Daydream Nation (2010) - full transcript

The year this story takes place

is the year nearly everything
happened to me.

It was the year I moved from the city
to a backwards hick town

to finish high school.

It was the year an industrial fire

wouldn't stop burning
just outside of town...

In other news,
the industrial fire continues to rage...

The year my dad
first discovered an itch

that much later became cancer,

and later still took all his hair
and then his life.

It was the year
a serial killer wearing a white suit



roamed the county, leaving pretty
young kids dead in his wake.

But mostly it was the year
where I tried

to become
someone else for a while

and for the first time
I went crazy insane for love.

And it seemed like the whole world
was about to end.

But in the beginning

I didn't see any of this
in my future.

I just crossed an X on my calendar

and suddenly I was once again
the new girl at a new school

where no one would talk to me.

Whoa. You have
anything metal on you?

I don't think so.

Well, you must.

What's this?



A bowling ball.

Mine now.

Have you ever entered a room

where you just knew
everyone hated you?

Now multiply that
by roughly a million

and you'll understand
my high school experience.

When I know people hate me,

instead of trying
to change their minds,

I get defensive and weird

and become the exact girl
they think I am.

But this school wasn't just
mean and gossipy.

It was full-on scary.

To give you an idea,
let me tell you the legend of Laura Lee.

Is it -5?

Laura Lee was a student at our school

who danced nights
at a strip club.

Nobody talked to her,
but the entire football team

would heat up coins
with butane lighters

and flick them at her
as she walked through the hallways.

Burning currency
bounced off her like hail.

But what's amazing
is that this poor girl's

attendance record was perfect.

I mean, here she is
dancing every night until 2:00 or later

and dodging fiery coins

and still she makes it
to twice as many classes

as most people.

This is full-on triumph
of the human spirit,

but you never see
this shit on "Oprah."

And then last March
some girls were playing in a field

when they found her body.

All over her legs,
splotchy and scorched,

were the burned imprints
of various coins.

Few details are known
about the ongoing investigation,

but police sources say
they are looking

for a male suspect
wearing a white suit.

And that was life at Hargrove High.

People, get to class now!

Thank you.

Hey.

Want to come smoke weed
with us after class?

Um, sure.
That'd be cool.

It will be.

Jesus Christ.

What's your name again?

Caroline.

I'm Paul.

Charles, Craig and Thurston.

Yeah, we've met.

So why would you
ever move to a place like this?

Ugh, well, my dad works
for this huge development...

Dude, you're not even inhaling.

I'm inhaling.

You're basically making out with it.
You got your goober all over it.

- There's a girl in here.
- Ow.

I was now attending
the most drugged-out high school

in the whole country,
honest to God.

These guys smoked pot,

sniffed glue,
snorted crystal,

did Ecstasy in toilets...
anything to kill the boredom.

But Thurston...

he had reasons of his own.

The face that you saw

In the door

Isn't looking

At you anymore

The name that you call

In its place

Isn't waiting

For your embrace

The world that you love
to behold

Cannot hold you

Anymore

In a matter of time...

Hey, Thurston.

It would slip
from my mind

In and out of my life.

Okay, guys.

Guys,

these papers are just...

Do you really hate school
that much?

Is it me?

Is it because I let you
call me Barry?

Look, you know, I just...

I just moved back
to this town.

And I gotta tell you, this place
has become a real shithole.

But I was you.

I know you've got real thoughts
going on inside of there.

So for tomorrow, no reading.

I want you to write me
a three-page essay

on the historical or religious figure
who you most admire.

Okay?

Tell me who it is
that you think you are.

I don't know
why the idea came to me when it did,

but I instantly knew
it would make life more interesting.

Don't we all want to be
somebody different sometimes,

someone smarter, sexier
and bolder than we really are?

Or maybe I just looked and saw
someone that was as lonely as me.

After my mom died
and we started moving all the time,

it was like my dad and I
had all this love to give

but no one to give it to.

Or maybe I just went a little crazy.

Thomas.

For a while there it seemed like

craziness was in the air.

We were all just breathing it in.

You wanted to see me?

Yeah, I wanted to talk to you
about something.

Go ahead.

Well, I wanted to tell you

that I'm new here
and so far I hate it.

Okay, but if you work hard...

The guys here are
so immature and sexist.

And the girls are worse.

They eat it up...
no self-respect.

And it's just all so different
from where we're supposed to be

at this point in women's history,
you know?

I wish I could argue.

I went to this party

where they were
passing out Rohypnol.

That's the date-rape drug.

I know what roofies are.

How old are you?

I'm not gonna answer that.

35? 34?

Ballpark, yeah.

A babe in the woods.

Anyway,

I wanted to let you know
you're not alone.

Here's my paper.

Just point your foot
and kick it.

Just don't feel like a pansy.

- Oh!
- Ooh, shit.

Fuck! Fuck.

Are you okay?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Pretty smooth, huh?

I don't even like skateboarding.

Yeah, well,
you should go walk it off.

Yeah.

Well, are you...

can I walk it off with you?

So do you even remember
meeting me at that party?

Of course I do.

I'm really sorry about...

Oh yeah.
No, it's okay.

So, Miss Wexler...

Mm-hmm?

...what do you think
of our fine town thus far?

Um...

We're waiting.

I think it's
a stupefyingly friendly place

full of wholesome, God-fearing,

gun-bearing folk.

It's not all that bad.

You just gotta give people
a chance.

Are you... are you high?

There's more incest in this town
than in an Atom Egoyan film.

Who?

I said there's
a lot of incest here.

Ah yes, incest...

a game the whole family can play.

Uh, I should go.

Yeah, well,

as always, it was a treat

having you on the program,
Miss Wexler.

Bye.

Until next time.

Okay.

The first time I met Thurston

he approached me at a party,
trying his best to be charming.

And then I guess
things went wrong for him.

He believed he was
the unluckiest person alive.

How was school today, Lily?

- Kids in my class are stupid.
- I doubt that.

Tyler Jenkins can't even read.

The Jenkins are crackers.

Watch your French, Thurston.
I'm sure Tyler's trying.

Mom, he is a cracker.
He has six toes.

I'm sure there's some advantage to that,
like maybe swimming.

Thurston.

I don't know.

Thurston.

No, don't.

Don't.

It's not your fault.

Well, I'm not doing the dishes.

Thomas.

I love you more than oxygen.

Please come rescue me
from these fools.

Hi, Mr. A.

Caroline.

Can I come in?

No.

The mat says "Welcome."

I hate that mat.

You know, there's a serial killer
running around with a white suit on.

You really shouldn't joke
about things like that.

You're the one
who won't let me in.

I might die.

Thanks.

Very nice.

Thank you.

Who's this?

That's my wife.

Where is she?

She's in the other room.

Oh.

Yeah, we're crazy in love.
It's wonderful.

Um, I should leave.

I'm kidding.
It's my sister.

That's why she looks like me
with long hair.

Funny.

Caroline,

to tell you the truth,
I know what you're doing.

I read your paper.

You didn't like my paper?

I have a hard time believing
that Monica Lewinski

is the historical figure
you most admire.

I was critical.

I said her problem was
she lacked discretion.

She had a good thing going
and she blew it.

Can I give you a lift home?

You should really leave.

- Ooh, can I have some wine?
- No no, absolutely not.

No. Hey.

This is like when people describe
a car crash happening in slow motion.

You need to relax.

I am the one seducing you.

Besides,

I find you very handsome.

My mom once told me

that if you ever want
to make a man happy,

flatter his vanity,

tell him he's handsome.

She said not to bother
calling him interesting or clever,

because that's what their bosses
and colleagues are for.

But every man carries
a secret dream of being handsome

and desperately yearns
to be recognized as such.

So I read your papers
and overall they are an improvement.

But punctuation and structure

are still... still a mess.

So to remedy this

I will be offering
private tutorials after class

to anyone who's interested.

The schedule will begin
in reverse alphabetical order,

which means that...

Wexler, Caroline,

you're up tonight.

Oh, I'm sorry.

This is so wrong.

Oh, relax.

I don't want to be
a father figure.

Oh my God.
I already have one of those, thank you.

Do you promise me
you won't tell anybody?

I promise.

- Promise?
- I promise. I promise.

Before we go any further,

I should tell you the story
of Thurston and Rolly.

Hey. You can't smoke in here.

Why? Those people are smoking.

Yeah, but this is my house

and I get to decide
who can smoke.

And you can't smoke.

Hey, man, you probably shouldn't
be doing that.

Why not?

It's my house
I'm throwing them at.

All right.

This scar is a fleck

On my porcelain skin

Tried to reach deep

But you couldn't get in

Now you're outside me

You see all the beauty

- Repent all your sins...
- Hi.

Hi.

It's nothing but time

And a face that you'll lose

I chose to feel it...

Fantastic.
Fan-fucking-tastic, man.

Yeah.

What a great girl...

smart, funny,

has big lips.

You think she has a boyfriend?

Oh, who gives a shit?

A girl like that is born
with a boyfriend, I guess.

So you steal her away.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Yeah. Fuck yeah.

It's not always so easy though.

Man, if you're fated to be
with the girl,

you gotta fight for her.

Yeah, but I don't really believe
in that shit.

What?

You don't believe in fate?

No.

You believe in love, don't you?

I mean, yeah, I guess.

If you believe in love,

you have to believe in fate.

Trust me, okay?
I think about this shit all the time.

Oh man.

Thurston, wake up.

Wake up.

Oh shit.

Okay.

- What's wrong?
- My leg.

- Are you all right?
- My leg.

I think it's fucked up real bad.

- Oh.
- What?

Oh.

Okay, listen.
I've got drugs in my pocket.

You've got to hide them
before the police come

or I'm royally fucked. Thurston!

Sorry, yeah.
No, okay.

God damn it.

Are you boys
all right down there?

I called for the police.
They're on the way.

Oh no, we're okay,
Thank you.

Call back and tell them
not to come.

You need any help?

Uh, no, thank you.

- What?
- Mind your own fucking business.

Go.

Thurston told me that standing there

in the middle of the forest,
all the life suddenly went out of him

and he was demoted
from hero to victim.

But with that shift
of responsibility

came a great peace.

What Thurston didn't know
was that a man in a grey suit...

not the killer at all
but just some poor guy

in the wrong place
at the wrong time...

was doing everything he could
to save Rolly's life.

Later the doctors said that Rolly
had been hemorrhaging internally

and there was nothing
anyone could have done.

And though he could hear
the distant sirens,

Thurston knew that an ambulance
can only go so fast.

And even in the midst
of all this

he was dreaming of us
building a cabin in the mountains,

away from it all.

But that would have to wait,

because his life
was a miracle of bad luck.

And that's how
Thurston fell in love

and watched his friend die
on the same night.

Wake up.
Wake up, wake up, wake up.

Please stop.

It's Sunday.

It's the Lord's day.

It's the day Lord rested.
Please.

- No, it's not. Guess what I did.
- What?

Made breakfast for you.

- What did you make?
- Happy eggs.

Why are they happy?

'Cause they're for you,

mon professeur de les oeoufs.

- Aww.
- Aww.

That coffee's terrible, babe.

Well, excuse me.
I've never made coffee before.

Really? You're in the gifted program.
It should be easy.

Sorry, Mr. A.

Mmm, the eggs are good though.

Right?

All right, don't get cocky.

Good morning, sir.
Is Caroline home?

No no, she spent the night
with some friends.

She has friends?

What's your name, son?

Oh, I'm sorry.
Sometimes I misplace my manners.

- My name's Thurston.
- Thurston, Mr. Wexler.

- Nice to meet you, sir.
- Glad to meet you.

Uh, can I ask you something,
Mr. Wexler?

Sure.

Do you feel like
your daughter's happy here?

Are you... are you trying
to sell me something?

What? Why?

No, I just... can I come in?

No.

Oh, sorry.
Yeah, that's weird.

I sometimes
just wonder if Caroline's

integrating well with people.

Huh.

I'm gonna close
the door now, okay, Thurston?

Right. Well,
nice to meet you, sir.

See, we've already done that,

so you can just go.

- Okay.
- Okay.

- All right.
- All right, have a good day.

- Yeah, you too.
- Okay, bye.

- Okay, bye. It was nice to meet you.
- Uh-huh.

Today we're going to go over
the scientific process.

I see the usual crew of jokers
are AWOL,

so maybe we'll actually
get something accomplished.

The first step
of any experiment

is to assemble
the necessary tools.

Charles, you got papers?

Check.

Next, review your thesis statement.

What exactly are
you trying to prove?

I am completely confident

that something in this kitchen
will get us high.

Now let the experimenting begin.

Pure vanilla extract.

Well, now that you're all done,

write up your results
and clean your workspace.

I hope this did something
to expand your young minds.

We gotta go to class.

Why?

If you guys skip Ms. Budge's class,
you're gonna be screwed.

Guys, I don't feel too good.

Hey, do you guys think

that maybe we could

talk about what happened
to Rolly sometime?

Sure, man.

Is there anything
you want to say?

I don't know.

I just...
his funeral was...

The funeral was bullshit.

- It was fucked, right?
- Yeah.

It's weird. I didn't even know
his name was Roland.

I keep having this dream

where I see him standing
outside my window.

I am way too high
to be dealing with this right now.

Plus, we need to go, man.

Yeah, sure.

Sorry, just a bad stoner moment.

Let's go to class.

Before I start,
I want to talk about something

that's been affecting
our community.

Now I know you're all young
and indestructible,

but another girl in Hargrove County
has gone missing,

so these curfews are
for your own good.

Craig, Craig.

Yeah?

Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Then pay attention.

Oh my God.

What?

Oh my God. Angie, go and get
the school nurse now.

What... what...
what are you talking about?

Everybody, just give him...
give him some room to breathe.

What's wrong
with you people?!

Craig!

Oh.

Craig!

The doctor said it was some kind of
drug-induced seizure.

You know, there's a real problem
at this school

and no one has the courage
to talk about it.

Yes?

I'm here for him.

Oh, is it time
for your tutorial already?

Mm-hmm.

So you tutor now?

Are you some kind
of superteacher?

He goes way above
the call of duty.

Yeah, well,
he can't help you today,

'cause he promised
he'd help me with the track team.

Isn't that right, Barry?

That's right.

Um, I've been waiting here

and I would like
to be tutored.

Well, you're gonna have to learn
to live with disappointment.

Fuck you, gym bitch.

- What did you say?
- Caroline.

What?

I'm sorry, Miss Wexler,
but we're going to have to reschedule.

Don't bother.

She called me a bitch.

After that
I rode out to the old satellite dish

where I sat and pondered
what turns of fate had brought me

to such a reprehensible place in life.

Red oak

Sugar

And Korean dogwood...

I knew
that Mr. Anderson was nervous

about our relationship,

though our age difference
was only two years more

than the one between my father
and my mom.

Lit my mission moonlight

Kangas on that hillside...

Before long,
the sound of the wind and the grass

lulled me into slumber.

And though dreams are
by definition strange,

the dream I slipped into
was particularly odd,

because it was not my own
but someone else's.

I dreamt that Thurston and I were
living in a mountain cabin

far from the world.

I churned butter
while he chopped wood.

And we lived only for love.

One blue day
Thurston hired an airplane

to write my name in the sky.

But either the pilot was drunk
or I had married an illiterate,

because the word that he spelled
was just an illegible jumble

of consonants and vowels.

I knew then that our love
was not some idealized state

but a union
of secrets and flaws.

And it broke my heart
to think such things.

Hello.

Hi, baby.

How's the track team doing?

Yeah, look, I'm sorry about that.

It's just, you know, things are starting
to look a little suspicious.

Have you fucked her yet?

No. No.

We're at some cheap
old restaurant

where they keep bringing out sparklers
and singing "Happy Birthday."

Caroline, look, I'm a single guy
living in a small town of gossips.

I gotta go out
with somebody sometime.

Yeah, well, how would you like it
if I did that?

Yeah, you probably should.

You're saying I should date
some high school idiot?

Yeah. I don't know.
Look, it's really loud in here

and you're cracking up.

Oh, no no no.
Don't do this.

I can't... Caroline, you're cracking up.
I promise you

- I'll call you later, okay?
- But...

Okay, just a second.

Hi. Is Thurston home?

Yes.

Come on in.

Thank you.

Lily, go tell Thurston
that his friend...

Caroline.

...Caroline is here.

I hope you don't mind me
saying this,

but you are
a beautiful young lady.

Oh, thank you.

I love your hair.

Do you?
It's usually horrible.

Mine's like straw.

- No, it's so pretty.
- Oh.

Oh, okay.
Well, I'll leave you two.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I hope my mom's didn't say
anything embarrassing.

Oh no. She's nice.

Although she did say
you still wet the bed, so...

What?

I'm just kidding.
A bad joke.

Oh, well, 'cause, I mean,
do still wet the bed

and I was wondering
how you knew that.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Well, we've got a real

Algonquin Table of wit
going on here, don't we?

What table?

Anyway, I think you're cute

and I want to go out with you.

Really?

Yes. Yeah.
Okay, let's go.

Okay. Hey, Mom,
I'll be back in a bit.

Nice to meet you.

So do you have any condoms?

Uh, no.

I didn't... I didn't think
to bring any.

Oh.

Well, I guess
you're gonna miss out then.

Fuck.

Uh...

well, we could go get some
from Paul's.

I'm just fucking with you.
I have some in my bag actually.

Okay.

Great.

Okay, here.
Just put it on fast.

Okay.

Do you mind if we put on
some music or something?

I'm kind of a little...

I'm just kind of nervous.

Thurston, there is a seat belt
stabbing into my ovaries.

I think it might be a little late
for romance and stuff.

Okay.

All right, fine.

Okay, here goes.

Okay?

Come on.

Just...

Yay.

I'm sorry.

Don't be sorry.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Well...

What the fuck?
Did you hear that?

I don't know.

What the fuck?
Someone is throwing shit at the car.

Do you think you could

go figure out
what the fuck that was?

Do you mind playing the role
of the man here maybe?

Let's just get the fuck
out of here.

Fine.

How did it go?

I don't know.

We had sex.

Oh.

Oh dear.

So for those of you finished
with Jane Austen,

feel free to start with Faulkner.
Otherwise, read read read.

Caroline, could I see you
after class, please?

I don't know if I have time.

Make time.

So how was Miss Budge
in the sack?

Did she wear her whistle?

Actually I spent half of the evening
talking her out of suspending you

for calling her "gym bitch."

Look, for the first time
you're acting your age

and it really doesn't suit you.

Well, right back at you,
Mr. Polanski.

Look, this is great.

You're...

great,

but you've got to be aware
that people are watching me.

Does it make you feel special?

Could we stop
with the sarcasm, please?

Sorry.

I want to spend the weekend
with you at my place.

I'll cook dinner.
We'll play board games.

Really?
Just us alone?

Yeah, no gym teachers
for miles.

Ooh, good.

Here.

What's that?

This is my novel...

well, the first
70 pages anyway.

My agent is the only one
who's read it.

He thinks it's the best thing
I've ever done.

I'm so inspired
when I'm with you.

I want you to read it,
tell me what you think.

I think you should
lock the door.

Oh yeah, Miss Wexler?

Lock it, Shakespeare.

Ugh, slut.

What did you call me?

I think I just called you
a slut, slut.

Why?

Because everyone knows
that you've banged,

like, 40 different guys
since you came here.

Really? 40?

Okay, let's just say
I have banged 40 guys...

what's the problem?

You're just jealous
'cause you've been brainwashed

by puritanical assholes
who believe sex is a sin.

But then again,

your little gerbil-sized brain

has been reprogrammed
by the media

to believe sex is
the be all, end all.

So now you're stuck, right?
'Cause on the one hand you love to fuck

but afterwards you feel overwhelmed
by guilt and you're not sure why.

Maybe it's because sex
is neither as good or as evil

as you've built it up to be.

Shut up, slut.

Jenny, seriously,

listen to me.

The highlight of your entire life

is gonna be
your yearbook photo.

You are already nostalgic

for shit that has not even
happened yet

'cause you have so precious little
to look forward to.

You're gonna spend the first half
of your life planning your wedding

and you're gonna spend the second half
regretting it. And if I were you...

and thank God I'm not,
'cause you have terrible hair...

I would stop and I would reconsider
your whole value system,

because everything
you know is wrong.

I'm such a bitch.

Okay, so I guess I've avoided

talking about myself
for long enough.

All I really know is that I'm just about
the moodiest girl in the world.

I can't see anything at all

All I see is me

That's clear enough,
that's what's important

To see me

My eyes can focus,
my brain is talking

It looks pretty good to me.

I swear to God,
sometimes I get super depressed.

A year after my mom died
I found a photo album

with all these pictures
of my family.

It was weird
to see us so happy,

still looking forward
to something,

no idea what was
about to happen.

Anyway, for two weeks afterwards
I was so depressed.

I couldn't even leave my room,
I was so sad.

My dad took me to a doctor
who said I was suffering

from lack of serotonin
to the brain.

They gave me pills
and I zombied out for six months

and watched game shows.

I know you probably think

I'm a manipulative bitch

for sleeping with two guys,
but try looking at it this way:

The sexual revolution is
just like any other revolution...

there's gonna be casualties.

- Good evening, Mr. Wexler.
- She's busy studying.

Well, can I just say
a quick hello?

Absolutely not.

Well, it's just I...
I brought her all these cupcakes.

My mom baked them, and I thought
it would be a nice gesture.

Well, I'm not paying for those.

No no, it's a gift.

I'll make sure she gets them.

- Closing the door, Thurst...
- Wait, hey,

she could at least have
the courtesy to say something.

I mean,
y-you can't treat people like this.

Get your foot
out of our doorstep.

Do you hear that, Caroline?!
You can't treat me like this!

Stop making a fuss.
Get your foot out of my doorway.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm just...

I'm just all fucked up.

I know, son.

Now get off my property.

I got rid of him for you.

Thanks, Daddy.

You're not... you're not meeting him
on this weekend of yours, are you?

No. I told you, it's all girls.

'Cause I know
it's none of my business,

but I really just don't want you
seeing this guy.

Dad, I just asked you
to get rid of him.

Show a little trust.

His mom makes
really good cupcakes.

What do you mean,
it didn't work?

Just like I said.

I don't think
her father likes me.

Why wouldn't he like you?

I don't know.

I can't believe
they kept the cupcakes.

I'm gonna go over there
and take care of this.

Mom, no.

I don't think
that's a very good idea, Enid.

Look, if I do this for you,
you promise me

you never treat a woman
like your father did;

you never cheat on her;
you treat her like homespun gold.

Yeah, of course, Mom.

Watch Lily for me.

Wait, you're not gonna do
anything embarrassing, are you?

I'm your mother.
I don't do anything embarrassing.

I'm too shagadelic for that.

Good Lord.

One, two, three. Hide.

99, 98,

97, 96...

Candygram!

This weed is wheelchair shit.
Seizures all around tonight, boys.

Hi. Mr. Wexler?

Yeah.

I'm Enid Goldberg,

Thurston's mom.

Oh. Oh.

I made you
some more cupcakes.

I thought we could talk.

Sure. Yeah. Of course.

Would you like to come in
and have a drink?

Yes.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

If you tell anyone I did that,

I'll kill your whole family.

Okay.

What?

You haven't told anyone
about us, have you?

Ah! Stop being so paranoid.

I should find Lily.

Stop being so paranoid.

Yeah, man.
Just put on some music.

It happened
about four years ago.

She... she was diagnosed
with breast cancer

and throat cancer,

even though she never smoked
a day in her life.

And then she passed on
about six months after that.

Oh, that's too much.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

You know,
the frightening thing is

that Caroline looks
exactly like her...

I mean exactly.

Caroline is beautiful.

Thank you.

But it's very scary being a father
of a teenage daughter like her,

I tell you.

Do you want some more?

Oh no.

Oh, well, maybe a little bit.

And what about your husband?

Oh, he passed

a few years ago.

He died?

Well, I don't know,

but I like to think so.

- Okay.
- I hope he's dead in hell.

Oh no. Enid, come on.

Why not?

Yeah, why not?

He was a musician

and that is really romantic
when you are 17,

but he was always gone
on tour.

And then a few years ago

he just stopped coming home.

I don't know
why I'm laughing.

Yes, I do.

I'm drunk.

Well, I have absolutely no idea

why anybody would stop
coming home to you.

My son Thurston...

Yes.

He's a really smart boy.
He's just had a hard time.

I'm sorry.

I judged him too quickly.

Would you like
to dance with me?

Oh yes.

Yeah.

Do you ever think about God?

Sometimes in church.

What do you think
he looks like?

Kind of like Santa Claus,

but with a beard
made of clouds and stuff.

And instead of being fat,

he's got really good abs.

Yeah, I think you're right.

That's them. Run.

Keep up.

Did you just hear something?

Have you ever thought about
growing a mustache?

I'm not 100% sure I can.

Maybe after my birthday.

Hey, Thomas,

what do you think
the end of the world will look like?

Do you think it's just like
when you shut off the TV?

Thomas?

Thomas!

Baby, do you not want
to go to school today?

Huh-uh.

Are you sure?

Okay.

You look beautiful.

You had your mom come to my house
to beg for another date?

- That is so pathetic.
- Yes, I agree.

- You're such a weirdo.
- Yes, I know this.

- What is your problem?
- I don't know. I don't know.

Well, you're fucked, because my dad
is forcing me to go out with you,

so let's just get this
over with, all right?

Pick me up at 8:00.

Okay.

I'll call you.

Hey, baby.

Hello. I am
so fucking happy right now.

My book is coming along great
and it's all because of you.

Now get over here.

Caroline, your friend is here.

Coming.

Ugh, I gotta go out
with this loser,

but afterwards
I'll come right over, okay?

You have a date?
Who is it with?

Come on, you gotta tell me.

Why? Are you jealous?

Yeah, of course I'm jealous.
Some guy is taking out my girl.

Who is it? Come on, tell me.
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me.

Thurston Goldberg.

No way.

That is fantastic.

You gotta read one of his
papers sometime. They are classic.

I gotta go.

All right, look, ditch him fast.
I got wine. I got candles.

Okay, be there soon.

- All right, come on, hurry.
- Okay, bye.

I guess I don't really know
that much about golf.

- No?
- I've been mini-golfing before,

- but that's...
- Not quite the same.

No. No, it's not.

- How's your mom?
- Oh great.

- Yeah?
- Yeah, she cut my hair today actually.

- Cut your hair?
- Yeah.

Yeah, look at that.
Well, she did a good job. That's nice.

- You think so?
- Oh yeah.

- I think she screwed the back up.
- The back? Let me see.

Are we going out or what?

- I guess we're going out.
- I ain't going.

- All right, thanks for the beer.
- All right. See you later, son.

See you.

Okay, where are we going?
What are we doing?

Okay, well, first of all

I think that we probably should not
have sex together tonight.

I think that's maybe
where we went wrong last time.

Okay. That wasn't
going to happen anyway.

Look, I know you like me.
I know that that sounds strange

because of how cruel
you are to me but...

That does sound strange.

But I think that's why
you had sex with me so fast.

And by the way,
that was my first time so...

You're kidding.

I will get better
as our relationship progresses.

What?!

Thurston... oh my God,

why is everyone
in this town so delusional?

The girls around here...
the highlight of their pathetic lives

is gonna be
their yearbook photo.

That's not true.

They'll spend the first half
of their lives planning their weddings

and they'll spend
the second half regretting them.

No, they'll have kids
and be surprisingly happy.

Everybody just cheats
on each other.

No, I would never ever
cheat on you.

Oh my God.

All right, date's over.
You're insane.

Okay.

Well, can I at least talk to you
tomorrow at school?

Tomorrow's Saturday, moron.

Right.

Look, you can

call me, okay?

If you want.

Okay.

Why don't you just
give me your face for a second?

Why?

Ugh, all right.
Okay, thank you.

Bye.

Okay.

Happy Saturday.

- I got it.
- Yeah, you got it.

Sorry I'm tardy, Mr. A.

Come in quick.

That night I tried
to pretend we were a regular couple.

I've been told

I'm living a lie

I've been told

All my life

I've been told

I'm living a lie

I've been told

All my life...

But when it was over,
I felt more like a fake than ever.

So I crept downstairs
to finish reading his manuscript.

The story follows a boy named Larry

as he comes of age
in a small town.

Larry is convinced
that he's a genius.

And like most geniuses,
he has trouble fitting in

and so spends
nearly all his time

high on cheap drugs.

As he grows older,
Larry moves to the city

and gets engaged
to a beautiful stockbroker.

I gotta tell him.

But owing to his
misspent youth and drug-addled brain,

he never achieves the success
he believes the world owes him.

One day Larry comes home
early from work

and catches his fiancee
and his best friend

on a Twister board...

his Twister board.

In a rage he buys a gun

and decides
to become a serial killer,

but realizes he doesn't have the nerve
and so tries to kill himself...

My Twister board, Todd.

...but chickens out of that too.

Larry then moves back
to his home town

where he begins indulging
in strange behavior.

Like sometimes he drives
through the streets all night

hunting for ghosts long past.

And other times
he calls old friends

and pretends to be a telemarketer
with a bad fake British accent.

- He asks them questions like...
- Do you believe in God?

"How much do you earn in a year?"

"What do you think
the end of the world will look like?"

"Are you happy?
If so, why?

How can you be happy?
Don't you watch the news?"

Finally, as in all good tales,

Larry is saved by the love
of an ethereal young woman.

She is his muse,
every guy's wet dream

whose sole purpose is
to service his every need.

And only when with this cliched,
vapid little moron

does he feel like the genius
he knew he'd become.

All that in 70 pages.

Ugh.

So?

What do you think?

Of what?

My book.
What do you think?

Oh God.

I think it's very well written.

Yeah, that's what
my agent said too.

I just...

am I the ethereal
young woman?

Well, it's...
you know, it's fiction,

so it's a bit
of an oversimplification,

but essentially, yeah.

Okay.

Shall I just say
everything I thought?

Yeah, of course.

Tell me.
Come on, I can take it.

Okay.

Well, Larry...

is semi-engaging

in that pseudo-creepy,

self-pitying lonely male
kind of way,

but if you have the audacity,

the inaccuracy

to describe me as ethereal,

as some flawless, perfect thing,

then fuck you.

No, fuck you.
You don't know anything about me.

The only reason you think
I am ethereal

is because all we do is
have sex, flirt and have sex.

There is more to you than that.

I know that! I know,

but I'm not here to save you.

I'm the main character of my life.

Calm down.

Don't fucking tell me...

- Ooh.
- Shit.

Um, I'm sorry.

- That was an accident.
- Was it?

Yeah, just give it to me.

Where's your soap?

I don't know.
It's down by the washing machine.

Just don't...
don't worry about it.

No no no, I do this
for my dad all the time.

I'll be back in a second, okay?

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.

Mean bitch.

Caroline, don't worry
about the shirt.

Let me fix you
a nice breakfast.

Caroline.

All I'm... no.
I'll I'm saying is

All I'm... no.
I'll I'm saying is

that I had a spiritual revelation.

I stepped outside my body
and I saw things that I didn't like.

Did you see Rolly?

No, Rolly's dead, dude.

That's a completely different
plane of existence.

Right.

This is bullshit, man.

You took some drugs
and you had a fucked up time,

end of story.
Take off the creepy tie.

If I was from Tibet,
you'd believe me though, right?

If I was a young Navajo boy
on a vision quest

doing a little peyote,
my words would be prophetic.

Okay, but isn't it possible

that inhaling Lysol had something
to do with your awakening?

All I know is that some people
spend their entire lives

searching for the experience I gained
with a few simple household products.

And that is
nothing to scoff at.

Hey, where are you going, man?

To be honest, it tires me
just looking at you.

That's the problem...
you see God once

and suddenly you have divine permission
to act like an asshole.

Hey, look.

When I'm on

Will you leave me on?

When I'm on

Will you leave me on?

And when I'm down

Will you let me get under?

Take cover

Can't hide without a house

Newspapers blow over

Can't walk past the driveway

Without asking for direction

So full of stupid questions

When the daylight's
like fluorescent light

I'm gonna take my time,
night by night

When the daylight's
like fluorescent light

I hang my hands
over your eyes

To hide

Why not only rescue me?

I watch that telethon

Got hung up

On the word
I can't get over

Take cover

Take pleasure.

Okay, guys, how about
a little participation next class?

I really don't like the sound
of my own voice that much.

Miss Wexler, could I see you
for a minute?

- Can't. I have to go.
- It's important.

Look, I really need to talk to you.
This is humiliating for me.

I'll come see you.

- When?
- Tonight.

I'll cook dinner?

Hey, Thurston. What's up?

Hey, Jenny.

You look really hot today.

Thanks.
I gotta go.

Oh, my parents are
going away this weekend.

Okay.

Yeah, my parents
are going away

and I was thinking about maybe
having a Christmas party.

Do you want to come?

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

Okay, perfect.
I'll text you.

- Yeah, okay.
- Bye.

Yes.

Concern turned to panic today
for residents of Hargrove County...

That afternoon we made
the mistake of watching the news.

...as a serial killer claims his fourth
victim in as many months.

Do you guys know this girl?

Not really.
I have friends who know her,

but I've never talked to her.

In other news,
the industrial fire continues to rage...

The killer had taken another victim,

a cheerleader my age.

He plucked her
from a charmed life

and left no clues.

Meanwhile, the industrial fire
was still raging,

growing bigger every day.

As the toxic breeze
carried fumes our way,

some people had taken
to wearing masks.

But I knew
their real purpose was

to provide the illusion
of defense.

They put angels
in the electric chair...

There are some things
which are destined to occur

and nobody in the world
can do anything to stop it.

And, oh, how we to and fro

To and fro, to and fro

Oh, how we
to and fro

To and fro, to and fro

This is our torched estates

This is our torched estates,
this is our torched estates

This is our torched estates.

Mm.

Oh shit.

Shit. Oh shit, I'm supposed
to be somewhere right now.

Oh no, I'm not letting you
go anywhere.

Come here.

You're mine.

When did you get
so forceful?

- Bonjour.
- Oh. Oh.

Yes.

Impressed?

No.

No. Are you crazy?

Hold on a minute. The line's going...
okay. Okay, talk soon.

Hello.

Do you have a minute to answer

a few quick questions
regarding our survey

against cancer?

- I guess, if it's quick.
- It will be, ma'am.

What is the annual income
of your household?

I'm not comfortable
sharing that.

Well, is it above $150,000?

Yes.

Well, do you consider yourself
a happy person?

God yeah.

Sure, as much as anyone.

Hey, hon.

Uh, just one final question...

what do you think
the end of the world will look like?

Who are you talking to?

What?

Barry, is that you?

Is that Barry?
Hang up the phone.

Barry, are you okay?
Everyone is worried about you.

- Hang up. Don't call back here again.
- Just tell me if you're okay.

Hang it up.

Hey, Mr. A,
I really like your new hair.

You look like Brad Pitt.

Jenny, would you
close the door after you?

Thurston, I need to have a word.
Go ahead and have a seat.

Okay.

What do you know?

Excuse me?

Do you know or not?

About your hair?
It looks good.

You don't know, do you?

I've been having sex
with Caroline.

What?

I'm screwing her.
Fucking, banging... whatever it is

you kids call it these days,
that's what I'm doing to her.

See, the thing is

she never even really
liked you at all, anyway.

It was just that
we needed a cover.

I know it's terrible
and I'm sorry.

I know what you're thinking
right now as well.

You're thinking
at the bottom of your heart

you knew it was
too good to be true.

Well, turns out
you were right.

Yeah.

Get it there.

- Huh?
- Yeah, looks good. One more.

There's a black one.

That's nice.

Kind of cool.

- We can...
- Yeah.

- We'll put it here.
- Looks like a new ball.

Hey, Thurston.

- Get out of my house!
- What?

Get the fuck out of my house!

- No, don't touch me!
- What's happening?

How could you do it?
Why would you do it?!

Thurston, it's over.
I dumped him for you. It's over.

I don't care.
Just get out of my house, you slut.

Don't you fucking call me that!

Language, people.

She's been cheating on me
the entire time!

I've just been a cover.

Is that true?

Yes, but it's...
no, not the whole time. It's over.

Oh! I don't want to hear
your fucking excuses!

Just get the fuck away from me!

Oh, I'm so sorry, Enid.

I was just trying
something stupid.

I think you'd better go.

Could you...

tell Thurston I'm sorry?

Okay.

Bye, Lily.

Yeah, I tell you,
this serial killer guy...

he's got it all wrong.

I mean, you want to know
how I'd kill someone?

Stab the fucker with an icicle...

wham!

Right through the heart.

Where's the evidence?
It's melted.

What if your weapon's water?

It's like 80% of the human body
and 2/3 of the earth's surface,

and it just ended your life.

And you didn't even drown.

Holy fucking shit,
it's the get-along gang.

I was about to finish
the keg myself.

You fucking pimp, dude.

No. No, I'm not doing it.
I'm not doing it.

Come on, man.
You need to... you need to...

- All right.
- I miss the old you, man.

I miss the old Craig.

- Do you miss old Craig?
- There he is. There he is.

He's back.
Old Craig is back, man.

What did you say to him?

What did you say to him?!

Caroline, we are meant
to be together.

Oh my God.

You are fucking crazy.

You know, what I find infuriating

is that you of all people are
bowing to social pressure now.

Social pressure?
Are you kidding me?!

You think I'm someone I'm not.

I am going.

If you leave, I'll kill him.

I mean...
I don't mean that. I just...

but I might kill myself.

I don't know. I just...

I'm really really confused
right now, Caroline.

I'm gonna pretend
you never said that.

This is Thurston, so leave a message.

Thurston, I'm so sorry
about what happened.

If you are at the party,
just stay at the party.

I'm on my way right now.

I screwed up.
I know I screwed up.

I just... I... please please

please don't do
anything stupid.

I love y...

Fuck.

Hey, Thurston.

- What?
- Hey.

- Hey.
- Hey, what's up?

Hey, do you want to see...
do you want to see the rest of my house?

Is it okay if I smoke in here?

Yeah. Do you want to...

sorry, do you want to see
the rest of my house?

Yeah, sure.

Okay.

I'm so high.

- So this is my... shit.
- Did you do all the decorations?

Fuck!

This is my bathroom.

And then this is my dad's office.

And this is some other stuff.

And...

this is my bedroom.

Whoa.

You sure

really like unicorns, huh?

Yes, I love unicorns.

Cool.

Thurston, I think you're so hot.

Wait, this is...

this feels very wrong.

Totally. Let me get the lights.

Ugh!

Barry, you're a pussy.

You're a pussy, Barry.

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

Oh shit!

Lily, come watch TV with me.

Come watch the tube.

This is wrong.
This is wrong.

This is wrong. This is wrong.
This is oh-so wrong.

You try to be good
but you can't,

because it's all wrong.
It's all wrong.

It's all so fucking wrong!

Shit. Hello.

Caroline, it's me.

I've shot myself.

The bullet skimmed my leg.
I think it's pretty bad.

Barry, I can't even hear you.
You're cracking up.

Yeah, I know I'm cracking up!
I just shot myself, for Christ's sake!

Sorry, I can't hear you.

What?

No no no, Caroline. No.

Caroline?

Lily, where are you?

Don't do this to me.

This is fucking beautiful.

Wait wait wait.

We should... we should stop.

Why?

Because...

I don't know.

It wasn't my fault.

I know. I know.

The... the road's bad.
It's hard to see.

No. It wasn't my fault.

I was raised to hate.

- Wait. Wait.
- What?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry,

but I... I really have to go.

I have to go.

They caught him!
They caught the killer!

Barry.

They finally caught him.

Oh. Caught who?

The killer.

Oh.

How?

I think he, like,
crashed his car.

What happened to you?

Oh, nothing. Nothing.

Do you want to come in
and have some dinner?

I have...
I have so much to share.

Barry, I...

I think you should
let me take you to the hospital.

Okay.

Um, but will you after?

You're in shock.

Just say you'll have dinner
with me after.

Of course.

That would be a dream.

Okay.

- Are you ready?
- Yeah.

Does it hurt?

Oh yeah, it hurts.

What happened?

I shot myself.

- You found them like this?
- Mmm.

There you stood

On the edge
of your feather

Expecting to fly...

When the serial killer died that night

everyone in the hospital cheered

and there was
even talk of a parade,

though it never happened.

From then on the whole town
considered me a hero,

but all I had really done was crash
my car into the right person.

By the summer

It was healing

We had said goodbye...

That was
the year that everything happened.

I'm not saying
if it was good or bad.

All the years
we'd spent with feeling

Ended with a cry...

I mean,
you can never really tell what's good

until later, anyway,

until you look back
and think about things

and they have time
to grow in your mind.

They

Ended with a cry

I tried so hard to stand...

But sometimes
you make a choice in that moment

and you know in your heart
it's going to change everything.

So hard to laugh

As I stumble

And reach for the love

I had found

Knowing it was gone

If I never lived
without you

Now you know I'd die...

Hi.

If I never said I loved you

- Now you know I'd try...
- You need to know he's out of my life

and I'm sorry

I screwed everything up.

Are you kidding me?

You saved me.

Now you know I'd try

Babe...

People will tell you nothing matters,

the whole world's about
to end soon anyway.

But those people are looking
at life the wrong way.

I mean, things don't need
to last forever

to be perfect.

Live through this

And you won't look back

Live through this

And you won't look back

There's one thing I want to say

So I'll be brave

You were what I wanted

I gave what I gave

I'm not sorry I met you

I'm not sorry

There's nothing to save

Live through this

And you won't look back

Live through this

And you won't look back.