some degree of fidelity...
I'm just glad they figured out
how to make movies, like,
less boring than this.
Did they?
I recommend you go
the day before and check out
the drop-off spot.
It's a pain the ass to find,
and that's the point.
And a symbolic import.
What symbolic import, Larry?
Are you into this or not?
Locked and loaded, brother.
All right, killer.
I gotta hit the bricks.
I hate driving at night.
I'm getting old
and I can't see the road.
What you doing?
Just working.
On what?
Extracurriculars,
piece on Henry VII
and the War of the Roses.
I gave you a draft last week.
Do you retain
any of the information
that I share with you?
Yeah, something about
how he was a Jew.
I know you love being
grossly reductive,
but that's not scholarship.
I meant
what were you doing
with that guy?
Nothing.
I'm going out of town
for a long weekend thing
next week.
What long weekend thing?
is it for your school?
Sure. Yeah.
Did he bring you a present?
So where are you going?
-New York, New York City.
-Can I come?
-No.
-Why not?
I'm sorry. You can't. No.
I'm gonna go take a bath.
Are you sure I can't come?
I'm sorry.
You know,
I'll leave the door open
if I can come.
"I was a child
and she was a child,
in this kingdom by the sea."
I apologize for the lack
of ducal splendor.
There are, of course, reasons.
Speaking of which,
I should go check in alone.
Oh. Good morning.
No, it was not one room
with two beds.
It was two rooms
with single beds.
There's a big difference, okay?
I reserved them on
the website, which, I must add,
was very confusing.
Come in, are you happy
with your room?
No, it sucks.
Is that necessary?
Do you trust someone
who works at a place like this?
It's a common misconception
perpetuated by
condescending Europeans
that this is a young country,
that we're somehow
a naive people.
Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Do you know that Philadelphia
was the second city of
the British Empire
when Manchester
and Glasgow were nothing?
Shakespeare's
The Tempest was based
on the wreck of the Sea Venture
en route to Jamestown, 1609,
the oldest representative
democracy in the world.
But the European intelligentsia,
they just love that
stereotyped view.
They like to situate
the American as
an insufficiently developed,
adolescent proto-European,
who, given time enough,
will evolve into civilized
and socialized decadence
and decay.
Look, we're almost there.
Okay, it's saying
to go this way here.
You know,
it just occurred to me,
in all likelihood, you will live
to see the tricentennial,
and I will not.
That does not seem
very fair.
-Lawrence.
-Yeah?
I'm really tired and I feel
all sweaty and nasty.
Okay. Well, I just had
to come here.
We can head back soon.
Is this gonna be the whole trip?
I didn't know you found
my company so objectionable.
No, it's not that. It's just
I thought when we were
gonna go to New York City,
we were gonna, like,
go to New York City.
What, do you want to go
fucking clubbing or something?
-Sorry for swearing.
-Of course not.
It's just like we're here.
I wish we could, you know,
stay somewhere cool.
Like, get a nice hotel
or something.
Wait, you want to get
two different hotel rooms
in Manhattan?
Do you have any idea
how much that would cost?
We wouldn't have to get
two separate rooms.
-But we get two separate beds,
of course.
-Of course.
Of course.
-Because, you know,
I would never...
-I know.
That's one of
my favorite things about you.
-Good evening.
-Good evening.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I could go get us
breakfast or something.
That would be wonderful.
Oh, would you do me a favor?
Do you think you could run
to the store and get me
some nail polish?
Like a matte gray?
Are you sure you want me
to go get it?
I feel like I'll get
the wrong one or something.
I think you can handle it.
I just want to do my nails
before we go out today.
Just pretend I'm wasting away
in bed.
Taking care of me.
Hey!
Miss, excuse me! Hey!
Hey, miss!
-Hey, look...
-What the fuck?
I'm so sorry.
We're not a threat.
Don't look
at us like that.
- Sorry. I'm...
- Yeah. No.
Who are you?
Hi, I'm Molly.
Molly McNair.
And I'm Matthew.
Matthew Sutter. Sorry...
You make us feel so crazy,
like you're an...
It's like you stepped
out of my brain.
-And we're like...
-Yes, like, we saw you
walking down,
and we're like,
that's our girl.
That's the woman,
like... I see her turning
butter now.
It's perfect.
No. You literally
churn the butter...
Churn the butter?
-Yeah, um, we're filmmakers.
-Like movie directors?
Yes, exactly.
I'm her producer,
and that's why
we're chasing you.
-I'm the director.
-Because you are a vision.
I would just really love
if you came in and read
for something
that I've been working on
for a very long time.
-Sorry, I'm not an actor.
-No, no, no, that's okay.
That's okay.
Because the best actress
is just a woman who says yes.
Say yes.
What's your name?
Lillian?
Lillian?
Like, you're not sure of that.
I love that.
-Like Lillian? Yeah...
-Can we... can we...
-Can we just walk?
-Yes.
My God. Yes. Okay.
It's called As It Churns.
It's a period piece...
Those who knew me before
marvel at the change,
which has been brought within me
in my time here.
They wonder at my boldness,
which they say is unbecoming
to one whose sex
is that of poor Eve.
For I have acquired
the strength and tenacity
of a male child of Adam.
I fear that unbidden,
this transformation
has had its effect on you.
And I fear that you too
have changed in ways
unforeseen.
For while you preach
equality of the sexes,
you withdraw from a woman
who begins to pull abreast
of you in her learning.
So great is the wound
that you have dealt
to our common cause.
But it is a small thing
to mention that which
you have dealt me.
A wretched woman
who believed in you.
Wow.
Hmm.
-Lillian...
-That was a lot of words.
Um...
-I really think
this could work.
-Yeah.
Just visually, like...
imagining her with Ian...
-Height-wise.
-Have you told her about Ian?
-Um...
-Who's Ian?
No, I didn't. I haven't.
- Ian Reynolds.
- Do you know him?
Yeah. He goes out with that
one girl from the show, right?
What do you even do?
You're so random.
Random, um...
Well, I was a student
at Rowan University
-in New Jersey, studied poetry.
-Beautiful.
Yeah, like Victorians.
People like that.
- Okay, wow.
- And Americans. Edgar Allan Poe.
That's insane.
Your specialty is more or less,
um, the period in which
the film takes place.
Yeah, like, the years after
the Erie Canal was built,
like, that's when
our entire movie is set.
I mean, it's all the free love
but also these religious
movements,
like, intersecting inside
of that, like, it's
exhilarating. All that shit.
In the community
of love deal
that we worked with,
and the screenplay is actually
a composite of all of that
that was bouncing around
at that time.
Sort of, like,
what happens,
you know, when
these tight-ass
religious fanatics, right,
decide to reimagine society
in their own image, but also
in the new image...
You know, like what happens
when you start here
and end up there?
It's crazy.
It's crazy, is what it is.
And then what happens
when the almighty dollar
comes in, right?
When that train starts getting,
like, fueled by capital, right?
Does it, like,
veer off the tracks,
or does it keep on moving?
And obviously you know
what happened, right?
-You know?
-It's the canal boom.
Yes, yes.
But how do you tell it
and not feel like
you're beholden
to this downtrodden
and really low idea period
that's sort of like based,
you know, Masterpiece Theater
and Merchant Ivory.
-You know,
the lace, the doilies...
-I love Merchant Ivory.
So I'm gonna just, like,
strike that.
-I want to keep...
I don't want to.
I don't want to.
-Victorian scholar.
I don't wanna scare her off.
-I don't think she'd be scared.
I think she's really
braver than you think.
And I love Merchant Ivory.
When you rejected
Merchant Ivory,
I see what
you were bringing in...
That's what it was.
It wasn't a rejection.
And I'm going crazy.
I'm losing my mind over her.
-It was imitation. It was.
-There's performers from
a lot of different backgrounds.
People from all sorts
of different planes and trains
-and automobiles, right?
-Speaking of that,
of that diversity
of thought that we're trying
to bring to this piece.
It's not just our diversity,
you know what I mean?
Like, how do we sort of keep
that period elocution,
but have a ease of vernacular,
you know?
Because again,
if we are not being
as experimental as
these established communities,
these, sort of,
intentional communities,
if we aren't having that same
freedom of experimentation,
then we fail here
with this film.
-You know?
-If we are afraid to fail,
we fail, you know?
That sounds really cool.
Um...
Yeah, I just... I don't know
if I would, like, be able to
do it, if you wanted me, I mean.
Oh, we want you.
-Yeah, we do.
-We wouldn't have went through
this whole rigmarole
if it wasn't about you.
I'm, well, I'm between
spaces right now,
and it's just trying
to balance a lot of things.
Okay. So, are you looking
for a space here in New York?
Yeah. I mean.
Yeah, I guess.
Oh, my God. So this is insane.
My aunt is in Istanbul
for a month
and she gave me her keys
to take care of her plants,
and she has a full townhouse
in Sugar Hill, just empty,
waiting for someone
to water the plants.
I don't like watering plants.
Plants freak me out.
That will be your only
responsibility in this house.
But then, you would have a place
to stay here in New York,
living a Carrie Bradshaw dream,
and also starring in the film.
If I'm you, it's yes.
Um, I mean, yeah, I'm down.
- Wow.
- Yeah. This is amazing.
Okay. Wait. Do we have...
Should we do
the other side?
Wait. No, no, no, wait.
I don't have your number.
Oh, I don't have a cell phone.
-That's amazing.
-That's awesome.
-I love that.
-Wow. Yeah.
Yeah.
My mom likes to mash my...
Aah!
- Okay.
- Yeah, whenever.
You can roll into it,
see what happens?
- Just roll into it?
Let's see what it's like...
-Ready?
-Yeah. Whenever you're ready.
I'm just gonna run with it
and see what happens.
Okay.
We are, I am proud to say,
almost entirely self-sustaining.
Our smithy, who comes
from Northampton, is much
the best for miles in any--
Wait, is he supposed
to have a Southern accent?
What you doing?
-I mean, it just it sounds...
-It doesn't sound Southern.
It sounds period accurate,
and it's fine.
And we're in rehearsal, right?
You got it.
And whenever
you're ready.
Our joinery stirred in fine
as the work of a most
ingenious Negro, Aloysius,
born in bondage in Mississippi
and won that omission
by dint of his evident
superiority. We grow
Qatar bar grapes for wine,
and in the fall,
we sugar off our own cider.
And I could show you
the outbuildings later,
if you'd like.
Pon, why do you look at me
so amiss?
I wasn't aware I was
looking at you in
any particular way.
Did you expect me
to have a tail?
Or a forked tongue?
I expected you a trifle taller.
I'm sure you've heard
the most extraordinary things
about me in town.
Well, between what I've heard
and what I believe, sir,
there stands...
er, stands always a vast gulf.
And what exactly do you believe?
Well, as of this very moment,
I believe
that you're more
enamored and basking
in your supposed infamy
than winning a convert
to your cause.
Which, to my understanding,
has to do with creating
-a better world. Yeah. Right.
-Yes, creating a better world.
A better world than that
which we have inherited.
A world made and unmade by men.
So it shouldn't come as
any surprise that a man
nominates himself
to set it right.
I love you.
Thank you all
for coming. I'm, um, TJ Fife,
the sheriff here in charge
of this investigation.
Any bit of information,
however inconsequential...
No, I've never even
been to Hollywood.
Mom says I can do
the runway, though.
...T-shirt that was
the last piece of apparel
that we know that
Lillian was wearing
when she disappeared.
It's, of course, from an image
from a band called Aerosmith.
Not to flex
or anything, but do you think
we can get weed?
...public that will
help us reunite Lillian Wade
with her family.
Thank you all
for being here today.
None of us are
giving up on Lillian until
she's safe at home.
So, you're an actress?
We're just incredibly,
incredibly concerned
that she's being held somewhere
against her will and not
by her choice.
We're just asking everyone
across the United States
to just keep searching.
Thank you.
Ooh.
Heard the big news?
Are you retarded?
That was yesterday's headlines.
Jesus. Yeah, the news about me
having Down syndrome is off
the front page today.
It's, like, barely a paragraph.
Oh.
Is anyone gonna help that guy?
You mean like the way
that you're helping them?
I would, but I'm already
in costume.
Yeah, me, too.
What's the big news?
Oh, yeah, check it out.
A star is born.
Hmm. Mystery friend.
All right. We need you
back on set in five.
Okie-dokie.
Actually, you're welcome.
That's why
everybody has a job.
That's what I'm doing,
creating a picture.
And I'm employing people
because I'm a filmmaker
- and I'm brave enough to fly.
- You know, I love you.
Looks like you have
an admirer over there.
They don't get
a lot of strangers
in these parts, obviously.
Yeah, obviously not.
Anytime you get, like,
five minutes out of any city,
-immediately fucking Alabama.
-Oh, completely.
Have you been to the men's room?
I started taking photographs
of everything.
It felt like I was in a safari.
You two are a complete pair
of cosmopolitan snobs,
you know that, yeah?
Oh, is that so? Okay.
So, you don't know this,
but Ian here spent three weeks
living in an air-conditioned
trailer in the middle
of Shreveport.
And now, he is
an encyclopedia of knowledge of
salt-of-the-earth Americana.
You said
Shreveport British.
I'm sorry, is it crazy to say
that there are certain
observations
I might be able to make
about your country
that are more evident to me
as a foreign observer?
Oh, yeah, do you do the one
about how America is
such a young country?
- Yes.
- Yes.
Incredible.
So, how you enjoying
the local watering hole?
Very atmospheric?
It's a vibe.
-There's a pool table.
-I don't know how to play.
Yeah, but last month
you didn't know how to act,
and you're very good at that.
Did you steal these shoes
from set?
-No?
-No, I'll bring them
back tomorrow.
Yeah, I thought.
You are so retarded.
You have a love affair
with that word,
my mystery friend.
Was your girlfriend weirded out?
I doubt very much
that she keeps up
with the tabloid blind items
at this point.
And if she does, fuck her.
On that note, I'm gonna take
a slash. I'll be right back.
Okay.
Hey, I just wanted to say
you were really great
this afternoon.
You're just a knockout.
There was this thing you did.
You close your lips
and your chin's up in profile?
It's so elegant.
It's... It's gorgeous.
When I close my lips?
Yeah, yeah,
but I mean, you know,
it's like Matthew was saying,
like, you're beautiful.
You know that, right?
You're very, very beautiful.
I know. No, I do know that.
I just...
I don't like being, like,
told things about myself.
It's true.
You're beautiful.
I will work out the shape
of my mouth. Yeah.
Can I... May I...
Oh, Christ. Okay. Good night.
Good night.
...and it's snowing everywhere.
And it's a blizzard.
This is not a blizzard!
-It's literally--
-You ordered a little blizzard.
I ordered...
I told your company
what we were going
to be shooting
was the biggest blizzard
that has ever happened
in New England.
It looks like...
Mo, Mo,
can you help him?
Sir, what I'm saying to you,
is that this does not
look like snow.
I'm looking for Annabel.
-Annabel?
-Yeah.
I want to know
if she's seen this.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Annabel. Just wait here.
-I'll go get her.
-Yeah.
Please,
please, bear with me.
- Because I know that I--
- Trying to work it out.
Show me where
you want the blankets.
I don't want the blankets.
We don't want the blankets.
We want a snow fantasy.
Wait. I've never seen a gun.
But this is not a gun.
This is stupid.
This doesn't make sense.
We've had conversations,
we've had plenty
of conversation.
Do you have anything to say?
Anything to add?
Great. Thank you so much.
Do you have anything to add?
Anything to say for yourself?
I'm injured. I'm sick.
Basically, I'm dying.
And this is how
you're helping me.
But what the fuck is going on?
Right? Because for me,
this is just...
Yeah?
Hey, is there any reason
somebody would think
your name's Annabel?
Oh, is his name Lawrence?
I don't know.
Big neck, tattoos.
Fuck.
I'll see what's up.
Just stay out of sight.
Okay. Thanks.
I beat you only once.
Many horses.
When I jump,
I jump over the moon...
All this bounty
that the white man
has had set at his feet,
and what has he done?
...enough snow
to look like a New England
blizzard...
I'm looking for this girl
named Annabel.
She probably goes
by a different name now.
-And I know she's on set.
-Annabel?
Can someone please put
these guys into costumes now?
-I am not repeating myself.
-Can we please get these
guys costumes?
Sir,
I'm sorry to curse,
but that is not...
Matthew! This is my movie.
Stop!
What the fuck?
Get off my set!
Not today, motherfuckers.
Roll the camera!
We have squandered
a great heritage!
We have squandered
a great heritage!
Come on.
Get in.
State line.
It's less than an hour now.
First time in Vermont?
This is my brother's place.
You'll be safe.
Wait here.
Come with me.
Watch your step, it's slippery.
Be careful.
No one will bother you here.
Thank you.
Oh, and, uh...
don't use the stove.
The smoke will give us away.
I'll get a space
heater tomorrow.
I'm sorry again that I can't
introduce you to everyone.
Ahmed doesn't let me
have friends over so, um,
I think it's best
you stay in here until I can
sort something out.
Oh, and stay away
from the window.
Good night.
Some of us are
going into town,
so I'll bring some more stuff.
I don't know about clothes.
I'll do what I can.
Thank you.
This is all very nice
and you're...
very, very nice,
but I don't want to stay here
if it's going to cause, like,
a lot of trouble or anything.
This is
the only safe place
for you to be.
No one knows about it.
Those men, they're...
still out there.
Oh, my God.
You really shouldn't
risk being seen.
If you're going into town, um...
like, if you could find, um,
Victorian slim menthols,
that would be great.
That's all I have.
Terrible habit.
People keep telling me that.
Oh, uh...
Can I... Is it full?
You want me to hand it to you?
The lock's for your safety.
Believe me.
Ahmed just took them into town.
Do you want to go for a walk?
That one?
Balsam fir.
Right there.
Paper birch.
Jack pine.
That?
Red spruce.
- What about that one?
- Pepperidge again.
Wow.
Is that, like,
your special talent
or something?
It's all I've got.
You?
Um...
I thought I was an actress,
a poet.
I guess I know more
about moths than...
the average person.
What's the story?
I knew a guy
that raised them.
I spin myself into a cocoon
and time will show
if I become a butterfly
or a maggot.
That's it.
Ran his mouth a lot.
Like, a lot, a lot, a lot.
Not much like you.
It seems like
it would be boring out here.
No.
Never.
I love this country.
I love the old apple trees
and the sour hard apples
that grow on them.
The old houses
that look like
they've given up on life.
And the elms and sycamores
and the chestnuts and the oaks,
and every time of year,
the way they make black cracks
in the sky in the winter,
and the wild turkeys
and salamanders
and the box turtles.
You must love
shitting in the woods.
Everything's a joke
to you.
It seems,
like, really far away
from everything.
It depends
what you want
to be close to.
Nothing's far away
from God, little one.
Jesus, are you for real?
As real as Jesus.
Hmm.
Well, to me...
it just seems boring.
And I'm how God made me,
aren't I?
Of course, but...
Well, isn't it possible that...
you might sometimes forget
who it is that he made you?
That other people might see
who you are clearer than you do.
Other people like you?
I had a dream
about you on the last
night of the shoot.
That's funny.
I shouldn't have mentioned that.
No, it's fine.
That's where we're going.
Not bad.
And God created it,
little one, for everyone.
Everyone who has eyes to see.
Are they really gonna
notice one little kitten?
- I'm alone up here
all fucking day.
Come on.
I'm alone up here
all fucking day.
Well, I'll have
to talk to my brother.
Well, can you
at least tell him about me?
I don't know.
How do I explain to them
that I'm keeping someone
on our property?
And a girl?
Does it matter that I'm a girl?
It matters to my brother.
Doesn't your brother like girls?
Not here, he doesn't.
It would be different
if I was introducing
the woman
who's gonna be my wife.
We'll talk about it later.
Have a good time with the boys.
Whoo!
Whoo!
Hey!
What's going on, baby? Come on.
Come on.
Hello.
Oh, hi.
Didn't you see
the signs, my dear?
-This is private property.
-I know. I'm so... I'm so sorry.
My... my dog ran away,
and I'm just looking for him
in the woods.
Little Bo Peep has lost her way.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess.
Long story. School play.
Uh-huh.
What kind of dog was it?
Labrador retriever.
Black lab, about two years old.
His name's Spider.
You haven't seen a dog
like that, have you?
No.
Of course. Sorry. Um...
I'm Lillian.
When did he run away?
About two hours ago,
I think.
We have this
six-foot fence for him,
but now that he's full grown,
he just jumps over
whenever he wants.
So far he's always come back,
but I still get kind of worried.
You live up the road?
Yeah, yeah, just up that way.
I don't think
I've seen you around.
I would remember.
Yeah, me, too.
I don't come
into town very much.
I see, yeah.
Maybe I should change that.
Yeah, maybe you should.
Do you have a pen?
A pen?
For your number... for the dog.
I'll put it in your phone.
And then...
I'll have your number, too.
Yeah, I just...
The thing is, I left it at home,
and it's probably better
I call you anyway.
My parents are super retarded.
And when I call you,
you'll have my number.
All right.
Do you have a pen, Mo?
That's my little brother, Mo.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You want me
to come and help you look?
No, it's okay.
I'm fine.
I can take you
back to your place.
It's gonna get dark soon.
I know, but I should probably
look for him on the way back.
Next time.
I'm sure
there'll be a next time.
I hope so.
Guarantee it.
Very nice to meet you,
Miss Lillian.
Talk soon.
Nice to meet you, too.
Wait.
Do you like electronic music?
EDM, drum and bass, to dance.
Uh, sure.
Hold on.
I'm glad you think
this is funny.
Did you really expect me
to stay locked up
in that fucking barn forever?
You're angry at me
because I gave you
a place to stay.
I'm not angry.
You certainly made
an impression on Ahmed.
Is that supposed to be my fault?
I don't see how I could have
been so wrong about you.
Well, it's not on me
because I didn't tell you
to think anything about me.
-You seemed happy to stay here.
-I was.
When there were people
looking for me,
I read the fucking newspaper.
-I know they caught them.
-Not all of them.
You just wanted to keep me here.
If you tell anyone
about this place...
I'm not gonna tell anyone
about your faggot God camp.
- I'm not.
- Here.
Here.
Here.
It's on me.
- Wow.
- Now you call me,
tell me you got your dog,
and tell me
how you like this, okay?
I will. Thank you.
Yeah.
See you, guys.
Are you feeling all right?
Feeling all right?
Yeah.
Not too talkative.
That's your right.
That's... You're
within your rights there.
You know, we're not the police,
but we did have
to call the police.
Okay.
Also know how lucky you are
to have collapsed
on our property.
You're lucky that
brother Christian
scooped your frozen body up
in the nick of time.
And carried back here
by brother Gary.
Brother Mike drove.
Good brothers.
Oh, it sounds like
a real miracle.
Sarcasm.
Big fan of sarcasm.
You know, I spent many years
abroad in Bethlehem
at a place called
the Chapel of the Milk Grotto,
named so
for its soft, white stone.
And it is said that
the Holy Family,
Mary, Jesus,
and Joseph took refuge there
on their way to Egypt,
during the Massacre
of the Innocents.
And while the Holy Family
was there,
a drop of Mary's mother's milk
splashed on the ground.
And tradition has it
that the dust scrapings
from the stone in the grotto
could boost fertility
in hopeful mothers.
And people would come
from all over the world,
Japan, Brazil, Ethiopia,
to purchase these scrapings,
and then,
nine and a half months later,
we would receive letters
with pictures
of newborn babies in them.
Why are you laughing, dear?
And people, tourists, would come
to my office in Bethlehem,
and they would...
see the pictures
covering the walls...
Some of the filing
cabinets even,
and they'd say,
"Is this a miracle?"
Maybe.
They ask,
"Could this be a miracle?"
Maybe.
Might just be a miracle,
if you believe, maybe,
if you don't believe, maybe.
But... look... at the pictures.
Look at the babies.
That's what I would say.
We had to pray for you
at church, like, every week.
I kept thinking, you know,
you would have cracked up
if you'd have seen it.
How long
did that go on?
Like a month.
And then, oh, that's the other
big thing that happened.
Did you hear about Chris Richie?
No.
He killed himself
just before graduation.
Kind of stole your thunder
a little bit.
Why'd he do it?
He'd been getting bullied.
This group of sophomore boys.
I don't think it's ever just...
one single thing
when somebody does
something like that.
Yeah.
He basically shot himself
in the head with an air rifle.
And I guess...
it didn't work the first time
so he pumped it back up
and did it again.
Wow.
Do you remember in eighth grade
when you called me
after taking
all the Tylenol PMs?
Fuck you.
"I'm so tired.
"Yeah, I need to lie down."
No.
Hi.
Hi, I thought that was you guys.
Tessa. Mama.
I haven't seen you
in a million years, babe.
Yeah, I guess we'll be seeing
each other at the hospital, huh?
Oh, my God, I'm gonna
be fucking knocking
on your door all,
"Do you have any painkillers
I can borrow?"
And you're gonna be all like,
"Uh, get your own, bitch."
- Yeah.
- How've you been, Lilly?
I'm good. I'm...
I'm really good, actually.
Good, good.
-How are you, Troy?
-I'm good.
I'm good. I've just been
hanging drywall with my brother.
Yeah,
of course you are.
It's great.
Classic Troy.
I've been
all right, you know, always...
Lilly, did you turn into a vegan
while you were away?
Remember the girl
you and I went out with
when we were juniors?
I never went out
with that one.
With the big personality?
He's trying to pull their leg.
Bionic woman?
Is she mad at me?
Yo!
Dude!
Thanks.
Surprised they let you
out of sight.
Mom says you're not
telling anybody about it.
Yeah.
You weren't
kidnapped or nothing?
Nope.
You know, some kids in my class
are saying you went off
to make pornos.
Hmm... Oh, yeah?
You could, you know.
Definitely pretty enough.
Just kind of doing my own thing.
That's cool.
You know, I have a bunch
of my dad's Vicodin he takes
for his back if you want.
Spider one happy dog.
He's happy you're home.
We're all pretty happy
you're home.
I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?
You're good. Thanks.
I was thinking we could
take out the catamaran.
Before the weather turns.
Would you like that?
Yeah.
I guess.
Ray, get in here!
Oh, my God!
The worst thing happened!
Ray! Ray, come in here!
- Oh, no!
- Oh!
You know
exactly who did this.
How did that happen?
I know who did it,
y'all know exactly
who did this, too.
What appeared
to be some sort of drone device
descended down
on the 50-yard line
here at Fletcher Stadium.
The air quality here is thick
from the smoke and debris,
and we've been told
the evacuation
of the stadium is underway.
All I can say is that
I have never witnessed
anything quite like this.
This is an active,
evolving situation.
65,000 people...
It is a dark, dark day.
Come on,
it's just a movie.
Wanna hang on to it?
Oh, my God!
Never know.
Might be worth something
if I blow up.
You good, girl?
Yeah, sure,
Hell, I'll go again
if you want.
That's okay.
Hmm?
What?
No, I was just thinking about
the end of that movie.
What about it?
She was funny, right?
I mean, I thought
it was kind of retarded.
Oh, Lillian...
They were all
from different planets,
and they spoke
the same language.
-Oh...
-Doesn't make sense.
Come on, it's just a movie.
Hey, you fucking rank bitches.
We're in fucking
Washington, D.C.
What do you have
to say to your fans?
Oh, shit!
A lot of this city
was built up from scratch.
But Rock Creek
was already a cemetery,
and this was still
the province of Maryland.
Now, almost 300 years later,
many famous Americans
are buried there.
Upton Sinclair.
Anybody know who that is?
Nobody knows
who Upton Sinclair is.
Uh, oh, it's The Jungle.
It's a book about labor.
Hey, I got something
for you, Annabel.
Troy you're fucking rank.
Ew.
On my left here,
across that body of water,
that's the campus of
Howard University.
Some of the famous alumni
from there,
Thurgood Marshall,
Phylicia Rashad
from the show
The Cosby Show.
This is a big day
for the west front
of the building,
which may have previously
been considered the rear.
Explaining this breach
from protocol,
President Reagan, who had been
the governor of California,
explained that
he wanted to look west
to the rest of the country.
So I'll leave you with that.
And when we reconvene,
we'll see
what's going on inside.
Annabel, I've got something
to show the president.
Come back.
We're doing Bible study
at 6:00 p.m.
What the fuck?
You fucking redneck...
-Scared the shit
out of them, boy!
-Where are they from?
Ohio. Showed 'em how we do it
down in South Cackalacky.
Oh, we leaving soon?
I could eat the shit
out of a dead goat's asshole!
Ew! Don't be disgusting, Troy.
"Ew! Don't be
disgusting, Troy."
Okay. I'm gonna get ready.
Bye, haters.
Annabel, wait up.
You're just gonna be
pissed at me
this whole entire trip?
Mmm-mmm.
I hate this.
It was your idea.
I know. That's the worst part.
Say hi, Max.
Better drop some beats.
Take the mic, Annabel.
This is for the
Capital Steps whiteys.
Yes, whitey.
You're just afraid
to let them in.
(RAP CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]
Excuse me.
Calm the fuck down.
Calm down!
I need to speak to the manager.
He knows why I'm here.
You. I'm gonna say this
once and only once.
Little creepy motherfucker.
I need to know what's going on
down in that basement now.
Basement?
Give me the keys
to the basement!
I assure you, sir,
we do not have a basement.
You're gonna look at me
in the eyes and tell me
that you're not
raping kids down there?
He's raping kids down there!
Any of you guys get raped?
I'm getting out of here.
Are you coming?
It seemed so much
bigger when I was a kid.
Anyway, the emails
were written in code,
"CP" which was supposed to be
for "cheese pizza,"
and some genius
in this board decided
it was child pornography,
and they basically Rosetta
Stoned it from there.
I just realized
I don't know who you are.
I'm no one, really.
Oh, hi, nobody. I'm Caleb.
Lillian. I'm just a student.
Hey, you go to college here?
-Yeah.
-Whereabouts?
Um, Howard.
No. Really?
Really, why?
No reason.
Where the fuck
are you guys, huh?
Well, fucking hurry up,
then, you pussy.
Bring the van around.
Sweet green on D?
All right, I'll be there.
Fancy a trip to Charm City?
It's really pretty.
Not if you know what's in it.
Whoo! Hey!
-Hey. You hungry?
-Hey, get in there.
You know, this is mostly
dumpster stuff.
We never pay for food
or anything here
in restaurants or, you know,
supermarkets, whatever.
I'm kind of full, though.
What do you guys,
like, do for work?
We run things here
on a collective model.
We've got
three adjunct professors,
a public defender,
a flight attendant.
For everybody here
it's very important
to be as mobile as possible
to facilitate
political activity, protest,
other direct action
type activity,
which is the essential
aspect of what we do.
Like that thing
in Trenton tomorrow
that I was talking about.
Cool.
Are you an artist, too?
I say artivist.
What I had to ask was,
how do you render browsing
as a performance?
Because that's what
I wanted to do.
I wanted to take this
everyday activity
that shapes people's perceptions
to a far greater degree
than they're even aware of.
De-familiarize it.
So take what happened today.
Whatever it was
that happened today.
The sound manipulation
gives the experience
a whole different dimension.
There's a layer of distortion
on the distortion,
so you can really
feel the process.
Wait.
So do you post these videos
online or, like, what do you...
That would kind of undermine
the nature of the performance,
which is supposed to be
a one-off and have an aura,
not to sound pretentious,
but the main thing,
shit's only gonna
keep getting heavier.
That shit you saw today,
that's just the beginning.
What are you looking at?
What, you've never
seen gauges before?
No, I have.
They hurt?
I mean, not really.
They do them over time.
They go up in sizes.
But, you know,
it's the same as anything.
Your body gets
used to it during practice.
Kind of like losing
your virginity.
I thought about getting
my tongue pierced for a while.
Most of my hardware
is downstairs.
Want to see it?
What?
Oh, Jesus.
Before you ask,
I usually pee sitting down.
But it works
for everything else.
You wanna touch it?
No. What the fuck?
Oh, my God.
-I freaked you out...
I'm just fucking around.
-No.
I'm a Boy Scout.
I swear I'm a Boy Scout.
No monkey business.
Scout's honor.
Scout's honor, yeah.
I don't know.
-Hey.
-Hey.
Do you wanna smoke?
Oh, I'm good. Thanks though.
All right.
Actually, I'll smoke.
Oh, thanks.
Do you mind if I use
your phone for a minute?
-Because I broke mine.
-Go for it.
Thanks.
Everything okay?
You look kind of spooked.
Yeah...
It's none of my business,
but I have a pretty good sense
for when somebody is
running away from something.
I'm not running away
from anything.
-Oh.
-Do I look like I'm running
away from something?
Mmm, no, it's just...
I used to live with this guy
who was like a total toxic
piece of shit.
I mean, I lived off
of him, really.
Which made me feel pathetic,
which made him think
I was pathetic,
which he lorded over me
and I let him
because my self-esteem
was trash.
I had nowhere else to go.
And then suddenly one day
he just, closed fist,
hit me in the face...
Boom! That was it.
That's messed up.
How are you getting
to D.C. tomorrow?
I was thinking I might
go with you guys, actually.
To Trenton, seriously?
Did Caleb explain
the situation to you?
It's gonna get pretty heavy.
Yeah, he did.
He told me everything.
I'm sure he did.
What do you mean?
Hmm, nothing. I mean,
Caleb's fine for a rich kid.
He's rich?
He doesn't look rich.
Yeah, he went
to high school everywhere,
like Brazil, Swaziland,
Timbuktu...
The only thing
Caleb's running from
is a Georgetown townhouse.
Good morning.
Scrapple?
No, thanks.
Okay, we gotta get in
before it gets dark,
because it's a public park.
Which means we've got
a narrow window to hit him in.
Okay, you got that?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Okay.
But then,
you got seven minutes.
- Right?
- Right, right.
It's a lifetime
of the fight, right?
Right.
But that does not mean
we can afford to fuck around
and waste time.
- Right?
- Right.
So grab your man,
or woman, and engage.
Let's go!
Hey, who wants
this dog shit?
No one's here.
Didn't say anything
about which parking lot?
Dude, he just said
"the parking lot."
What the fuck is this?
I don't fucking know,
I'm telling you what he said.
Of course,
nobody thought to fucking
map it out.
Dude,
they're not even here.
Bro.
For real?
Dude, this is
a nature preserve,
not a public park.
Nature reserve
is a public park.
Okay.
-Bro.
-What do we do?
I'll tell you
what we don't do.
We don't split up our force.
That's rookie shit.
Adam's right.
Ow.
-I dropped my phone.
-What the fuck?
I don't see any Nazis.
Ah! I'm getting eaten alive
by mosquitoes.
What am I supposed to do
about that?
I don't know.
Didn't you plan this
whole thing?
Maybe bug spray?
Brian risked his ass
to get us this info,
you know.
Well, then,
maybe Brian should've
- Yo, tell this bitch
-told you to bring
some fucking OFF!?
-to shut up.
Oh, my God!
-I gotta pee.
-You want me to watch?
Ew, no.
I mean, watch out for you.
-No.
-Be careful.
Whatever. I'll let you know
if someone waves
their nasty ass
Swiss cheese dick at me.
There's a competition
to be organized
within our European brotherhood
bringing in the sweat fields
in Africa,
in our Europe civilization,
so that the financial part
in one European country
can be used as against
the financial part in another.
All the great financial central
power of the world,
now shipping
from the city of London
to Wall Street, New York,
shall be able,
on the mass of money, of wealth,
and of power,
which it brings to it,
again and again...
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Are you sure
you're in the right place?
I feel certain
I've never seen you
at one of these affairs before.
I would have remembered.
I have a very good memory
for faces,
and you're very striking.
I'm Lawrence.
Annabel.
You kidding?
Why would I be kidding?
So are these,
like, your friends?
Come on.
It pains me to say this,
but one doesn't always find
the better class of white men
at these events,
an irony unique
to this early stage
of racial consciousness.
Moreso I, uh...
I can't be seen
at these things.
You know, popping up
in group photos
is a bad look.
Why?
-Because of my work.
-What do you do?
I'm in academia.
Let's say, there are
certain fields of study
that the liberal arts
department, so-called,
does not recognize
as socially acceptable.
And so I run
a great deal of risk
any time I come out
of the closet, as it were.
If this were a tranny
Communist convention,
it'd be a different story.
I'd probably be
on a tenured track.
So, like, you're an activist?
An activist?
Like, stuff for elections
and stuff.
The election was
a pre-scripted puppet show,
just like every year,
only more so.
I mean, you must know
votes determine nothing.
They're used
for private analysis insight
by the control grid
to assay how their synthetic,
social, political
and economic designs
affect the minion masses.
-Hmm.
-Now, what those stats
supposedly indicate
is carefully engineered
to make minority victim groups
feel anger or animosity
towards a supposedly
evil white America
and deepen
their feelings of hate
towards a manufactured enemy.
Are you quite all right?
I'm sorry.
I just, like, literally
haven't had anything to eat
since yesterday afternoon.
Ah, okay, uh,
just give me one second.
It seems the organizers
of this event
made ample provisions
for alcohol,
but not enough for food.
I can get you something
more substantive, if you like.
This is really good.
Yeah, I... I eat here
whenever I'm in the city,
which is as little
as possible.
Where do you live?
Not far, right on the Delaware,
on the Jersey side,
close to New Hope.
-You been?
-No.
Oh, it's beautiful,
I'd be happy to show you.
Hmm. That'd be, like,
kind of weird.
No, I live by myself.
Did I say something wrong?
No, no, you didn't. No.
Then what?
No, I'm just in, like,
a shitty situation right now,
and I don't really know
what I'm gonna do.
The clothes
I'm wearing are, like,
the only clothes I have,
and I don't know
where I'm gonna
stay and stuff.
I'm down from Baltimore.
Uh, from Baltimore.
It's south of here.
Sorry,
I'm... I'm being a pedant.
-A what?
-No, it's okay.
I apologize.
What were you saying?
I'm... I'm sorry...
It's just the guy
I was living with...
Yeah?
Yeah, um...
...he hit me.
Closed fist,
like a week ago.
Down in Baltimore?
Yeah. I'm sorry, I shouldn't...
I shouldn't have brought it up
because I just...
I can't...
I can't talk about it,
but I'm just scared shitless.
You know.
So stay with me
if you want to,
-of course.
-No, I shouldn't, I'm...
I'm... I'm sorry...
You wouldn't be
putting me out at all.
I have plenty of room.
No, it's... No,
it's not that. It's just...
like, the last guy
I was living with,
like, I kind of...
lived off of him,
more or less...
he, like, used that and,
like, lorded that over me,
and acted like he...
like, owned me or something,
and I just...
I can't put myself
in that situation again.
You don't have to worry
about that.
Just think of me
as a well-wisher.
I only wanna help.
-But?
-No buts.
I'll ask nothing in return.
You'd really do that?
There's something
I've always found compelling
in Poe's character.
Not just this self-destructive,
romantic, melancholic stuff,
which certainly brought me in
as an adolescent,
as it still does today,
but which, ultimately,
I think is irrelevant
and feeds into a rather
self-indulgent,
pernicious archetype
which has poisoned the arts.
I mean,
the popular image of Poe
is living alone
and in penury is,
it should be said,
not entirely accurate.
I need to go in here.
Oh, okay.
I'll wait here.
Have you lived here long?
I grew up here.
Me and my sisters.
Yep.
My dad bought this place
back in '68.
He was a brake man
on New Jersey Transit.
Back when you could afford
a house like this
on a brake man's salary.
It was very working class
back then.
Now it's all faggots
from Philadelphia and New York.
You must be tired.
I can take you to your room.
We could do
the grand tour later.
I'm sorry. It's such a mess.
I have very few visitors.
Uh, if you need
to send an email,
wait for me to set you up
with a remote IP.
And if you have
to send any letters,
give it to me
to post out of town.
Thank you so much.
Oh, please.
This is my pleasure.
So the bathroom is right
around the corner.
It's the one I used to share
with my siblings.
I think there's some
clean towels.
And there's plenty to read.
I stay up late,
should you need anything.
Do you know that
you share your name
with a poem about jealousy?
Mmm-mmm.
The jealousy of the angels.
Anyway, uh, there's plenty
of women's clothes here
if you'd like
to go through them later.
Sisters, mother, grandmother.
Nothing too contemporary,
but I sense that
you aren't either.
Yeah.
That's a compliment.
I know.
"Annabel. I'm off to work.
"I didn't want to wake you.
"Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
are my teaching days.
"If you stay on,
you'll have them to yourself.
"Feel free to use the desktop
computer in my office,
"which is on the first floor,
just off the main entryway.
"The password is 'cecropia.'
"If you feel like a walk,
"I've made a map
that will take you
on my favorite river route.
"Help yourself to anything
in the fridge.
"I should mention that
I don't eat meat
and I barely drink.
"I've left stationery
and envelopes,
"though remember what I told you
about mail.
"I'll be back around 6:30,
we can figure out dinner.
"Yours, Lawrence."
"Tessa,
I hope you're all good.
"I'm all good.
"I like it here.
I'm honestly chilling,
"and I'm not
in any trouble at all.
"You're the only person
I'm writing,
"but if you feel like
you have to tell my parents
"that I wrote, I get it.
"If you do,
tell them not to look for me.
"Not that that would
keep them from doing
"what they're gonna do.
"But, whatever. Like, I said,
"I'm fine
and I'm not in any trouble.
"And this is my choice,
"which now that
I'm saying that
"I know that's what
a kidnapper would say to say.
"Whatever.
If you see my parents,
"please say hi
to Spider for me.
"Your bitch, Lillian."
So in 1906,
one of the short
sighted decisions
that world governments
specialize in...
...a parasitic fly
was introduced
to control the native
moth population.
So, you won't see too many
of these out in the wild.
You can pet it.
Beautiful, huh?
So that's the finished project,
and, uh, that's the rough...
What do you think?
Another piece
of lemon yogurt cake?
Mmm.
Thanks.
Wash it down
with some of this.
It's bitter.
You spend time
out on the water much?
Mmm...
I went with my uncle
a few times when I was little,
it was different.
He had one of those,
what d'you call it...
a catamaran.
I found being
out on the open water
has a very strange
effect mentally.
It imbues
a real sense of epic destiny.
And I'm afflicted with enough
vainglory already.
Most people
don't think like you.
And most people don't think.
What in your young life
could you have encountered
to inspire you? Huh?
Reality TV?
Blockbusters? Megachurches?
To Kill a Mockingbird?
It's poison food.
Everything you're force fed
from the minute
you're out of the cradle
by a degraded culture.
Yeah, I don't know.
I never really cared
about that stuff.
I'm not dumb.
Of course you didn't.
Presented only with choices
that are beneath you,
you opt out.
You grow up
with nothing to hold on to.
You end up
with some vulgar idiot
who treats you like a doormat
and you hold on to that
because it's at least real.
Grimly so.
There's something
very fine in you.
Something delicate
that cries out
for a civilization
to cultivate it.
You were born too late.
Why too late?
Why not too early?
Maybe I don't exist yet.
So... you still think about him?
The guy that hit you.
I used to. Not anymore.
Not, like, never, actually.
Like you said, vulgar.
That's not my type.
Not that I, like, have
a type, I guess.
No principles, no type.
Maybe you should have one.
How'd my shoe come untied?
Some dramatic license
was taken with the timeline.
Poe was, in fact steadily
employed in the years
prior to Virginia's death
in 1847, and two years
before that,
he enjoyed enormous
popular success with
the publication of The Raven,
factors which allowed
for the purchase of his house
at Fordham,
which depicted here,
if my memory serves
with some degree of fidelity...
I'm just glad they figured out
how to make movies, like,
less boring than this.
Did they?
I recommend you go
the day before and check out
the drop-off spot.
It's a pain the ass to find,
and that's the point.
And a symbolic import.
What symbolic import, Larry?
Are you into this or not?
Locked and loaded, brother.
All right, killer.
I gotta hit the bricks.
I hate driving at night.
I'm getting old
and I can't see the road.
What you doing?
Just working.
On what?
Extracurriculars,
piece on Henry VII
and the War of the Roses.
I gave you a draft last week.
Do you retain
any of the information
that I share with you?
Yeah, something about
how he was a Jew.
I know you love being
grossly reductive,
but that's not scholarship.
I meant
what were you doing
with that guy?
Nothing.
I'm going out of town
for a long weekend thing
next week.
What long weekend thing?
is it for your school?
Sure. Yeah.
Did he bring you a present?
So where are you going?
-New York, New York City.
-Can I come?
-No.
-Why not?
I'm sorry. You can't. No.
I'm gonna go take a bath.
Are you sure I can't come?
I'm sorry.
You know,
I'll leave the door open
if I can come.
"I was a child
and she was a child,
in this kingdom by the sea."
I apologize for the lack
of ducal splendor.
There are, of course, reasons.
Speaking of which,
I should go check in alone.
Oh. Good morning.
No, it was not one room
with two beds.
It was two rooms
with single beds.
There's a big difference, okay?
I reserved them on
the website, which, I must add,
was very confusing.
Come in, are you happy
with your room?
No, it sucks.
Is that necessary?
Do you trust someone
who works at a place like this?
It's a common misconception
perpetuated by
condescending Europeans
that this is a young country,
that we're somehow
a naive people.
Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Do you know that Philadelphia
was the second city of
the British Empire
when Manchester
and Glasgow were nothing?
Shakespeare's
The Tempest was based
on the wreck of the Sea Venture
en route to Jamestown, 1609,
the oldest representative
democracy in the world.
But the European intelligentsia,
they just love that
stereotyped view.
They like to situate
the American as
an insufficiently developed,
adolescent proto-European,
who, given time enough,
will evolve into civilized
and socialized decadence
and decay.
Look, we're almost there.
Okay, it's saying
to go this way here.
You know,
it just occurred to me,
in all likelihood, you will live
to see the tricentennial,
and I will not.
That does not seem
very fair.
-Lawrence.
-Yeah?
I'm really tired and I feel
all sweaty and nasty.
Okay. Well, I just had
to come here.
We can head back soon.
Is this gonna be the whole trip?
I didn't know you found
my company so objectionable.
No, it's not that. It's just
I thought when we were
gonna go to New York City,
we were gonna, like,
go to New York City.
What, do you want to go
fucking clubbing or something?
-Sorry for swearing.
-Of course not.
It's just like we're here.
I wish we could, you know,
stay somewhere cool.
Like, get a nice hotel
or something.
Wait, you want to get
two different hotel rooms
in Manhattan?
Do you have any idea
how much that would cost?
We wouldn't have to get
two separate rooms.
-But we get two separate beds,
of course.
-Of course.
Of course.
-Because, you know,
I would never...
-I know.
That's one of
my favorite things about you.
-Good evening.
-Good evening.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I could go get us
breakfast or something.
That would be wonderful.
Oh, would you do me a favor?
Do you think you could run
to the store and get me
some nail polish?
Like a matte gray?
Are you sure you want me
to go get it?
I feel like I'll get
the wrong one or something.
I think you can handle it.
I just want to do my nails
before we go out today.
Just pretend I'm wasting away
in bed.
Taking care of me.
Hey!
Miss, excuse me! Hey!
Hey, miss!
-Hey, look...
-What the fuck?
I'm so sorry.
We're not a threat.
Don't look
at us like that.
- Sorry. I'm...
- Yeah. No.
Who are you?
Hi, I'm Molly.
Molly McNair.
And I'm Matthew.
Matthew Sutter. Sorry...
You make us feel so crazy,
like you're an...
It's like you stepped
out of my brain.
-And we're like...
-Yes, like, we saw you
walking down,
and we're like,
that's our girl.
That's the woman,
like... I see her turning
butter now.
It's perfect.
No. You literally
churn the butter...
Churn the butter?
-Yeah, um, we're filmmakers.
-Like movie directors?
Yes, exactly.
I'm her producer,
and that's why
we're chasing you.
-I'm the director.
-Because you are a vision.
I would just really love
if you came in and read
for something
that I've been working on
for a very long time.
-Sorry, I'm not an actor.
-No, no, no, that's okay.
That's okay.
Because the best actress
is just a woman who says yes.
Say yes.
What's your name?
Lillian?
Lillian?
Like, you're not sure of that.
I love that.
-Like Lillian? Yeah...
-Can we... can we...
-Can we just walk?
-Yes.
My God. Yes. Okay.
It's called As It Churns.
It's a period piece...
Those who knew me before
marvel at the change,
which has been brought within me
in my time here.
They wonder at my boldness,
which they say is unbecoming
to one whose sex
is that of poor Eve.
For I have acquired
the strength and tenacity
of a male child of Adam.
I fear that unbidden,
this transformation
has had its effect on you.
And I fear that you too
have changed in ways
unforeseen.
For while you preach
equality of the sexes,
you withdraw from a woman
who begins to pull abreast
of you in her learning.
So great is the wound
that you have dealt
to our common cause.
But it is a small thing
to mention that which
you have dealt me.
A wretched woman
who believed in you.
Wow.
Hmm.
-Lillian...
-That was a lot of words.
Um...
-I really think
this could work.
-Yeah.
Just visually, like...
imagining her with Ian...
-Height-wise.
-Have you told her about Ian?
-Um...
-Who's Ian?
No, I didn't. I haven't.
- Ian Reynolds.
- Do you know him?
Yeah. He goes out with that
one girl from the show, right?
What do you even do?
You're so random.
Random, um...
Well, I was a student
at Rowan University
-in New Jersey, studied poetry.
-Beautiful.
Yeah, like Victorians.
People like that.
- Okay, wow.
- And Americans. Edgar Allan Poe.
That's insane.
Your specialty is more or less,
um, the period in which
the film takes place.
Yeah, like, the years after
the Erie Canal was built,
like, that's when
our entire movie is set.
I mean, it's all the free love
but also these religious
movements,
like, intersecting inside
of that, like, it's
exhilarating. All that shit.
In the community
of love deal
that we worked with,
and the screenplay is actually
a composite of all of that
that was bouncing around
at that time.
Sort of, like,
what happens,
you know, when
these tight-ass
religious fanatics, right,
decide to reimagine society
in their own image, but also
in the new image...
You know, like what happens
when you start here
and end up there?
It's crazy.
It's crazy, is what it is.
And then what happens
when the almighty dollar
comes in, right?
When that train starts getting,
like, fueled by capital, right?
Does it, like,
veer off the tracks,
or does it keep on moving?
And obviously you know
what happened, right?
-You know?
-It's the canal boom.
Yes, yes.
But how do you tell it
and not feel like
you're beholden
to this downtrodden
and really low idea period
that's sort of like based,
you know, Masterpiece Theater
and Merchant Ivory.
-You know,
the lace, the doilies...
-I love Merchant Ivory.
So I'm gonna just, like,
strike that.
-I want to keep...
I don't want to.
I don't want to.
-Victorian scholar.
I don't wanna scare her off.
-I don't think she'd be scared.
I think she's really
braver than you think.
And I love Merchant Ivory.
When you rejected
Merchant Ivory,
I see what
you were bringing in...
That's what it was.
It wasn't a rejection.
And I'm going crazy.
I'm losing my mind over her.
-It was imitation. It was.
-There's performers from
a lot of different backgrounds.
People from all sorts
of different planes and trains
-and automobiles, right?
-Speaking of that,
of that diversity
of thought that we're trying
to bring to this piece.
It's not just our diversity,
you know what I mean?
Like, how do we sort of keep
that period elocution,
but have a ease of vernacular,
you know?
Because again,
if we are not being
as experimental as
these established communities,
these, sort of,
intentional communities,
if we aren't having that same
freedom of experimentation,
then we fail here
with this film.
-You know?
-If we are afraid to fail,
we fail, you know?
That sounds really cool.
Um...
Yeah, I just... I don't know
if I would, like, be able to
do it, if you wanted me, I mean.
Oh, we want you.
-Yeah, we do.
-We wouldn't have went through
this whole rigmarole
if it wasn't about you.
I'm, well, I'm between
spaces right now,
and it's just trying
to balance a lot of things.
Okay. So, are you looking
for a space here in New York?
Yeah. I mean.
Yeah, I guess.
Oh, my God. So this is insane.
My aunt is in Istanbul
for a month
and she gave me her keys
to take care of her plants,
and she has a full townhouse
in Sugar Hill, just empty,
waiting for someone
to water the plants.
I don't like watering plants.
Plants freak me out.
That will be your only
responsibility in this house.
But then, you would have a place
to stay here in New York,
living a Carrie Bradshaw dream,
and also starring in the film.
If I'm you, it's yes.
Um, I mean, yeah, I'm down.
- Wow.
- Yeah. This is amazing.
Okay. Wait. Do we have...
Should we do
the other side?
Wait. No, no, no, wait.
I don't have your number.
Oh, I don't have a cell phone.
-That's amazing.
-That's awesome.
-I love that.
-Wow. Yeah.
Yeah.
My mom likes to mash my...
Aah!
- Okay.
- Yeah, whenever.
You can roll into it,
see what happens?
- Just roll into it?
Let's see what it's like...
-Ready?
-Yeah. Whenever you're ready.
I'm just gonna run with it
and see what happens.
Okay.
We are, I am proud to say,
almost entirely self-sustaining.
Our smithy, who comes
from Northampton, is much
the best for miles in any--
Wait, is he supposed
to have a Southern accent?
What you doing?
-I mean, it just it sounds...
-It doesn't sound Southern.
It sounds period accurate,
and it's fine.
And we're in rehearsal, right?
You got it.
And whenever
you're ready.
Our joinery stirred in fine
as the work of a most
ingenious Negro, Aloysius,
born in bondage in Mississippi
and won that omission
by dint of his evident
superiority. We grow
Qatar bar grapes for wine,
and in the fall,
we sugar off our own cider.
And I could show you
the outbuildings later,
if you'd like.
Pon, why do you look at me
so amiss?
I wasn't aware I was
looking at you in
any particular way.
Did you expect me
to have a tail?
Or a forked tongue?
I expected you a trifle taller.
I'm sure you've heard
the most extraordinary things
about me in town.
Well, between what I've heard
and what I believe, sir,
there stands...
er, stands always a vast gulf.
And what exactly do you believe?
Well, as of this very moment,
I believe
that you're more
enamored and basking
in your supposed infamy
than winning a convert
to your cause.
Which, to my understanding,
has to do with creating
-a better world. Yeah. Right.
-Yes, creating a better world.
A better world than that
which we have inherited.
A world made and unmade by men.
So it shouldn't come as
any surprise that a man
nominates himself
to set it right.
I love you.
Thank you all
for coming. I'm, um, TJ Fife,
the sheriff here in charge
of this investigation.
Any bit of information,
however inconsequential...
No, I've never even
been to Hollywood.
Mom says I can do
the runway, though.
...T-shirt that was
the last piece of apparel
that we know that
Lillian was wearing
when she disappeared.
It's, of course, from an image
from a band called Aerosmith.
Not to flex
or anything, but do you think
we can get weed?
...public that will
help us reunite Lillian Wade
with her family.
Thank you all
for being here today.
None of us are
giving up on Lillian until
she's safe at home.
So, you're an actress?
We're just incredibly,
incredibly concerned
that she's being held somewhere
against her will and not
by her choice.
We're just asking everyone
across the United States
to just keep searching.
Thank you.
Ooh.
Heard the big news?
Are you retarded?
That was yesterday's headlines.
Jesus. Yeah, the news about me
having Down syndrome is off
the front page today.
It's, like, barely a paragraph.
Oh.
Is anyone gonna help that guy?
You mean like the way
that you're helping them?
I would, but I'm already
in costume.
Yeah, me, too.
What's the big news?
Oh, yeah, check it out.
A star is born.
Hmm. Mystery friend.
All right. We need you
back on set in five.
Okie-dokie.
Actually, you're welcome.
That's why
everybody has a job.
That's what I'm doing,
creating a picture.
And I'm employing people
because I'm a filmmaker
- and I'm brave enough to fly.
- You know, I love you.
Looks like you have
an admirer over there.
They don't get
a lot of strangers
in these parts, obviously.
Yeah, obviously not.
Anytime you get, like,
five minutes out of any city,
-immediately fucking Alabama.
-Oh, completely.
Have you been to the men's room?
I started taking photographs
of everything.
It felt like I was in a safari.
You two are a complete pair
of cosmopolitan snobs,
you know that, yeah?
Oh, is that so? Okay.
So, you don't know this,
but Ian here spent three weeks
living in an air-conditioned
trailer in the middle
of Shreveport.
And now, he is
an encyclopedia of knowledge of
salt-of-the-earth Americana.
You said
Shreveport British.
I'm sorry, is it crazy to say
that there are certain
observations
I might be able to make
about your country
that are more evident to me
as a foreign observer?
Oh, yeah, do you do the one
about how America is
such a young country?
- Yes.
- Yes.
Incredible.
So, how you enjoying
the local watering hole?
Very atmospheric?
It's a vibe.
-There's a pool table.
-I don't know how to play.
Yeah, but last month
you didn't know how to act,
and you're very good at that.
Did you steal these shoes
from set?
-No?
-No, I'll bring them
back tomorrow.
Yeah, I thought.
You are so retarded.
You have a love affair
with that word,
my mystery friend.
Was your girlfriend weirded out?
I doubt very much
that she keeps up
with the tabloid blind items
at this point.
And if she does, fuck her.
On that note, I'm gonna take
a slash. I'll be right back.
Okay.
Hey, I just wanted to say
you were really great
this afternoon.
You're just a knockout.
There was this thing you did.
You close your lips
and your chin's up in profile?
It's so elegant.
It's... It's gorgeous.
When I close my lips?
Yeah, yeah,
but I mean, you know,
it's like Matthew was saying,
like, you're beautiful.
You know that, right?
You're very, very beautiful.
I know. No, I do know that.
I just...
I don't like being, like,
told things about myself.
It's true.
You're beautiful.
I will work out the shape
of my mouth. Yeah.
Can I... May I...
Oh, Christ. Okay. Good night.
Good night.
...and it's snowing everywhere.
And it's a blizzard.
This is not a blizzard!
-It's literally--
-You ordered a little blizzard.
I ordered...
I told your company
what we were going
to be shooting
was the biggest blizzard
that has ever happened
in New England.
It looks like...
Mo, Mo,
can you help him?
Sir, what I'm saying to you,
is that this does not
look like snow.
I'm looking for Annabel.
-Annabel?
-Yeah.
I want to know
if she's seen this.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Annabel. Just wait here.
-I'll go get her.
-Yeah.
Please,
please, bear with me.
- Because I know that I--
- Trying to work it out.
Show me where
you want the blankets.
I don't want the blankets.
We don't want the blankets.
We want a snow fantasy.
Wait. I've never seen a gun.
But this is not a gun.
This is stupid.
This doesn't make sense.
We've had conversations,
we've had plenty
of conversation.
Do you have anything to say?
Anything to add?
Great. Thank you so much.
Do you have anything to add?
Anything to say for yourself?
I'm injured. I'm sick.
Basically, I'm dying.
And this is how
you're helping me.
But what the fuck is going on?
Right? Because for me,
this is just...
Yeah?
Hey, is there any reason
somebody would think
your name's Annabel?
Oh, is his name Lawrence?
I don't know.
Big neck, tattoos.
Fuck.
I'll see what's up.
Just stay out of sight.
Okay. Thanks.
I beat you only once.
Many horses.
When I jump,
I jump over the moon...
All this bounty
that the white man
has had set at his feet,
and what has he done?
...enough snow
to look like a New England
blizzard...
I'm looking for this girl
named Annabel.
She probably goes
by a different name now.
-And I know she's on set.
-Annabel?
Can someone please put
these guys into costumes now?
-I am not repeating myself.
-Can we please get these
guys costumes?
Sir,
I'm sorry to curse,
but that is not...
Matthew! This is my movie.
Stop!
What the fuck?
Get off my set!
Not today, motherfuckers.
Roll the camera!
We have squandered
a great heritage!
We have squandered
a great heritage!
Come on.
Get in.
State line.
It's less than an hour now.
First time in Vermont?
This is my brother's place.
You'll be safe.
Wait here.
Come with me.
Watch your step, it's slippery.
Be careful.
No one will bother you here.
Thank you.
Oh, and, uh...
don't use the stove.
The smoke will give us away.
I'll get a space
heater tomorrow.
I'm sorry again that I can't
introduce you to everyone.
Ahmed doesn't let me
have friends over so, um,
I think it's best
you stay in here until I can
sort something out.
Oh, and stay away
from the window.
Good night.
Some of us are
going into town,
so I'll bring some more stuff.
I don't know about clothes.
I'll do what I can.
Thank you.
This is all very nice
and you're...
very, very nice,
but I don't want to stay here
if it's going to cause, like,
a lot of trouble or anything.
This is
the only safe place
for you to be.
No one knows about it.
Those men, they're...
still out there.
Oh, my God.
You really shouldn't
risk being seen.
If you're going into town, um...
like, if you could find, um,
Victorian slim menthols,
that would be great.
That's all I have.
Terrible habit.
People keep telling me that.
Oh, uh...
Can I... Is it full?
You want me to hand it to you?
The lock's for your safety.
Believe me.
Ahmed just took them into town.
Do you want to go for a walk?
That one?
Balsam fir.
Right there.
Paper birch.
Jack pine.
That?
Red spruce.
- What about that one?
- Pepperidge again.
Wow.
Is that, like,
your special talent
or something?
It's all I've got.
You?
Um...
I thought I was an actress,
a poet.
I guess I know more
about moths than...
the average person.
What's the story?
I knew a guy
that raised them.
I spin myself into a cocoon
and time will show
if I become a butterfly
or a maggot.
That's it.
Ran his mouth a lot.
Like, a lot, a lot, a lot.
Not much like you.
It seems like
it would be boring out here.
No.
Never.
I love this country.
I love the old apple trees
and the sour hard apples
that grow on them.
The old houses
that look like
they've given up on life.
And the elms and sycamores
and the chestnuts and the oaks,
and every time of year,
the way they make black cracks
in the sky in the winter,
and the wild turkeys
and salamanders
and the box turtles.
You must love
shitting in the woods.
Everything's a joke
to you.
It seems,
like, really far away
from everything.
It depends
what you want
to be close to.
Nothing's far away
from God, little one.
Jesus, are you for real?
As real as Jesus.
Hmm.
Well, to me...
it just seems boring.
And I'm how God made me,
aren't I?
Of course, but...
Well, isn't it possible that...
you might sometimes forget
who it is that he made you?
That other people might see
who you are clearer than you do.
Other people like you?
I had a dream
about you on the last
night of the shoot.
That's funny.
I shouldn't have mentioned that.
No, it's fine.
That's where we're going.
Not bad.
And God created it,
little one, for everyone.
Everyone who has eyes to see.
Are they really gonna
notice one little kitten?
- I'm alone up here
all fucking day.
Come on.
I'm alone up here
all fucking day.
Well, I'll have
to talk to my brother.
Well, can you
at least tell him about me?
I don't know.
How do I explain to them
that I'm keeping someone
on our property?
And a girl?
Does it matter that I'm a girl?
It matters to my brother.
Doesn't your brother like girls?
Not here, he doesn't.
It would be different
if I was introducing
the woman
who's gonna be my wife.
We'll talk about it later.
Have a good time with the boys.
Whoo!
Whoo!
Hey!
What's going on, baby? Come on.
Come on.
Hello.
Oh, hi.
Didn't you see
the signs, my dear?
-This is private property.
-I know. I'm so... I'm so sorry.
My... my dog ran away,
and I'm just looking for him
in the woods.
Little Bo Peep has lost her way.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess.
Long story. School play.
Uh-huh.
What kind of dog was it?
Labrador retriever.
Black lab, about two years old.
His name's Spider.
You haven't seen a dog
like that, have you?
No.
Of course. Sorry. Um...
I'm Lillian.
When did he run away?
About two hours ago,
I think.
We have this
six-foot fence for him,
but now that he's full grown,
he just jumps over
whenever he wants.
So far he's always come back,
but I still get kind of worried.
You live up the road?
Yeah, yeah, just up that way.
I don't think
I've seen you around.
I would remember.
Yeah, me, too.
I don't come
into town very much.
I see, yeah.
Maybe I should change that.
Yeah, maybe you should.
Do you have a pen?
A pen?
For your number... for the dog.
I'll put it in your phone.
And then...
I'll have your number, too.
Yeah, I just...
The thing is, I left it at home,
and it's probably better
I call you anyway.
My parents are super retarded.
And when I call you,
you'll have my number.
All right.
Do you have a pen, Mo?
That's my little brother, Mo.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You want me
to come and help you look?
No, it's okay.
I'm fine.
I can take you
back to your place.
It's gonna get dark soon.
I know, but I should probably
look for him on the way back.
Next time.
I'm sure
there'll be a next time.
I hope so.
Guarantee it.
Very nice to meet you,
Miss Lillian.
Talk soon.
Nice to meet you, too.
Wait.
Do you like electronic music?
EDM, drum and bass, to dance.
Uh, sure.
Hold on.
I'm glad you think
this is funny.
Did you really expect me
to stay locked up
in that fucking barn forever?
You're angry at me
because I gave you
a place to stay.
I'm not angry.
You certainly made
an impression on Ahmed.
Is that supposed to be my fault?
I don't see how I could have
been so wrong about you.
Well, it's not on me
because I didn't tell you
to think anything about me.
-You seemed happy to stay here.
-I was.
When there were people
looking for me,
I read the fucking newspaper.
-I know they caught them.
-Not all of them.
You just wanted to keep me here.
If you tell anyone
about this place...
I'm not gonna tell anyone
about your faggot God camp.
- I'm not.
- Here.
Here.
Here.
It's on me.
- Wow.
- Now you call me,
tell me you got your dog,
and tell me
how you like this, okay?
I will. Thank you.
Yeah.
See you, guys.
Are you feeling all right?
Feeling all right?
Yeah.
Not too talkative.
That's your right.
That's... You're
within your rights there.
You know, we're not the police,
but we did have
to call the police.
Okay.
Also know how lucky you are
to have collapsed
on our property.
You're lucky that
brother Christian
scooped your frozen body up
in the nick of time.
And carried back here
by brother Gary.
Brother Mike drove.
Good brothers.
Oh, it sounds like
a real miracle.
Sarcasm.
Big fan of sarcasm.
You know, I spent many years
abroad in Bethlehem
at a place called
the Chapel of the Milk Grotto,
named so
for its soft, white stone.
And it is said that
the Holy Family,
Mary, Jesus,
and Joseph took refuge there
on their way to Egypt,
during the Massacre
of the Innocents.
And while the Holy Family
was there,
a drop of Mary's mother's milk
splashed on the ground.
And tradition has it
that the dust scrapings
from the stone in the grotto
could boost fertility
in hopeful mothers.
And people would come
from all over the world,
Japan, Brazil, Ethiopia,
to purchase these scrapings,
and then,
nine and a half months later,
we would receive letters
with pictures
of newborn babies in them.
Why are you laughing, dear?
And people, tourists, would come
to my office in Bethlehem,
and they would...
see the pictures
covering the walls...
Some of the filing
cabinets even,
and they'd say,
"Is this a miracle?"
Maybe.
They ask,
"Could this be a miracle?"
Maybe.
Might just be a miracle,
if you believe, maybe,
if you don't believe, maybe.
But... look... at the pictures.
Look at the babies.
That's what I would say.
We had to pray for you
at church, like, every week.
I kept thinking, you know,
you would have cracked up
if you'd have seen it.
How long
did that go on?
Like a month.
And then, oh, that's the other
big thing that happened.
Did you hear about Chris Richie?
No.
He killed himself
just before graduation.
Kind of stole your thunder
a little bit.
Why'd he do it?
He'd been getting bullied.
This group of sophomore boys.
I don't think it's ever just...
one single thing
when somebody does
something like that.
Yeah.
He basically shot himself
in the head with an air rifle.
And I guess...
it didn't work the first time
so he pumped it back up
and did it again.
Wow.
Do you remember in eighth grade
when you called me
after taking
all the Tylenol PMs?
Fuck you.
"I'm so tired.
"Yeah, I need to lie down."
No.
Hi.
Hi, I thought that was you guys.
Tessa. Mama.
I haven't seen you
in a million years, babe.
Yeah, I guess we'll be seeing
each other at the hospital, huh?
Oh, my God, I'm gonna
be fucking knocking
on your door all,
"Do you have any painkillers
I can borrow?"
And you're gonna be all like,
"Uh, get your own, bitch."
- Yeah.
- How've you been, Lilly?
I'm good. I'm...
I'm really good, actually.
Good, good.
-How are you, Troy?
-I'm good.
I'm good. I've just been
hanging drywall with my brother.
Yeah,
of course you are.
It's great.
Classic Troy.
I've been
all right, you know, always...
Lilly, did you turn into a vegan
while you were away?
Remember the girl
you and I went out with
when we were juniors?
I never went out
with that one.
With the big personality?
He's trying to pull their leg.
Bionic woman?
Is she mad at me?
Yo!
Dude!
Thanks.
Surprised they let you
out of sight.
Mom says you're not
telling anybody about it.
Yeah.
You weren't
kidnapped or nothing?
Nope.
You know, some kids in my class
are saying you went off
to make pornos.
Hmm... Oh, yeah?
You could, you know.
Definitely pretty enough.
Just kind of doing my own thing.
That's cool.
You know, I have a bunch
of my dad's Vicodin he takes
for his back if you want.
Spider one happy dog.
He's happy you're home.
We're all pretty happy
you're home.
I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?
You're good. Thanks.
I was thinking we could
take out the catamaran.
Before the weather turns.
Would you like that?
Yeah.
I guess.
Ray, get in here!
Oh, my God!
The worst thing happened!
Ray! Ray, come in here!
- Oh, no!
- Oh!
You know
exactly who did this.
How did that happen?
I know who did it,
y'all know exactly
who did this, too.
What appeared
to be some sort of drone device
descended down
on the 50-yard line
here at Fletcher Stadium.
The air quality here is thick
from the smoke and debris,
and we've been told
the evacuation
of the stadium is underway.
All I can say is that
I have never witnessed
anything quite like this.
This is an active,
evolving situation.
65,000 people...
It is a dark, dark day.
Come on,
it's just a movie.