Scorn (2020) - full transcript

Why is it always that song?

What do you mean?

Whenever you get
drunk, you sing...

Buzzed.

Whenever you get drunk,
you sing the most cliched

Scottish song in existence.

And?

It's like if I sang
God Bless America

every time I had one too many.

I'd actually like to see that.

That's not even close.



Can you fetch some ice?

Haven't you had enough?

Well if I'm gonna
be a cliched Scotsman,

I might as well go
all out and drink

myself into a stupor, right?

That does need see...

In fact, while
you're at it, why don't you

fetch my kilt and bagpipes
so we can truly do it proper?

You wanna know the real
reason I hate that song?

Because the Colonies have
never produced anything

as achingly beautiful.

It's about a guy
who's never going

to see his true love again.

That makes me sad.



Well it's supposed
to make you sad.

It's Scottish.

So what did you
think of the movie?

I hate watching myself.

Bullshit, you love
watching yourself.

I don't know, it was a bit

more abstract than I
thought it would be.

The audience
seemed to love it.

They did, didn't they?

I thought the love
scene was beautiful.

Yeah?

You and Olivia
have great chemistry.

I have to say it's a little
unnerving going to a party

where everyone's just seen
your cock on a 50-foot screen.

I mean, you know,
it's one thing when

you're on set, you've
just got a director...

I know how it works, babe,
I've done nude scenes before.

Really, when?

Stephen Truth's thesis
film, my senior year.

Oh, right.

Yeah, that piece of
shite, what was it called?

Pointless Purple?

Careless Turquoise.

Right, Christ,
what a clusterfuck.

We got any olives?

Check the fridge.

So you were nude in
Reckless Turquoise?

Careless Turquoise, and yes.

You sure?

Which scene was it?

The first one, the opening.

- And you were naked in that?
- Yeah.

Like just topless,
or the full Monty?

The full Monty, you
don't remember that?

Christ, I barely
remembered my name

half the time back then.

Are we out of olives?

I don't know.

Babe, you were clean by then.

We'd been dating for...

Those are onions.

I know.

Gonna make a Gibson.

What's a Gibson?

That's a martini with an
onion instead of an olive.

Son of a fucking...

You wanna know why
it's called a Gibson?

So there was this investment
banker named Gibson,

who would take his
clients out to lunch

and pump the fuckers full of gin

so they'd make fiscally
irresponsible decisions.

Meanwhile, Gibson would
get the bartender to fill

a martini glass with water
and then put an onion in it

so he could tell the
differencebetween his and theirs.

They'd be three
sheets to the wind,

coughing up cash left and
right, and he'd sit there

sober, sipping on
his onion water.

Try it?

It tastes like a martini.

So it does.

So Stephen Truth saw you naked.

You went to the premiere.

You were clean by then, right?

Right?

Yes, yeah, I was clean.

Look me in the eye and say it.

Yes, Zoey, I was clean.

I have been clean,
relatively speaking,

ever since Jenny died.

That's right, I'm not
supposed to mention her.

Don't be ridiculous.

Since she who must
not be mentioned died.

I never said
anything like that.

No, that's the thing,
you don't have to.

You get this look in your eye,

and then you're in a funk
for the rest of the day.

Well how am I supposed to
react when you mention her?

I don't know.

Neither do I, that's
the fucking problem.

Who you texting?

I'm texting Nick.

This late?

He's in Vegas with some of
the suits from the network.

That's why he wasn't
at the party tonight.

Jesus.

What the fuck, Zoey?

We'll lose the
security deposit.

So, it's not your money.

It's not yours either.

Trust me, the old man loves
being forced to spend money

on me, makes him actually
feel like a father.

You said you quit.

Do we have to fight
about this tonight?

This is not a fight.

Sure as shit ain't fucking.

Fucking?

Is that what we
do, Liam, we fuck?

Zoey, that's not what I meant.

Then have at it,
go ahead, fuck me.

Jesus Christ,
it's an expression.

You making another drink?

Bingo, Sherlock.

I think you've had enough.

You're entitled
to your opinion.

Social drinking,
that's what we agreed on.

Trust me, that
is what I'm doing.

You and your
insecurities are breaking

the fire code in
here, you know that?

- Jesus.
- Excuse me?

You think I don't
know what this is about?

What is this about,
Liam, educate me.

You're losing your shite
because I was talking

to my costar at the
after-party of the premiere

of the film that she
and I costarred in.

Forgive me if I didn't realize
that was a capital offense.

She couldn't keep
her hands off of you.

She was drunk.

And you were sober?

I was drinking socially.

You weren't fighting her off.

Fighting her off, she's
OliviaSt. James, for Christ sake.

And?

And she's won a
Golden Globe, a BAFTA,

been nominated for an Emmy,
nominated for an Oscar,

and she was on the cover
of Vogue last month.

If she needs a new agent,
I know where to send her.

All right, so you're
telling me that if a drunk,

I don't know, Ryan Gosling,
leaned on you a bit

at a party, you'd tell him
to fuck off, you'd do that?

Wouldn't kiss
him on the cheek.

You don't know that.

Why, because I've neverworked
with an A-lister before?

That's not what I said.

I don't know anything about
how Hollywood works, right,

because I'm just another
waitress with head shots?

Zoey, you starred in a pilot.

Never got picked up.

Well neither has mine.

But it will be,
and you know it.

Look, Merrick will get
you into his next film,

and we'll all move to
Beverly Fucking Hills

and live happily ever after.

Besides, you didn't see
me shitting my knickers

over the two of
you at the party.

I was networking.

So was I.

Merrick's got a great
idea for his next film.

Hmm.

He wants to cast
me as the lead.

I'm sure he does.

It's not like that.

Bollocks, he fancies
you, and you know it.

They almost fired you.

Showed up to the set
high on your first day.

I don't, I don't know
what you're talking about.

Merrick told me tonight.

Zoey, my character was
supposed to be high as a kite,

all right, I was
living truthfully

under imaginary circumstances.

Isn't that what they
taught you in drama school?

Substance abuse is not art.

I wasn't snorting
cocaine, Zoey, it was pot.

There's this thing called
acting, you should try it.

You ever seen Easy Rider?

Dennis Hopper and...

Peter Fonda.

Peter Fucking Fonda were
bloody baked every day

of that goddamn film.

And that gives you an excuse?

Well it gives me precedent.

The only reason Lowenstein
didn't fire your ass

is because Merrick
fought for you.

Well I guess I owe him a big
sloppy blowjob then, don't I?

You made a promise.

What promise?

You promised you
would never do drugs again.

Drugs?

Zoey, for the thousandth time,

it was marijuana
for Christ sake.

You made a promise,
and you broke it.

You broke your promise, Liam.

Don't ever do that again.

Merrick.

Hey, Zoey.

Merrick, long
time no see, mate.

Liam, how's it going?

Good.

This is yours.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah, one of the
valets found it.

Do you want a drink?

Oh, babe, it's
late, I'm sure...

Yeah, I'd love
a drink, actually.

Make him one of
those Gilberts, babe.

It's called a Gibson.

Right, a Gibson.

Tell him the story, babe,
how it got its name.

I don't think he
really wants to hear...

No, no, go ahead.

So, there's this loan shark.

It was an investment banker.

Right, a banker.

So this banker named Gibson
would take his clients

out to lunch, and ask the
bartender to put an onion

in his martini instead of
an olive so that he could

tell his drink apart
from the clients'.

The whole point of the
story is that he would serve

his clients martinis
so they'd get drunk,

then he would drink water
from a martini glass.

The onion was just
so that he didn't

accidentally drink the booze.

How hard is it to tell
drinks apart when yours

is in front of you and
mine is in front of me?

Well it's just a story,
mate, I didn't write it.

- Thanks.
- Manga.

Tastes like a martini.

That's what I said.

Well we were out of olives.

Am I supposed
to eat the onion?

Not if you're kissing anyone.

Congratulations
again, Merrick.

The audience really
did seem to love it.

Did they?

No seriously, I was
in the parking deck.

Did they like it?

You didn't watch it?

Why not?

I couldn't, not this one.

Well I should probably get...

No, tell Liam about
your next script.

If you need to
go, mate, that's.

Babe, this idea is genius.

Please stay, tell us about it.

Well, Liam, I wanted to
cast you as the male lead.

Splendid, what about Zoey?

She'd be the female
lead, of course.

Of course.

Look, mate, I'm sorry,
I'm fucking exhausted.

What's that?

That's cocaine.

Holy shit, Merrick.

Remember Joshua Tree?

What happened at Joshua Tree?

Lowenstein shook my hand after

he saw the dailies,
said you were the second

coming of James Dean.

What's going on?

He didn't tell you?

Easy, easy, whoa, whoa.

Nobody's dying tonight.

Play some music, babe.

So do we use a
dollar bill or what?

Zoey, I'm sorry,
I shouldn't have.

No, let's do it.

Let's do cocaine.

Babe?

Oh.

God damn.

Oh, ah.

So the working title
is Venus in the Brook.

Is that like a Velvet
Underground reference,

like Venus in Furs?

You a fan?

Fuck yeah, mate.

Favorite album?

Loaded, and you?

Same, the same,
favorite track?

Oh, Sweet Nothing, you?

Same, same.

What about you, you
a fan of Velvet's?

Ah, she hates Lou Reed.

I don't hate Lou
Reed, his voice is...

Anyway, so the name of the
project is Venus in Furs?

Nope, that's the
name of the song.

Venus in the Brook.

Right, and it takes place
in a cabin in the woods.

Christ, is this a
fucking horror movie?

No, it's not.

You're getting ahead of me.

Yes, it takes place in
a cabin in the woods,

most of it at least.

But there's some
backstory that you...

Spielberg said you
should be able to explain

the plot of a film
in 25 words or less.

Sounds a bit reductive to me.

What, you think the greatest
filmmaker to walk the face

of the fucking
Earth is reductive?

Is that what you think?

You think Spielberg,
Steven Spielberg, is the...

Wow, okay.

ET, Jurassic Park,
Indiana Fucking Jones.

And you're positive those are

his greatest works, like 100%?

Who would you say
is best then, Kubrick?

Well as a matter of fact I...

Come on, Kubrick
films are boring, okay.

People just like the
hard-on they give themselves

when they say
their favorite film

is Doctor Fucking Strangelove.

What do you think, Zoey?

Who do you think is
thegreatest filmmaker of all time?

Don't smoke in here, mate.

He can smoke if he wants to.

To answer your question,
I don't think there is

a greatest filmmaker
of all time.

That's like saying
there's the greatest food

of all time, or a
greatest romance.

One couple's love story
isn't better than another's.

It might be more moving,
but it's not better.

You don't think you
and Liam are special?

I didn't say that.

Well, I think our love
story is the greatest one.

So what's the backstory?

So there's this rock star,
and he's really burned out

from the industry and he's
sick of all the bullcrap.

So he goes to this
cabin in the woods

to make a new album
where he's free

from all the
distractions and whatnot.

It's not a horror movie?

Yeah.

So he's in this cabin
in like Virginia, or,

yeah, Virginia, North
Carolina, in the mountains

and he's trying to stay
clean, no booze, no drugs.

While he's there, he
meets this beautiful girl.

Venus in the Brook?

Exactly.

Right, let me guess,
she becomes his muse

or some shite, right?

Well yeah, I mean,
it's a little more

complicated than that, but...

Of course it is.

No, no, okay,
what I'm saying is,

prior to the film, there are
three things haunting him.

The death of his
mother, which he missed

because he was on tour,

the death of his best
friend from AIDS.

Christ.

And the fact that he
abandonedthe only girl he ever loved

to chase his dream
of being a rock star.

So,

the film is about this
girl helping him vanquish

his inner demons in a way
that both affirms life

and gets the Academy
to suck your cock?

He's actually in a drug-induced
coma the whole time.

The cabin is a metaphor.

You're serious?

A fucking coma?

Oh come on, you trying
to make a student film?

You gonna shoot in front
of bare white walls

with ugly actors and
shite audio, too?

Gonna cast you as the lead,
so, one out of the three.

Oh, I gotta take this.

Talk to me, Nick.

It's a good concept.

Hey.

Look at me.

It's a good concept.

Now go sit, I'll make
you a real drink.

Thanks.

You're sure he wasn't drunk?

You got it in writing?

Ah, Christ Almighty, Nick,

I could kiss you on
the fucking mouth.

Hell of a party tonight, huh?

Oh for sure.

Kinda wish I woulda
jumped in the pool, though.

Oh yeah, clothed or unclothed?

Unclothed.

It's been a while since I
last went skinny dipping.

I think I'm due.

When was the last time?

I appreciate that,
and I appreciate you,

you fucking slimy bastard.

Uhhhh, so where is it filming?

It was in Santa Monica,

and we were bar hopping
down on Main Street.

And after copious
amounts of alcohol

and marijuana, we made
our way down to the beach.

Well?

Got picked up.

Babe, I'm so proud of you!

Congratulations, man.

Thanks, sodder.

Gaaaaa.

So, um, yeah, 12
episodes and we start

shooting in September.

I'll pour the shots.

Christ, I can't
even talk, ohhh.

Filming here in town?

No, Georgia, actually.

Georgia?

Yeah, tax incentives
and all that shite.

But they filmed
the pilot here.

Yeah, Georgia's
cheaper, apparently.

How long's the shoot?

Uh, I don't have a
schedule yet, but...

Ballpark?

Seven months.

Thanks.

Hey, to the new star
of the Siren, Season One.

Ahhhh, I'll take those.

Merrick, I was being
an ass earlier.

If you do it right,
your idea could

have some serious potential.

That's the key.

On paper it's a big cliche, but

the way I wanna do it, you know.

Yeah, it's all about
the presentation.

Exactly, exactly, it's
all about the presentation.

Zoey?

What's that?

Venus in the Brook,
it's a 21st-century update

on Fellini's Eight and a Half?

Oh, for sure.

For sure.

Got a script?

No, no, just concepts.

Hey, what if we
improv some scenes?

Like, right now?

So my character,
he's a rock star.

What kind of band
were you thinking?

The Stones, Nirvana,
one of those fucking

indy bands I never watch on SNL?

The Rolling Stones but
younger and still relevant.

Christ, they
have to be English?

Scottish is fine.

Is the character
supposed to be Scottish,

or are you just saying
that to make me happy?

He's supposed to be Scottish.

Right, he's supposed
to be Scottish,

and you're an arse kisser.

Babe.

What kinda
instrument does he play?

Does it matter?

I don't know,
Merrick, does it matter

what kind of instrument
your protagonist plays?

He plays piano, guitar, drums,

but he just sings in the band.

A singer?

Have you heard me sing?

We'll dub you over, Liam.

Yeah, or you'll just
steal my ideas and cast some

Broadway fucker who can
hit a high C or some shite.

I would never dream
of doing that Liam

because you're such
a joy to work with.

So what's the name of the band?

Band?

My band, what's it called.

I don't know, I haven't
even written a treatment.

Cellar Doors.

Here we go.

If I had a band, I always said
I would call it Cellar Doors.

Isn't that similar
to just the Doors?

Thank you, that's
what I've always said.

Cellar Door is the
most beautiful phrase

in the English language.

You're a pretentious filmmaker,

haven't you seen Donnie Darko?

I hate that movie.

Bollocks.

You just like saying
you hate Donnie Darko

because you're afraid
of people labeling you.

At least they've heard of me.

Oh, have they?

Zoey, just off the top of
your head, what was the film

that won the Palme D'or
at Cannes last year.

It's pronounced Can.

Whatever, what was it called?

I don't know.

Your point?

Nobody gives a flying
fuck about artsy movies.

What, like
the one that we just did?

You know what I mean.

You know what, I could throw
this bottle out the window

and hit 50 waiters who are
just as talented as you

and who would sell their
left testicle to act

in an artsy movie nobody
gives a flying fuck about.

Now do you wanna run the
scene or not? It's up to you.

So I'm a Scottish
frontman of a band

similar to the Rolling Stones
called the Cellar Doors.

Sure.

You picturing Jagger,
flamboyant and shite.

We're just
playing around, man,

do you really need to know?

Yes, I do really need
to know this information.

I don't question your process,
so don't question mine.

Are you picturing Jagger,
Freddie Mercury, Johnny Rotten?

If you must know, Kurt Cobain.

I asked you if you
were thinking Nirvana,

and you said the Stones.

I want your character
to be tortured,

sensitive, you know?

People think of Mick
Jagger doing drugs,

they think those were
the good old days.

When they think of
Cobain doing drugs,

they think, what a shame.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

He's idolized and
pitied at the same time.

So I'm at this cabin
in the woods to get away

from all the excess and
shite, and I'm walking

through the woods and I
come across this girl?

Yes.

Anything else I should
know before we begin?

Your favorite color is
green, Chinese food gives you

heartburn sometimes and
your first pet is a hamster

named Colonel Whiskers,
should I keep going?

Fuck you.

What about you, do
you need anything?

No, I'm good.

So is she bathing in a stream?

Is she naked?

Yeah.

Should I step
around the corner?

Action.

Christ.

Zoey?

Sorry, I was just on a walk
and I heard someone singing.

Do you know that song?

I'm sorry.

The Bonnie Banks of Loch
Lomond, do you know it?

Your mother used
to sing it to you.

Yes, I do.

What are you doing?

Don't let her get away,
the scene's not over.

Yes it is.

Did she have to be naked?

I made that choice.

You can't just get naked
like that without telling me.

I'm not allowed to get naked,

but when you decide to
do it, it's no big deal?

What the fuck are
you talking about?

I don't know, Liam,

what could I possibly
be referring to?

Is this about Olivia?

Bingo, Sherlock.

I told you about
that scene the second,

the fucking second
I got the script.

You didn't tell me
it was gonna be nude

until after you shot it.

That's because we
didn't decide to go nude

until the last second.

Really?

Yes.

Merrick?

Yeah?

The scene in the moviewhere
Liam and Oliva fucked.

Yeah?

Liam says you guys
didn't make the call to go

full nude until right before
you shot it, is that true?

He's right.

Lowenstein stepped in
at the last second,

said he figured
Olivia St. James nude

would generate a lotta buzz.

I need to use the bathroom.

- It's that way.
- I know where it is.

So what did you
think of the scene?

How'd you two meet?

I told you the story.

Tell me again.

We're doing a meet cute scene.

You really wanna go
through that again?

Well I was studying
theater at NYU.

Some of my friends took
me to this off-, off-,

way the fuck off-Broadway
production of the Glass Menagerie.

And Liam played Tom.

And his performance,

I stuck around to meet
him after the show,

and he was gracious
and charming.

And then his girlfriend
at the time showed up.

What was her name again, Liam?

Jenny.

Jenny Waltmire.

One of Zoey's friends
that brought her

was making his thesis film.

He had already cast
Zoey, and he convinced me

to read the script.

Next thing you know,
Zoey and I are playing

lovers in a shitty student film.

It wasn't shitty.

It was three people
sitting in a room talking.

It wasn't shitty.

So what happened to Jenny?

What about you, Merrick,
you ever been in love?

I'm not the one
doing the scene.

I fucking hate writers
who write about love

and shite and have
never experience that.

Didn't seem to matter
for Drinking With the Pope.

Well maybe I'm
growing as an actor.

I've been in love.

Oh yeah, what's the story?

There is no story, she was
in love with someone else

and we never got together.

I don't think that counts.

Then don't act in
my fucking movies.

So who was this girl?

We went to high school
together in Minnesota.

She's married now, and
has two kids, two girls.

What's her name?

Jenny.

My turn.

Mind if I grab some water?

There is a drought, mate.

I know I said it
at the party, man,

but seriously, you
did a great job.

Thank you.

I just wish I coulda
gotten Zoey on it, you know?

Wrote the role for her.

You and Olivia
were great, though.

Your chemistry was,

it was phenomenal.

Thanks.

It's like you two were
actually sleeping together.

That second night
in Joshua Tree.

What the fuck are
you doing here tonight?

That second night
in Joshua Tree,

all I saw was the hotel room
you went into after wrap.

- Did you?
- Yeah.

And what does that prove?

Not a damn thing.

That's right.

You were probably
just running lines.

We were probably
just running lines.

That's all I have
are my theories.

You're goddamn right.

And conversations.

Conversations with who?

With whom.

Conversations with whom?

What do you say, Zoey,
wanna run the scene again?

Sounds good to me,
what do you think, Babe?

I'm starting to fade.

Why don't you give
him some more coke?

No, no, if he's tired,
he can go ahead and crash.

It's his house.

Mind if I keep
running with Zoey?

You know what, I think
I'm good for another round.

Now I've got a few notes.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

I liked how you shamelessly
let him see you naked,

but on this one,
let's switch it up.

Don't let him see
you naked, okay?

Okay.

I liked your singing
too, but let's, uh,

let's do something different.

I want you to talk to yourself.

Remember, your character's a
figment of his imagination,

so what would his character
be talking to himself about?

Do you think something...

Don't, don't tell
me, just do it.

Okay.

And let's keep your
actual clothes on this time.

Thank you.

Got it.

And for me?

Yeah, uh, do your number.

Anything else?

Do you need anything else?

Okay, are we set?

Fucking set.

All right, you
know what, let's,

let's do this one
in the living room.

Action.

You've got to stop
beating yourself up over it.

I know, I know.

Well, no, I don't think you do.

That was a shitty thing to do.

I had to, you had to do it.

Did I?

Absolutely.

Why?

You know why?

He was holding you back.

Don't look at me, don't look.

I'm sorry.

What are you doing here?

You were spying on me.

No I wasn't.

Don't come any closer.

I was not spying on you.

I was on a walk, and I heard
someone talking, that's it.

What's your name?

Why do you wanna know?

Not every day you come
across a beautiful woman

bathing naked in a stream.

Oh I get it.

You wanna fuck me.

What, no.

That's what you
wanna do, right, admit it.

You wanna fuck me.

Don't look at me, answer her.

Okay, the thought
crossed my mind.

I'll bet it did.

So what's your name?

If I was ugly, would
you wanna know my name?

If I was fat and old,
wrinkled, missing my teeth,

would you wanna know my name?

I, I just asked
what your name was?

If you didn't wanna fuck me,

would you want to know my name?

Fine, I wanna know your name

because I wanna sleep with you.

That's not what I asked.

I asked if you
didn't wanna fuck me,

would you wanna know my name?

What do you want me to say?

How about the truth?

Christ, why is
this such a big deal?

You meet a new person,
you ask them their name.

Answer the question.

Fine.

If I didn't wanna fuck you,

I wouldn't give
a shit about you.

Is that what you want me to say?

Only if you mean it.

And cut.

How was that?

Fascinating.

You can say that again.

Sure as shite commit
to that choice, Christ.

Commitment always
impresses me.

Thank you.

But I think it
blinds you sometimes.

Because you're so ferociously
committed to your choice

that it keeps you from
seeing the potential

in the scene and letting
that potential develop.

At the beginning, while you
were talking to yourself,

you mentioned someone
holding you back.

Let's explore that.

What, right now?

Why not?

Let's take it from, from
were you spying on me?

Liam, you had your
back turned to her.

Action.

You were spying on me.

I wasn't spying.

I promise, I was just on a
walkand I heard someone talking.

What's your name?

Why do you want to know?

Jerry, my name's Jerry.

What's yours?

Lola.

Like the Kinks song.

Never mind.

It's nice to meet you, Lola.

Likewise, Jerry.

Ask her what
she was talking about.

- What were you talking about?
- Subtly, asshole.

Who were you talking to?

I was talking to
myself, I do that sometimes.

No judgment here. That's
the only way to have

an intelligent
conversation these days.

You probably think I'm crazy.

Aren't we all?

Guess we are.

Who was holding her
back, keep pushing.

Um, you should hear
some of the conversations

I have with myself.

Oh yeah, what do
you guys talk about?

You know, politics,
the weather.

No, I tend to beat myself up,

about the stupid
shite I've done.

I guess we have that in common.

Don't let him in, Lola.

Have you ever
abandoned someone?

Sorry?

Have you ever abandoned
someone who loved you,

someone who would
have given anything,

done anything just
to make you happy?

I'm a little fuzzy
on the backstory.

Did he abandon someone?

You tell me, Liam.

Christ sake, man, how many
times do I have to tell you?

Do not use my name when
you're directing me.

Did he abandon someone, Jerry?

Why do you ask, Lola?

Why don't you answer?

Don't know, it's a
strange question, I guess.

Guilty eyes.

What?

You have guilty
eyes, that's why I asked.

Tell her, tell her,
tell her the truth.

Okay, I abandoned
someone who loved me.

Why?

Why did you do it?

Tell her, tell her why.

Because she was
holding me back.

That's not good enough, Lola.

How was she holding you back?

She just was.

Still not good enough.

What was she
holding you back from?

I don't know.

She just was.

Tell her the truth.

What was she
holding you back from?

What was she holding
you back from?

He's running away, Lola.

What was she
holding you back from?

Punish her, Liam, destroy her.

What was she
holding you back from?

From everything, okay!

She was a goddamn cinder
block dragging me.

No, you know what,
she was a noose,

a fucking noose around my neck.

And I couldn't breathe

without her
insecurities choking me!

And you know what?

The day I left her was the
best goddamn day of my life.

Did you love her?

No.

Cut.

That was great, you guys.

How is this helping?

I feel like we're chasing
rabbits or some shite.

You okay?

Oh, Christ.

I'm fine.

How'd you feel about that one?

It was okay.

Do you feel like we're
chasing rabbits or some shite?

What are you trying
to say with this piece?

Why do you need
to tell the story?

Maybe I just wanna show off.

That's a shitty
reason to make a movie.

Well I coulda said money.

Yeah, but this
won't make any money.

It could.

Maybe if you cast
Olivia St. James.

You know that
wasn't my call, right?

Of course, that
was the Evil Empire.

Exactly.

The same Evil Empire that
apparently wiped their asses

with Olivia's contract
at the last second

and made her go nude.

She was always
going to be naked.

Liam just didn't have the
balls to tell me upfront.

I know that shit doesn't fly,
not on union sets at least.

Zoey, I wrote
that role for you.

She's gonna win
an Oscar for it.

But you're better than she is.

Then why the fuck
am I waiting tables?

Zoey, it's just
a matter of time.

My agency dropped me.

Did you know that?

Yeah.

You did?

Liam told me.

What else has he told you?

I wish I knew, that
accent of his, you know.

So that night on my
birthday when I went

skinny dipping in the Pacific,

I'd gotten kicked out of a bar.

I was in the bathroom and I,

I started slamming the
door, over and over and

over again.

But one of the bouncers
heard me, caught me.

Kicked me outta the bar.

I went peacefully, I even
asked him what his name was.

Look, Merrick, it's
been a blast and a half,

but I am fucking exhausted.

I think it's time.

You were saying?

I think you should leave.

I think you
should do another line.

No thanks.

I'm offering you
free drugs, man.

You realize how much
this stuff costs?

If you'd like make a donation,

I accept cash or
traveler's check.

Come on, I feel like we'reon
the verge of a breakthrough.

Yeah?

What kind of a breakthrough?

Look, I'm tired.

Zoey has to work in
less than 12 hours.

Jesus.

Ohhh, phewwww.

I feel like we're on the
verge of a breakthrough.

Ahhh.

Fuck me.

You never finished the story
of how you two got together.

Christ, we have to
go through this again?

I need to hear
it again, man, just trust me.

So I was dating someone
else when I met Zoey.

Jenny Waltmire.

Yes.

How serious was it?

I was 20 years old,
how serious could it be?

My parents go
married at 18, so.

That's because
you're fucking Amish.

Mennonite.

Tomahto, tomato.

It was pretty serious.

It was as serious as it
coulda been at that age, okay?

We'll put it that way.

Fair enough.

Jenny and I were, um...

Heroin addicts.

Oh Christ.

Her father back in Arkansas,

he had been.

She needed an escape.

Even though he was
1,000 miles away,

she needed an escape.

So we started experimenting.

Five months later,
she overdosed.

Zoey was there for me
during the grieving process.

Let's do another scene.

The one where she leaves him.

And why'd she do that?

Oh, well, guess we'll
find out, won't we?

I want you to enter the
room like you did before,

and you're gonna find
herpacking her bags with, with me.

So you're gonna be
a part of the scene?

Why not?

Why not, do you have any
questions before we start?

Guess I'm set.

What about you, any questions?

Did you take my
wallet outta my purse?

Who the fuck is this?

Jerry, what are
you doing here?

You've got five fuckingseconds
to tell me who the fuck

this is before I rip
his goddamn face off.

I'm Richard.

Dick?

Richard.

Tell me, Dicky,

you sleeping with her?

No.

Right, and I'm the
Prince of Fucking Wales.

What you do with marine
mammals is your own business.

Oh, look at the
wise-ass on Dick here.

Tell me, you got any
good knock-knock jokes?

Let's get outta here.

So that's it?

You're just gonna
run off into the May

fucking sunset with Dicky here?

Yes she is.

Didn't ask you, Fuckface.

Lola?

Fuck you.

What am I to you,
some sort of prize?

You think if you can just
shoot straighter than the guy

next to you, you get to
take me off the shelf

and carry me around
the fucking midway?

No, no!

Fuck you!

When you look at me, you
think how does she fit

into my dreams, how does she
jibe with my 10-year plan?

Well you know what?

I am not an afterthought.

I am not fucking
building blocks.

Zoey!

I don't wanna be a
part of your dream.

I wanna build ours together,
can't you fucking see that?

Hey!

Relax, man, I'm just
part of the scene.

Is that what it was?

You looked a fuck of
a lot like you were

putting your tongue in
my girlfriend's mouth.

I was living in the moment.

Jesus, Merrick,
you can't do that

to someone without
warning them first.

You can't just run up
onsomeone and kiss them like that.

Oh, oh, didn't seem to
stop you in rehearsal.

What's he talking about?

He didn't tell you about his
first rehearsal with Olivia?

We're doing the
coffee shop scene.

You know, the one where he leans

over the table and kisses her.

I know the scene.

Well it wasn't in
the original script.

So the first time
we read it through,

he calls an audible,

kisses her right in the
middle of the scene.

And it was the
best goddamn moment

in your whole shitty movie.

Dude, I've had enough of
your disrespect of my work.

And I've had enough of
you being in my house.

Your house?

We all know who
pays for this place.

And?

Name one thing in your life
that wasn't handed to you.

Patience for your bullshit.

I worked hard for
that, believe you me.

And it's not like you're some
sort of working-class hero.

You got here because you
won a fucking reality show.

Look, I worked my ass
off to get to where I am.

Christ, it must
be hard to sit down.

You're scared.

Am I?

Yeah, you're scared that
someday everyone's gonna

figure out that you
don't deserve to be here.

Wow, project much, Mr. MTV?

I've already proven myself.

And I haven't?

You tell me.

No, I haven't, and
neither have you.

You know why?

Because it's fucking impossible.

Nobody deserves to be
here, because here,

fucking Hollywood,
doesn't deserve to exist.

What the hell are
you talking about?

This is why I
hate, why I despise

pretentious fucks like you.

You think you're changing
the world or something,

fucking transcending
or some shite.

When all you're
doing, all we're doing

is distracting
people for two hours

of their lives at
a time, that's it!

That's all this is, Merrick!

We're not curing fucking cancer!

And speaking of where we
should and shouldn't be,

why the fuck are
you in my house?

Take a wild guess.

Fuck my girlfriend?

You bet your plaid ass, I am.

Ah.

Floor's all yours, Romeo.

So the bouncer
leads me outside,

I go peacefully.

What the fuck are
you talking about?

Shut the fuck up, Liam.

I said I'd go peacefully.

Even asked the bouncer
what his name was,

but he wouldn't tell me.

He was just doing
his job, you know.

Can't fault him for that.

So I'm outside the bar.

Friends are inside,
can't get back in.

My head's full of
pot and booze and

it's my fucking birthday.

I was slamming the stall door
because you weren't there.

And not just that
you weren't there,

you had plans, I understood it.

But even if you had been, I
knew I couldn't have had you.

So I'm outside.

My friends haven't realized
that I've been kicked out yet.

I go to light a cigarette
and I remembered I have this.

So I get an idea.

And I start walking
down to the beach.

You know, I thought,

what a poetic way to go, right?

Sitting in the sand
beside the pier.

Now that I'm 27 I
could join the club.

So I get about a block.

My friends find me.

I plastered on a
smile and I went on

like nothing ever happened.

I love you, Zoey.

I have ever seen
you smiled at me

in line at that coffee shop.

Thank you, Merrick.

But I love Liam.

I always have,
and I always will.

He doesn't love you.

Yes he does.

He's fucking Olivia St. James.

Has been this whole time.

I know.

Liam made a mistake.

I forgive him.

I think we've made
some great progress

on the script tonight.

Let's get coffee soon
and talk about it, okay?

I think it's gonna
be your best yet.

Goodnight, Merrick.

Get some rest.

Zoey, I can explain.

There's nothing to explain.

It's in the past.

No, Zoey, that's the thing.

I'm sorry I threw
those glasses.

I shouldn't have broken them.

I, I don't give a fuck
about the glasses, so what?

I wasn't acting.

I don't wanna be an
afterthoughtin your plans, okay?

From now on, you and I

are in this together, equally.

It's not your dream.

It's not my dream.

It's our dream.

There's not gonna
be a from now on.

That's what I'm trying to say.

Fuck.

I wanna be with Olivia.

I need to clean up the glass.

Are you even
listening to me, Zoey?

I don't wanna be
with you anymore.

I want to be with Olivia.

Liam?

Liam, honey?

Liam.

Honey, look.

Liam, honey, listen
to me very carefully.

What did you have to drink
tonight at the party?

What?

What did you have to drink?

What was your drink?

Gin and tonic, gin and tonic.

Shit.

Oh Christ.

This wasn't
supposed to happen.

Baby, I swear this wasn't
supposed to happen.

What the fuck did you do?

To happen like this.

Olivia didn't deserve you.

Neither did Jenny Waltmire.

Jenny?

She was destroying you.

Oh God.

You killed Jenny?

Oh my God.

You and I belong together.

Forever.

On October 15th, 2016,

Hollywood lost a rising
star when Liam Davenport

was murdered by his girlfriend,

Zoey Webster, who
then killed herself.

The story shocked the world,

and now it's coming
to the big screen.

Rivermont Pictures
announced on Tues...