Lost Bayou (2019) - full transcript

I was dead.
That's what the doctor told me.

Legally dead he called it.

I don't know what
illegally dead is, but legally?

I was dead as a duck,
down in Arnaudville.

So when I woke up, I was
soaking wet from head to toe.

And there he was,
standing over me.

Praying.

That man, he brought me
back to life.

And that, I know ma'am.

He brought me right here,
back to life.

Shit.



You getting out or what?

Hey, you think you could uhm,
make the block a few times?

Till some more people show?

Don't think it's startin' yet.

Whatever.

Fine, just stick around
a few minutes all right?

- Huh?
- Whatever.

Hey!

- Seriously.
- I love you guys, you don't have to thank me...

- What?
- What is she doing here?

- Gal?
- Hey, look, I know I'm early...

You're late.

- It says two.
- What day is it?

- It's Saturday.
- Sunday.



- No it's Saturday, I...
- We had his party yesterday,

Saturday.

Is he here? Did he...

- Are you high?
- You should take down those balloons...

Did you seriously show up to
our son's birthday party high?

No, there's no party remember?

Despite all the balloons
outside, is he here, I...

- I have something for him.
- I don't think it's a good idea.

Shi...

Gal, look at me.

I'm just gonna give him
this present and go, alright?

Gal? What's going on?

Found it.

We haven't seen you in
months and now all of the sudden...

You know you're short
last month? 80 bucks.

- I ain't trying to get Social Services back over here.
- Here is, 14, you happy?

What are we supposed
to buy with that?

Just hang on,

just, I'm sorry, just hang on.

Is that 80 bucks worth?

No, no, no, no.

Please.

Okay, okay. Just,

stay here, I'll see
if I can settle him down okay?

- It doesn't matter.
- Yes it does!

- She's his mother.
- She doesn't act like a mother.

- I'm more of a mother.
- I know but he needs to know her.

Why? So he can be
heartbroken all over again?

- Can't you relax for one second?
- No, I'm the one

that deals with this shit
when she comes around.

Stop freaking out.

It's not about that!
She doesn't deserve to see him

if she comes here a day after the birthday...

Jesus Christ!

- What?
- Uh, Gal?

- Pop?
- Yeah, this your Pop.

Look, Gal, uhm, something
happened to your Maw.

You need to come home.

Don't make this about you, Gal.

Something happened
to your Maw,

she needs you, come home.

Richard, don't know
how to thank you

for bringing me
my precious little Gal.

- How was the fishing today?
- Bad.

Maybe I can make
something up for you

to say thank you for,
you know, your troubles.

- Something for that jock itch?
- It's okay,

oh you got the yellow stuff?

Yeah, I got the yellow stuff,
I'll be right back.

Don't use too much of this huh,
half a table spoon

twice a day,
with some hot water.

I'ma just be
a couple of minutes,

can you wait for me?

He got a boat.

Thought he
would never leave.

Come on, come inside,
I'll make you something

that'll make you feel better.

You'll never guess
who come by here last night.

The damned ol' Rougarou!

You remember him?

How he used to sneak up
through the cypress knees,

hide there
until little girl's coming by,

then he'd jump out
and he'd snatch her

and he'd take her back
into the swamp!

Yeah, that same Rougarou.

He come right up
on the porch last night.

That cheeky son of a bitch.

He's up there looking to see
if we had any chickens.

He kept going on and on
about prodigal daughters,

and their kindly
good lookin' daddies.

What is that?

You don't trust your old Pop?

Well?

It's a little heavy
on the citronella, huh?

Well, you need that.

That's the secret.

And that old Rougarou,

that swamp monster,
that's the other secret, huh?

Good thing
I got my Rougarou stick here.

- Pop, you all right?
- Yeah, yeah, tip-top.

You taking good care
of yourself?

The best.

Are you still taking
your pills and stuff?

You still taking yours?

What happened to Maw? Hmm?

Gal... Your Maw...

She went last night.

Real quiet in her sleep,

real peaceful.

Well...

She at peace finally, your Maw.

That's the important thing.

God bless her.

Pop that's not how Maw died.

Maw didn't die last night.

And she sure as shit
didn't go peacefully.

You hold on
just a second there.

Maw died three years ago,

I would know, I was there.

You're wrong, she here.

Pop. Pop, look...

What the fuck, Pop?

You, I, what...

Okay, okay, oh, nah-ah-ah-ah.

Fuck that!

Pop, who is that?

I gotta get a few more things
together and then we can get started.

Get started with what?

Moving the houseboat.

Move? Moving it where?

We're going to bury
your mother, Gal.

That,
that's not my mother.

It's what she wanted.

To be buried
in the family plot.

It's just a couple days journey
across the Basin.

Pop, who is that?

We gonna do what's right.

She got a right, Gal, to have her family
there, and that means the both of us.

I don't know what you got going
on there,

but I'm, I ain't being
a part of it.

Nope!

Fine, I'll take you back
in the landing in the morning.

No I, I ain't sleeping here.

- I am not sleeping here.
- Yeah, well this boat is,

and it goes to bed early,
so you'd better start swimming.

Pop?

Why do you look so alive?

- Hello?
- Shit...

Oh, my God, look who it is!

Goodness gracious, Gal!

God, is that really you?

Hey, uh, Warden. Is it now?

Oh, yeah,
agent of the law I guess.

How things change, am I right?

- Yeah.
- Old man around?

- No he's actually...
- McGees,

- McGees Landing.
- What?

That's it.
Last time I saw you,

you were in the back of my truck
at McGees Landing

with my little brother T-boy.

He's still around,
you ought to give him a call.

Yeah, I don't know, maybe.

I mean you're not,
one of them, you know...

I heard you got locked up
a little while.

I know how it goes in there.

But you're not...

I mean, T-boy's a great guy if
that's what you're looking for.

You said you needed
something from my dad?

Right. Yeah, I just wanted
to touch base with...

Can I come in?

I know he ain't been doing
too good lately.

So I figure I'd stop by,
you know.

Yeah, nah, I'll appreciate it,
he's gonna be a while though,

he's probably at church
or something, you know him.

Oh, yeah, we all know him.

How's he look, he doing okay?

Yeah, yeah,
he's fine, he's, why?

Oh, you know,
you hear things.

I... Well, I mean,
what kind of things?

Look. I consider myself
a good Catholic boy.

I just can't buy
into false prophets and such.

That fella 20 years ago they say
he resurrected, I just can't.

And I suppose,
after what he did to your Maw

- a few years back.
- Well, he didn't do anything to my mom.

Well, we both know
that ain't true.

The only miracle is he didn't go
to prison for drowning her.

I'm sorry I'm a jackass I didn't
mean to bring all that up.

Look, I just wanna ask him
a few questions.

About what?

He mentioned anything
or anybody I don't know,

- out of the ordinary around here?
- How?

A young guy for one.

Guy, no.
He hasn't seen any guys.

So a girl then?

No, he hasn't seen any... no.

He told you that?

- Wh... What?
- He told you he hasn't seen anybody?

Well...

I mean, it's fine, it's fine.

Just seems like a weird point
of conversation.

Hey, Gal, I'm out of sugar,

the faucet's leaky
and I ain't seen nobody,

how you doing?

I guess it is, yeah.

Anyway.

Following up a report on a woman
who jumped off a bridge,

some good ol' boy called it in.

No ID.

But it looks like
she caught a flat,

decided to change it,

and had a change of heart.

Decided
to take a swan dive.

No, no. Stop.

- It's okay, it's okay.
- No.

- I'm just here to help.
- No!

It's fine, it's fine.

Stop...

Your pa isn't coming back
for a while but,

it'd be cool
if he comes back soon too.

You know,
I'm just here to help.

Seeing how we go back
a while and all.

What'd they do
to you in there, hon?

Ah, hey there, Warden, I thought
I recognized your boat.

Uh, yeah, it's me.

Oh, sorry about the noise,

but as I was pulling
up there was a,

a big old woodie buzzing around.

Didn't want him thinking that
he could just come around here

anytime he wanted
and started pecking.

So I fired off a warning shot.

Nowhere near him, but maybe
next time I shoot him.

Right. Well, uh...

- I guess I ought to be going.
- You wanna stay for a snack?

My Gal know how to carve up
a sausage real good.

Thanks, I gotta uh,
I gotta hit it.

Looks like
your boat's awake now.

I'm ready to go back.

So maybe I was thinking
you could

stay a little bit, maybe,
you know, for lunch.

No, I gotta go.

So anyways I was uhm,

I was hoping maybe
you would let me you know,

maybe help you out a little bit,

with my little grandson.

I mean, uh,
it's not much money, but uhm...

Uh... Uh, I probably
put it in the cookie jar.

That son of a bitch Warden.

I knew that bastard
was over here for no good.

- Pop. Pop!
- What?

Here.

Keep it, I was gonna give it
to you anyway.

Come on,
I'll take you back now.

Pop, Pop!

Pop, Percy got bit by a snake!

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
go, go, go, go, go, go!

Please grab my bag. Grab my bag!

Alright...

Hey, Pop.

Was a cottonmouth.

Walked up right on him.

I see.

Peepaw okay, alright baby?

Peepaw gonna be okay, baby...

Oh, baby...

Calm down, calm down.

Shh, shh, shh,

stay there, baby,
you stay there.

Percy, oh baby.

Pop! Let go off her!

Stop!

Ssshht, ssshht, ssshht!

Pop! Don't,
he needs a doctor, Pop!

- Merci.
- You're okay.

Merci. I'm okay, I'm okay...

Hey.

You okay?

You're learning
from the best, cher. To heal.

You have it in you too,
I can see it.

- No, I'm just his daughter.
- Well, that's your luck,

that's what they say right?
Gets passed down the family,

woman to man, man to woman.

For you.

It's a hundred-year-old cypress.

It too is a gift.

Watch your step.
Hey get your jacket on it's cold outside.

- Merci beaucoup.
- Bae, you're not supposed to say thank you.

There she go the boss.

Okay. I need to go.

Can I fix you something?

No, I just, I lay down a minute
I'll be good-good.

Ah, no, no, no,
cut it, cut it!

Gal, cut it, cut it,
you're gonna burn the motor.

Hey, cut it! Cut it,
you're gonna burn it up!

- I got the what?
- Cut it, cut it! You're gonna burn it up!

Sorry...

Okay, give it a shot.

No, I've done enough I think.

You all right?

Tip-top.

Alright.

Allons.

Right there.

Now you twist that son-of-a-gun
till she's tight-tight.

Yeah, that's good.

Watch your hands,
I got the trim.

Maybe we can borrow
Richard's flat-bottom,

- we can figure out how to get him back out here.
- No, Pop.

You don't just go trawling around
the basin with a dead body.

Okay then,
you're the boss I guess.

Time to get back to work.

But if it's not the spark plug
then I don't...

You've been going to church?

It's been a minute.

Any reason?

Nah, not really.

Reach in the toolbox.

Yeah, what you need?

You remember
what a Phillips head look like?

That's the one that got
a little cross on the tip.

So what happened?

What?

You just woke up
one morning and,

you don't believe?

You can believe
without going to church.

So you do?

You know, Pop,
not believing or not knowing,

it's not a bad thing,
it's fine.

Well, it's a sad thing,
don't you think?

- Well, here you are.
- And what's that mean?

I mean, no offense, Pop,
but, belief has got you exactly

this far, you know, you stuck out
hiding in the middle of nowhere.

And a lotta good
it did Maw.

What made you believe
you could...

Alright don't bullshit me,
what happened yesterday?

That man
with the snakebite?

What you think happened?

But it doesn't work
every time, right?

Allons.

Come on, you take over.

- Pull the spark plug.
- Pop, we did that.

Just pull the spark plug.
Take the cap off of it, number one.

And twist it.

Okay, give it here.

Oh, well, there it is
right there, ah.

Yeah, just needs a little love.

Come on, you too.

Go on.

Well, you got to put it back in.

Tight-tight.

Put the cap back on.

Pop, I mean,
we did all this already.

Go ahead.

What'd you do?

You got to have a little faith.

So that's where God's been all this
time, fixing boat motors?

Well, it never hurts to offer up
a Hail Mary.

Allons, we got to start moving
the houseboat.

Alright.

How much longer?

If we leave by sun up,
we should be there by afternoon.

You know
you don't have to stay here.

You can go back home.

This is my home, Gal.

Besides I get better
reception out here

in case the big guy
need to give me a call.

I don't feel right about it.

You keep that and maybe

use it with that little fella
of yours.

I don't need your money.

What I'm gonna do
with it out here?

Well, maybe you could use it
if you decided to go back.

Just take it, come on.

I don't see him
too much anyway.

He's got a new mama now,
and one's plenty.

- Now, Gal, you ask me...
- No, I didn't, I didn't.

But it seem to me that you need
to be in that little boy's life.

A mother's place
is beside her child.

I think
maybe that little boy

might be able to bring you
some happiness.

Maybe if you could find
a little happiness,

you wouldn't need that junk.

Hold on.

I don't want you ending up
like me.

You got no idea what's it like
for your child to drift away.

That's exactly
what I'm trying to avoid.

You're doing a lousy job because
you got nothing right now.

Yeah, and nothing to lose.

You know, most people
that got nothing to lose,

they sack it up, they sack up
and they do better!

It wasn't easy giving him up
like that you know.

I know what you think.

I could just quit, like I took
the easy way out.

Well, it's not easy knowing
he's out there making friends

and learning to ride a bike and,

he's turning into somebody
I'm never gonna know.

I can imagine it is...

No, you can't, you can't!

Because you kept me,
us, me and Maw,

you held onto us
so fucking tight.

You got to see it all
for yourself.

And you know
what I got out of it?

I got to see you passed out
on the bathroom floor

on my fifth birthday.

Yeah, I'm sure seven-year-old
dreams of

watching
from the back seat

as her father
gets arrested for a DUI.

But people change.

I don't know maybe you got Born Again
or something after you dried out.

But it sure as shit doesn't mean you had
any business being a father back then.

Pop?

- Gal, I don't...
- No, Pop.

Come see.

He's dead...

Should we put him inside?

Well, I guess we can put him
in the same room with you.

Alright just cover him.

Maybe we can move him inside
after we bury your Maw.

Allons, we gotta start
even earlier tomorrow.

Mmm...

I'm watching you.

You sir,
have a spectacular collection of crap.

And I really do mean that
in the nicest way possible.

So what is all this stuff?

Yeah, that one there uhm,

that come from a one-eyed
chicken, name of Steve.

The ugliest chicken
I ever seen but,

she sure can...

She sure can lay a perfect egg.

Yeah.

Help her owner out.
She had some sunstroke.

You heal people?

Oh, no, no, uhm,
God used me sometimes.

So y'all,
y'all live around here?

Yep, round about. You?

Oh, nah.
I'm just passing through.

Y'all headed somewhere?

We're going bury my wife.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It was her time I think.

She had a long hard road
the last couple of years.

But she's at peace now.

She's here?

Yeah, she's in the back room.

Pop, hey, uhm, can I talk
to you for a second?

Yeah, I lost my wife too.

I'm sorry.

Oh, I was never there,

was always on a rig,
14 on, 14 off, you know?

And she's doing it all
by herself.

Just taking care
of our baby.

I tried to tell her
it wasn't her fault.

I don't think that's something she
really wanted to hear, you know?

Any... Yeah, anyway...

uh, we catch a flat
on the bridge of all places,

so I take to changing it,
and you know,

and I look up and uh...

she's standing on the edge.

Then she stepped off.

And I thought maybe,
maybe in that instant,

she found the answer to why
she couldn't let go.

To why she couldn't accept
that our baby...

That our baby was gone.

I thought that's, that sounds
like a good idea to me.

So I followed after her.

I miss her.

You salvagers haven't found any other
bodies floating around here, have y'all?

No.

Come on, Gal...

We need to start moving.

Sorry.

Hey. Can we talk?

Can we talk?

Looks like we doin' it.

Right, so, what you think?

- What do I think about what?
- His story.

I just wonder what happened
to his wife.

I'm wondering if you might've
seen her, his wife I mean.

Well, I think I'd remember
that don't you?

Right.

We got a long trip today,
Gal, maybe you should just go

make some coffee
while I handle this.

How are you feeling?

I was just about to ask
you the same question.

Did you fall off a bridge too?

Sorry 'bout your mom.

I know you're probably just
trying to be strong for him,

but deep down, it must be hard.

Yeah. Yeah, it was hard...

It is hard.

Yeah, I know the feeling.

Can you still walk?

- No, yeah, I don't want...
- Come on. Just, please.

Sarah? Sarah. Sarah. Sarah.
Wake up, baby. Sarah.

What's wrong with her?
Sarah, wake up, honey.

Sarah, wake up.
Sarah, wake, wake up, Sarah.

- I'm sorry.
- Why are you sorry, why are you sorry,

what's wrong with her?
What's wrong, Sarah?

Sarah, wake up, Sarah, wake up!

- Get away from...
- Sarah, wake up! Wake up, baby, please, wake up.

- What the hell is he doing?
- Sarah.

- Just let him...
- Stop it.

- Pop, please don't.
- You stop it right now.

- Hey!
- Pop, come on.

- Hey!
- Please, get up!

Hey get off of her!
Get over here, get up!

- Pop! Come on he's hurt.
- No, he's a liar!

- He's hurt.
- He's a liar! He gets off this boat now!

You gotta stop it now!

- He's a liar!
- Stop!

I'm sorry it isn't Maw,
I'm so sorry, I wish it was Maw,

but it's not, alright?
It's not her!

You don't know,
you don't know, you don't know!

You could help this man,
you could help him.

That body's been in there for,
what, four or five days now?

I know what this is.
You can do it.

You could bring this woman back,
you did it before.

This woman?

Maw, it's Maw, you're right,

it's Maw. And you can
bring her back, Pop.

No, no I have, I have
to say goodbye, right?

It's time I have
to say goodbye, I...

I failed her last time I...

Are you all right?

Are you all right,
are you all right?

Why does she look like that?

Why does she look so alive?

Uhm, uhm, uhm, uhm, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Yeah, me too.

Thank you.

For keeping her safe.

For letting me see her
one last time.

I'd like your help.

Pop, hey.

Come on. What are you doing,
you're not gonna at least try?

What?

You were right, Gal,
it's not your Maw.

Alright. Where is it?

- Gal, Gal.
- Give it to me.

- I'm gonna do it myself.
- Gal!

Come on.

Come on! Come on!

- It's not working.
- Hey, hey, look at me, look. Look, look, hush, shh.

You don't tell God,
you ask God.

Now put your hand
in the water.

Now on her.

Again.

And again.

Ask God to use you.

Sometimes his answer is no.

No matter how much you want it.

I'm sorry.

We should probably get you
to the hospital or something.

Nah, this is it for me.

I spent most of my life
away from her.

So I'd like to start the next
one right here with her.

Go.

So?

You'll be alright.

So where are you
gonna roam off to next?

Well, I don't know.

Mitch said I could tie up here
anytime I want.

It's nice.

Hmm-mm, you think?

I think
maybe it's a little cramped.

A little cramped is not so bad,
you should see my place.

Okay.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, that sounds nice.

Alright.

I gotta go see
about a ride.

- Yeah, okay.
- Alright.

- Gal?
- Yeah?

Pop, I don't want your money.

Thank you.

Mais, you're not supposed
to say thank you.

Um...

I love you.

Yeah...

- Hey.
- Hey yourself.

Um... This ought to cover
last month's too.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Hey, uh, can you come inside,
say hi?

Uh, I don't think
it's a good idea right now.

- You sure?
- Next time.

Yeah, okay.

- Alright.
- See ya then.

Yeah.