Feel Like Ghosts (2022) Movie Script
KEIR [over phone]: No.
Drop that fucking act.
No, you don't... You don't get to do that.
You don't get to play like
you're doing me a favor.
You're not... You're being the bad guy.
You're ending me.
JADE [over phone]: I don't know
how to make you happy.
How am I supposed to make you...
- I just... I...
- Oh, so what? You leave me?
I'm not leaving you.
You're not listening to me.
I'm saying we need time.
We need space.
6000 miles.
6000 fucking miles.
- Is that enough space for you...
- It's 3000.
- What?
- 3000. Coast to coast. It's...
- We live 3000 miles apart.
- Fuck you.
Fuck you.
Fuck me? Fuck me?
I wasn't the one at the
fucking strip club last night.
I asked you, you said it was okay.
JADE [over phone]: What girl is okay
with some other woman
rubbing her fake tits up
against her boyfriend?
Oh so, I'm not supposed to
believe you now? Is that it?
What the fuck, dude?
What about all the other times?
What about that?
No. And I said I was sorry.
Oh my God.
Yeah, you fucking did it.
So don't act like you're
all fucking committed.
Like... Like you're the
only one who fucking cares.
You don't care.
What the hell did you just say?
You heard what I fucking said.
You don't fucking care.
You... We barely see each other.
You don't fucking care
that you're doing this long distance.
And you're 3000 miles away.
You don't fucking care about any of it.
- I just...
- You just... You...
You just like the fact that
you're not really alone.
That's it.
No, Keir.
This, right here, is the
first time I've been alone.
Now I'm alone.
That's not what I meant.
I'm sorry.
Jade?
Jade, that's... Hello?
DASH [over phone]: I'll
come down tonight then.
BELL: No. It's tomorrow.
- I don't care.
- I already told you that.
You're acting like I
don't know it's a big deal.
I know you're graduating.
I know...
It's not about me graduating.
It's about you showing
up in a larger sense.
You said you didn't care about it, but...
No. Just be fucking present,
Dash.
I didn't want that.
I did not want that. You wanted it.
stop being a bitch...
Well, if you're going to be my boyfriend,
then act like you're my boyfriend.
What do you think I'm doing?
That is the whole
reason we are not together right now.
That's why I'm coming down.
No. No, I don't want to see you.
I don't want to see you.
Do not come tonight.
won't fucking listen to me.
Hello?
Bitch.
He fucking hung up on me.
Well, I did it.
It'll be okay.
He called me a bitch
six times in a 25 minute conversation.
How many of those do
you deserve, you think?
Not funny.
- I'm sorry.
- Not yet.
Thank you for being here.
I appreciate it.
Hey, hey, hey... That's...
Okay.
I'm saying... - You just...
- Whatever.
Okay.
I just wanted to...
Not feel hated.
For a minute, you know?
He said he was going to marry me.
Oh... Oh, yeah... Fuck me harder.
VOICEMAIL [over phone]: Friday,
5:58 p.m..
[Voicemail beep]
[excited screams and laughs, over phone]
It's Mom.
I saw your email.
You got the job!
[Excited screams and laughter]
I'm screaming.
Okay. You start now or in the Fall?
I hope you have time to come home
for a little bit first.
Oh, honey.
California dreaming.
You did it.
You made it come true.
I'm so happy for you.
It's exactly what you went out there for.
I'm so excited, and I'm so proud of you.
We know you're not walking but,
your father and I will be thinking of you
tomorrow for graduation.
Love you. Call me back.
Soon.
[mouse clicks]
[computer keys typing]
[computer key clicks]
Fuck.
[instrumental hip-hop score]
[Phone dial tone]
KEIR [over phone]: Yo.
ALAN [over phone]: Hey man.
Ready for tomorrow?
I guess.
Like, what's left to do?
You could get your life together.
You staying here?
You going back home?
I just want to get through
tomorrow and then I'll figure shit out.
Hey, where are you right now?
How have we been living here? For years?
We weren't made for this.
Like this... This should all be pizza.
This is where you go
when you do what we do.
This is where the young go to die early.
There were art schools back East.
I've already shot every
struggle rapper in every
dusty-ass corner of Greenpoint.
Plus...
We always said
we were going to move to L.A..
Yeah, man.
But we're not in L.A..
We are in Orange County.
Remember when you
said you were going to work
for the Playboy Mansion.
[both laughing]
I said I was going to
be a Crip or a Blood, or...
Did you decide yet?
I'm still on the fence about it.
Keep your options open. Smart.
You feel me? You see it.
You can always go back.
Snap some more dusty corners.
Yo, why are you smiling at me?
Don't smile at me.
Wait, get the fuck out.
- Did you get it?
- I'm not... Oh yeah!
Hey!
Oh! Sorry.
We just... It, umm... Number 37.
Sorry about that.
This looks awful.
Thank you.
Bell broke up with her boyfriend today.
She made me hold her hand while she did it.
You are too good of a friend.
Yeah, yeah.
I was kind of surprised
you guys never like... Why?
Because we're the only
two black people in school.
Yes, basically.
Well, no... And 'cause like... Me and her.
Me and her were you two sounding
boards when you and Jade split.
Whatever.
She's like the homie, though.
So, Jade was...
Jade was different.
Yeah, she called me the other day.
What for?
It was my birthday.
Really? Damn man.
My bad.
Anyway, she's like, helping
me find a place in Boston.
I think that's where I'm headed.
- How's she doing?
- She's fine.
She's in Jersey, so...
So why haven't you taken the offer yet?
It's weird, man.
You know, I...
First offer out of school.
Like, I just want to make
sure that I'm not settling.
I don't know.
You ever feel like sometimes
we're not supposed to be here.
Why do you think I'm moving back?
I don't know, you fit.
Oh, fuck you man.
Lyle's having some people over.
Little pre-graduation party?
Fuck it.
Fuck it.
Nothing but net though.
Sometimes I worry about you.
[Bass-heavy hip hop music]
Where's the party?
- You're the party, faggot.
- Jesus Christ...
- Iris!
- Faggot!
What's up losers?
What's up Lyle?
What have we got here?
This... This is two minutes
on how you see the world.
Or... How I saw the world.
- Okay.
- Wait for it... Wait for it...
[retching on screen]
IRIS: Yeah...
KEIR: So why the hat?
Like... I get the puke.
- But why the hat?
- This is very you.
IRIS: Thank you.
LYLE: Because she shot it
20 minutes before class.
And I made the fucking mistake
of leaving my hat in your car.
No! No, the hat spoke to me, okay?
Respect my process.
- Her process!
- Alright, whatever.
This is the last time we're
going to matter anyway.
KEIR: Why're you
being so morbid?
IRIS: I'm not! I'm just saying,
like, right now, right here...
This is the last time
we'll actually have a fucking audience.
ALAN: What? And you need
an audience to matter?
IRIS: Well, yeah.
Who else are you going to matter to?
LYLE: Family, friends, and...
- Significant others.
- KEIR: They don't give a shit.
Oh wait. Audience, audience and audience.
- And they can't be objective about your work.
- She's got a point.
And it's all performance
anyway at the end of the day.
All the world's a stage, and...
- Lyle, show them your thing.
- It's not a bad idea.
- I wanna show them the...
- An audience gives you purpose.
ALAN: Shut up, Keir.
You wouldn't be saying that right now
if you didn't get that job.
- What does that have to do with anything?
- You got a fucking job!
What the fuck?
Jesus.
I overreacted, like, I'm really sorry.
And, I'm actually happy for you.
I'm telling you guys...
After this, we're all just going to be
peons, fucking farmhands pretending.
You're going to be a fucking peon.
IRIS: No, we're all gonna... Lyle...
Can you fucking show the video?
I'm trying to prove a point to them.
There we go. Yep.
IRIS: Okay. Yeah.
You see that balloon?
After tomorrow, we're
going to be that balloon.
You see that dance?
That's art school.
Because, watch.
Total fleeting acceptance.
ALAN: This is
fucking depressing.
It's kinda nice though.
To chicks puking in
hats and faggy balloons.
Our best work.
ALAN: Can we please
not say that word?
Fuck you.
I'm allowed to say it.
Okay, like... Do you
think about what you say?
Like the meaning of any of it?
Do you ever think about
how much your very existence...
bores the shit out of me?
BELL [over phone]: Hello?
I'm drunk. And I'm calling you.
You're my first victim.
Only victim.
If you act right.
Where are you?
Lyle and Iris's.
I'm at Sean's.
A bunch of us over here right now.
You should tell your
people to come over here.
I don't know.
We got a good thing going on over here.
We're umm...
watching old shit.
Oh.
Well, I was just calling because...
I think you're cute.
Really cute.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think you're cute too.
You don't have to say it, you know?
I am just giving you my opinion.
That's all.
The next time I see you,
I'm-I'm gonna blow you.
- I'm gonna ruin your life with my-my wet...
- Ja... I mean, Bell.
Oh, wow.
- That's...
- Okay.
- I'm sorry. That just...
- No, it's cool.
- That came out wrong. That's...
- No, it's fine. All good.
Okay.
So, I guess you're not coming to the party.
I'll...
- I'll talk to you late...
- Good night.
IRIS: Okay! Best work. Now.
Best work you've done since you got here.
I have nothing of interest nor personal
enough to share with any of you.
Nigga, no one asked you what you are...
Can not say that.
- At all.
- Well I just did, you swollen asshole.
And nobody asked you what
was personal to you, okay?
What do you need? A fucking drum roll.
What do you need? Oh!
[drum roll on table]
Got a fucking drum roll.
Alright, alright, alright.
Okay.
You're going to show
us or... Just-just quiet.
Just...
[rapping] The laws of matter
matter more when you've lost in battle.
The inertia's going to herd you
like you're all some cattle.
Soul tortured,
torso shattered, uncage
all the madness.
You can hear his ribs rattle.
Savage.
Bad habits.
I've been lost
and I've been found.
I've been tossed in the sky
and I've been in the ground.
Yeah, I've been around.
The physics is within me now.
How many atoms is I?
That's exactly why they pin me down.
Because when I blow, it's Nagasaki.
Hiroshima. I'm not a lonely bleeder.
This home is only theater.
A breathing artifice
and I long to be a part of it.
This life is bought and sold,
and every moment is anonymous.
No, I'm not an optimist.
But this is my apocalypse,
a dark eclipse across the tinted sky.
My mind and heart could glimpse...
A rise, a spark, convinced
that I could start a revolution.
Blinded by my own pollution.
This is not absolution.
But the truth is I'm clueless,
and this metaphor is Confucian,
But I use it like a juggernaut
racing towards Ragnarok...
With a mag, two glocks
and a box of clips,
with the face of a patent pessimist.
Pissing excellence.
The scent of heaven
drenched the precipice.
Life's a jump off. Never come soft.
You either rainstorm or you runoff.
Either change form
or you've done lost,
And we shine on like Amun-Ra.
We grind dog. We out here.
Yeah, we out here.
We about life. You about fear.
We're not a generation of dreamers.
We were born as believers.
Sworn to be phoenix.
Sing my song.
Reincarnate in the remix.
Flow life like we all is anemic.
The sickle cell is sick.
Ain't no prescription for my diction.
Hell...
Ain't even mentioned.
But Hell was paved
with the best intentions...
So listen well.
I'm too big to fail.
Hide behind the crimson veil
to pop out of the grip,
and leave you holy
like religious grails.
That's it.
What's so funny?
It's a poem.
- It's not a poem...
- It's fucking spoken word.
I mean, tomorrow, you're getting
a master's in photography
and you just gave us a fucking poem.
Holy shit.
You're even more fucked than Lyle.
It's more of a rap. It's
not... It's not spoken word.
- It's more of a rap.
- Oh, right.
You guys are the wrong
audience, that's all.
- What? You're the wrong fucking audience.
- That's why you didn't get it.
Take the job, dude.
Look, y'all want to get out of here.
What up?
I thought you were coming.
What's up guys?
Big day tomorrow.
Come on in! Come on, come on,
it's too cold out there.
What happened?
Figured I'd stop being anti-social.
Well you picked the wrong time.
DASH: Oh, is that Keir?
Hey, how's it going, man?
You remember Keir, Dash?
I do, I do.
Photo guy from New York.
How've you been?
Good. Thanks.
How are you, uh... You-you guys doing?
We have never been better.
I mean, I just got here, but, uh...
Yeah. We've never been better.
I'm going to go get something to drink.
Sounds good.
So... [nervously laughing]
I'm gonna use the bathroom.
Okay. Sounds good, but actually, when
you're back, I would love to chat with you.
When you get a sec. Just one on one.
Is that cool?
Yeah.
Awesome. Cool.
[water rushing in sink]
[unintelligible conversations]
Hey.
Want one?
- I don't smoke.
- Really?
In art school.
That's a lonely life, sir.
So, listen.
Bell, she almost broke up with me today.
Actually, she did break up with me.
But then, I was already
on my way down here.
She called and took it all back.
But has she seemed weird to you recently?
Everyone's been weird,
we're graduating tomorrow.
I wasn't even gonna come for graduation.
Of course, here I am.
She won that one.
I don't know, I know I
haven't been around a lot.
These agencies have me freelancing
all over the fucking place.
Aren't you doing long distance too though?
What?
The Indian girl, back in
New York or wherever.
Bell was telling me you
guys are powering through.
Yeah. Jade.
I didn't realize she had...
Damn man, you remember
a lot about me, don't you?
Well, you know, Bell likes you, so
figured I should like you too.
Hey, but that's... No, no, no.
I know she doesn't go for
black guys or anything. No offense.
I just know that she
cares a lot about you. So...
Come on. What's your secret?
Don't hold out on me.
I wish I knew.
I think after a while, you
stop missing the person.
You start missing home
because that person is home to you.
No one can replace home
so there's no temptation.
But I do miss the fucking city though, man.
Like a real fucking city.
Feel like I haven't done
good work ever since I moved out here.
What?
The California coastline doesn't
photograph well enough for you?
There's nothing to look up to, man.
Well, Bell showed me some of your stuff.
If you ever want to get some freelance
snaps in, you give me a call, okay?
Or if you just want to get back home.
We could always use
some fresh eyes. Okay?
This is for all you lovebirds out there.
SEAN: Fuck you and your job, Keir.
[patrygoers jeering]
IRIS: Ugh. She went back to him.
Could you believe this fucking shit?
She went back to that fucking asshole.
It's what the heart wants.
She can't help it.
I just thought she was better than...
No. I thought she was more than that.
I mean, you weren't
fucking right for her either,
but at least you weren't that fucking guy.
What? So you knew?
Yeah, I fucking knew.
You were an asshole to her too.
Oh, yeah.
Playing that little middle ground.
Where you're not...
You're not the boyfriend,
but you're not the bad guy either.
So guess what? You don't
have to be anything to anyone.
I'm really, really going to miss you.
But, I mean, I'll give it to you.
You have the decency
to have like fucking dread.
To wonder if you're even fucking alive.
This guy's a fucking clone.
- Pinot Grigio drinking, suit wearing, mother...
- Maybe, maybe, maybe...
he's not so bad.
You're fucking bought and sold.
That's how it fucking happens.
I'm not making this up.
They were shitty together.
Maybe we're all shitty.
Okay? You know, and
we just... You keep fighting.
And if they want to keep fighting
maybe it means something.
I mean, he showed up.
When's the last time you
showed up for someone Iris?
When was the last time
you fucking showed up?
You're not even walking with us tomorrow.
You can't even be bothered to say goodbye.
I show.
I show.
- BELL: Is it my turn?
- GROUP: Yes!
Oh, no. I didn't want that one.
You draw, you place.
Okay. What are the rules for this?
Never have I ever.
Good. Never have I ever...
You can do it.
Gotten caught having sex in public.
[group exclaims]
DASH: Wait, wait, wait.
I'm confused, because that's not true.
You have to drink.
No. What are you talking about?
That's not true. San Diego.
Gallery opening.
Oh, fuck!
[group exclaims]
Fucking gross.
ALAN: You guys are sick.
Who caught you?
IRIS: Oh, my parents.
I mean, it's the best way
to come out. You know?
[unintelligible conversation]
BELL: I wasn't even trying to.
But you just made me do it.
Oh my God!
[group exclaims]
IRIS: You're not good at this game.
That's nasty. I'm done.
What?
I'm so done. - DASH: Come on?
- No, you can't be done.
- ALAN: Boo!
- IRIS: Don't boo her!
I think I just need to get some air.
- IRIS: You do. Go get some air.
- Do you want me to come with you?
No, you stay. And you play. For sure.
Okay.
Never have I ever.
[group mimicking]
Shut the fuck up!
Never have I ever done
a long distance relationship.
And that's you, bitch.
You why don't you drink?
And that's also you. And...
- SEAN: Yeah.
- ALAN: And you too?
And then for sure not you.
[group exclaims]
She got secrets.
When did you do a long
distance relationship?
Long distance is just promising a good friend
you won't fuck anyone else until you see them.
So, yeah, I didn't fuck
someone for a couple months.
Long distance can work.
Maybe you just didn't
have the right person.
Is he giving me relationship
advice right now?
Oh, and Bell's your Mrs. Right?
Oh, that's so fucking sweet.
I'm not talking about me.
I'm talking about this guy
right here, man. He's crushing it.
Wha... Keir and Jade?
Yeah.
Keir's crushi... Doing what?
Long distance.
He's been with the same
girl for, like, three years.
This dude said, fuck that.
This motherfucker's
been single for, like, a year.
He's been out here crushing shit.
Wait, are you serious?
Is he serious?
- IRIS: Dude, shut the fuck up.
- ALAN: He was just like, bye bitch.
I got dreams.
But she's a really cool girl though.
And, I mean, we're all still tight.
I don't understand, though.
Like... So you're not together?
No, it's-it's long distance, it's
complicated, you know? There's a...
- So who've you been texting all night?
- Okay, you know what?
Long distance is fucking complicated,
you're right.
It's just fucking easy for you
because you have money, you fuck face.
Oh. Oh, 'cause you know anything?
Okay. He's probably texting her
now, right?
You don't know anything.
- Did I say something dude?
- IRIS: Oh. Have you had a bad day?
Yeah. You don't even know
the kind of day I've had. Okay.
[unintelligible conversation]
[computer keyboard typing]
[computer keyboard typing]
[computer mouse clicks]
[ocean waves breaking]
[camera shutter clicks]
JADE [over phone]: What do you mean
you can't tell me? I'm your girlfriend.
That means you promise to tell me
everything. That's the rule.
KEIR [over phone]: All right, well,
I'll tell you... I'll tell you one thing.
Alan spent $400.
Bullshit. On what?
I... Can't tell you.
Oh, come on.
Well, how much did you spend?
Let's see. Between entrance
and a Sprite, about...
$900.
Are you sure your
Sprite wasn't called, like...
Paradise or Chrysanthemum?
Chrysanthemum?
Chrysanthemum?
Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know
what strippers are called?
I guess one could be putting herself
through botany school.
What would my stripper name be? Nirvana.
No, no, no, people just know the band.
They wouldn't associate
that with an Indian thing.
What about Fluffy Winter bottom?
You really love your Fluffy
Winter bottom, don't you?
Oh, hey, let me... Let me call you.
I got to run down the hall
to John's room, all right?
Okay. Yeah.
All right, all right.
Hey.
KEIR [over phone]: I'm back.
I'm back.
Okay. So hey,
I have a question for you.
So when you would go to these strip clubs,
- would you...
- Oh my Gosh.
What? Okay, listen...
When you would go to these strip clubs,
would you get lap dances?
You say this like I was a regular.
I told you, I've only been to a strip club
like, four times in my life.
Oh, yeah man. Here you go.
Yeah. No problem.
It's just my girl.
She just got up, so.
All right, man. Good night.
Okay, but would you?
Would I what?
Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I would.
It just seems like such an intimate thing.
It's not really.
Or at least it isn't to me.
So, I don't know how
other people feel about it.
Well, I guess we just
see things differently.
Did you get a lap dance tonight?
I mean, it's okay if you did.
It's not like I told you not to.
No, no, no, I didn't.
I didn't get one tonight.
I just...
What? What's wrong?
I... I went to a club a while ago
and I did get one then.
Okay.
I mean, it's... I'm really sorry.
It wasn't a big deal to me.
And I knew you wouldn't like it,
so I just didn't tell you about it.
Why? Was it, like, someone's
birthday or something? Or...
No, it wasn't someone's birthday.
I went by myself and I was just lonely.
I guess.
I mean, we talk on the phone every day.
Yeah, I know. But, like, what?
You don't get lonely?
Not that kind of lonely.
Why didn't you tell me?
I mean, when was I
supposed to tell you about that?
- I... When we...
- Whenever we're on the phone
it's always about your internship
and how it's kicking your ass,
or your anatomy professor
has it out for you, or...
Your crazy family and how you
lie to them or have to... Whatever.
You know, I just feel like my
evenings are spent propping you up
so you don't spill over.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it like that,
but I'm just... You asked. So...
I can't believe you just fucking said that.
You're no joy to talk to either.
But...
I didn't know you were so unhappy.
I'm not so unhappy.
I'm just regular-ass baseline unhappy.
I mean, Jade, we're long distance.
It's supposed to suck, right?
I don't think it sucks.
It doesn't suck. You're right.
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm waiting for us to graduate.
Okay? So we can be real again.
Like we were in New York.
What?
What? So these last two years that
we've been apart just haven't been real?
Jade!
No! No, no, no, no.
They haven't been real, Jade.
We don't wake up together.
We don't go to sleep together.
We don't have to sit across
from each other during a meal
and look at each other while
we're upset and fighting. No.
This is not real.
I... I still feel like it's pretty real.
What?
Are you listening to yourself?
You think that this...
You want to keep doing this?
Only seeing each other every three months.
Every four months.
You want to keep doing this?
- Jade!
- I...
I think we just need some
time apart. Just some space.
Some time to recalibrate
because... Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Keir, I had no idea this was going on.
And I just need to process this.
You don't... What?
Because I went to a strip club?
You need to process what?
Listen, I was only there
for, like, half an hour.
It was just...
It was a low moment in my life. That's it.
I'm just so sorry that
I put you through this.
- And that I pushed you, and...
- You didn't push me through anything.
You didn't...
Look. I just wanted someone in front of me.
To just look at.
And who would look at me.
Yes, it was a bad decision, and I...
[unintelligible talking from phone]
[sniffles]
I just think we need
to be alone for a while.
No!
INTERVIEWER: I see here you've lived in
three cities in the past four years.
Boston, New York, and
here in New Brunswick.
Oh, and before that, Washington, D.C..
Bit of a restless spirit?
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
I mean, two of those cities
were actually for school.
But I do like to travel, yes.
If that's what you were...
But are you the type of person
that just gets up and goes?
Because, you know, we're a small clinic.
Kind of hang our hat on providing
stability to our patients.
Whereas some people
don't like to be tied down.
No, no, of course.
I'm here. I will be here.
Never went too far, it looks like.
Oh, yeah. I mean...
I wanted to stay close to my family.
Okay.
We do have room for some full-timers,
and it sounds like you'll be a great fit.
But I'd like to bring you back in.
You can show us a regimen you've designed.
[hip hop plays from car stereo]
[hip hop continues as score]
Thank you aunty-ji!
RAJINI [over speakerphone]: Which one
did she put in for me?
Does it matter?
You hate all of them anyways.
Black and gold.
- Ugh, I really hate that one.
- Whatever.
No one you care about
is going to see it anyways.
It's just going to be all
old uncles and aunties
and girls whose hair you used to pull
at temple twenty years ago.
I'm not trying to find anybody.
I don't want all those aunties
talking about me. Judging me.
God, you can like, feel their looks.
What is all that shuffling?
What are you doing?
I'm just checking the fit of the blouse.
So if you get this physical therapy job,
are you gonna move out?
Mom and dad have got to
be driving you crazy by now.
Are you still checking?
Verdict?
I hate my body.
How much have you gained?
Like what? A pound?
Well, you know I don't mean it like that.
It's just...
I've been eating shitty all week,
and I just feel gross.
And I look like a fucking...
[sighs]
I look like a fucking fruit roll-up.
RAJINI [over speakerphone]: So
you're not gonna go tonight?
Oh God, I don't know.
I don't even like those girls.
Pretty sure they don't like me either.
They just invited me
because I'm singing at the wedding.
And I wouldn't even be doing that
if mom would stop pimping me out.
But Sushmita's so nice.
You know, I wouldn't even be coming back if
any of the other ones were getting married.
Are you out to her?
No. I'm sure I could be.
Well, whatever. They're all just
shitty, entitled gossips anyways.
They can all eat a dick.
You're so classy!
Mom said at least one of us needs to go
and I won't be there till tomorrow so...
So I just do everything
mom tells me to do now?
Whose laundry are you picking up right now?
Okay. Shut up, you bitch.
All this cursing. So classy.
I am so classy.
[hip hop plays from car stereo]
Hello.
Just the regular.
[singing]
When you have
another's arms about you
do you ever think of me?
And when you whisper
I can't live without you
do you ever think of me?
And when your eyes disguise
those same old loving lies
you tell so tenderly
Deep in your heart unfeeling
when some heart you're stealing
do you ever think of me?
SUSHMITA: Hey!
Thanks again for coming.
No, of course. Of course!
I'm just... I'm so happy for you.
Again, congratulations.
Thank you. Yeah... It's...
It's like in two days,
and I still can't believe it.
Excited?
I just want it to get
done already, you know?
I mean, this wedding
doesn't really change anything.
Exactly. That's what I always say.
Like...
I mean, if it's working then...
What is there to change?
- Exactly. And...
- Excuse me?
Can I order you ladies a drink?
Thanks. But I think... Yeah.
Yeah, sure. Martini? Maybe... And?
Two martinis, please.
I'm J.T.
Sushmita.
Sushmita?
That's lovely. Is that Hindu?
- Hindi. Yes.
- Okay.
She's about to get married.
Congratulations.
Yeah. Thank you.
And?
Jade.
Jade. That's nice too.
Sounds oriental?
Oriental?
Are you kidding me?
People don't say that anymore.
It's Asian.
Like, Oriental is like a...
Rugs and furniture.
No, that's what I meant.
You sound like a vase.
[Sushmita snickers]
Bartender. Two martinis please.
You're marrying a doctor?
No, I am the doctor.
Wow.
We could not find him anywhere.
He was gone.
We went hopping from casino
to casino, paying cover charges to clubs...
You know damn well
you're not going to find me in the club.
We scoured all of Vegas
and then walked into White Castle.
And this dude is passed out on the table
with 50 cheeseburgers
piled up in front of him. Like...
[group laughs]
That's God's food right there.
Where were you guys going from there?
Burning Man.
- Well, we were...
- Wait.
What's Burning Man?
You don't know what Burning Man is?
If you don't know what it is
I don't know if I can explain it to you.
It's an art festival
where you can camp out.
No, that's not... Really?
It's about survival.
And the work of surviving,
like the psychological work.
Like what happens when you truly
accept that we are animals
and all of the things that we are
forced to carry around with us
because of society, because of the
paradigms that we are forced to exist in.
What happens when we let those go as...
as a collective.
[phone vibrating]
RAJINI: Hey, I'm home.
Hello.
Is no one here?
Where is everyone?
Why are you so loud though?
Dude, it's 1 p.m..
How can you still be asleep?
What's on your computer?
What are you watching?
Hey, are you okay?
[Jade sobs]
What's wrong?
Jade.
Three years.
One year in New York,
before we went to grad
school and two long distance.
And I never met him?
Like, even in passing?
I tell you everything.
You came out to me a year and a half ago.
- You knew though.
- Can you not make this about you right now?
You ended it?
He did.
We got in a really big fight
about the distance, and...
I called him the next
day, and I told him that
I was good, and he told me,
Your instincts were right the first time.
Did you sleep with him?
[Jade scoffs]
Never mind, never mind.
Forget I asked that.
Seriously.
I know we talk about everything.
Jade.
You're my baby sister.
So what are you going to do?
I don't know.
Do you love him?
Yes.
Wrong answer, girl. Wrong answer.
You're supposed to be the one person
in our family that didn't tell me that.
Okay, best case scenario:
You go meet him, you hit it off.
You've both grown and changed.
What then?
I don't know, I thought
this was best case scenario.
Best case scenario?
He moves to New York.
He buys a house, moves you into it.
You get the perfect job.
Mom and dad will still cut you
out of the family like you were cancer.
I thought this was best case scenario.
That is best case scenario.
Jade... Why're you being
such a dick about this?
I'm being a dick?
You're gay.
And you're telling me
that I fell in love with the wrong person?
So you can only love Black artists.
That's your orientation?
He's Muslim too.
- Are you serious?
- No.
He's an atheist.
That's worse.
You don't think I don't think
about being straight sometimes?
How much easier it would be?
You know I've come out to them,
like, four times. They just laugh at me.
So this is about you.
You have options that I don't have.
That's what I'm saying.
Mom and dad have always told us
that they just want us to be happy.
This is what makes me happy.
They expect us to make them happy too.
Look, I get long distance.
You talk on the phone,
you take little weekend getaways
and it never interferes
with your real life.
Jade, you got to know
that's not your real life.
This cannot be just another
little adventure of yours.
That's not what it was?
What?
That's not what it was.
[mouse clicks]
[computer keys typing]
Like old times? What am I?
A fucking talkie from the 40s?
[mouse clicks]
[laptop shuts]
Did you girls try the cholis on?
Yeah, mom, it's all fine.
[speaks Gujurati] Because I don't even
have time to do anything now.
So, Jade, what are you
singing for the wedding?
Still not sure.
Jade!
Not sure? It's tomorrow.
They said I can sing whatever I want.
I'm singing a cappella.
- JADE'S MOM: A cappella?
- Everybody calm down.
I told them I'm singing. I'll sing.
You know, I've known Sushmita's
father since I was six years old.
His father got me a job
when I first came to America as a janitor.
Before I sent for your mother.
Raj, are you listening to this?
This is fascinating.
- Dad has literally never told this story before.
- Fascinating-fascinating kind of thing.
I used to sleep on the basement floor.
The floor of the basement
shared with your uncles.
And I used to tell myself,
Why am I doing this?
I used to do this in India.
But then his father told me,
You are not here, so you
will not sleep on the floor.
You will sleep on the floor
so your children will
not sleep on the floor.
Because they will be Americans.
So I am telling you all
this, my American daughter
so you better pick a damn good song.
Are you sure the cholis fit?
I was looking at the pictures of you
from the last time. It was so long ago.
I bought something else, Mom.
Why would you do that?
- I bought a pantsuit that I like.
- Rajini...
I bought it, I like it,
and I'm going to wear it.
What will people think?
You wearing trousers?
Unmarried. They're going to
think we're [speaks Gujurati].
Well, then let's just rip the Band-Aid off.
- Raji beta...
Listen to your mother. It's embarrassing
for us to see you single still.
Put some effort.
- I'm not going for the men.
- [exclaims in Gujurati]
Wherever you go, you
need to be looking for men.
Excuse me.
I have a black boyfriend.
Yeah?
Well, that's good.
It's good to have all
different kinds of friends.
[speaks Gujurati]
[TV show plays]
KEIR [over phone]: Yo.
It's Keir. Leave a message.
VOICEMAIL [over phone]: At the tone,
please record your voice message.
When you are finished recording.
You may hang up or press
pound for more options.
[phone beeps]
Um... Hey.
So... you're in the air right now
on your way to New York, and...
you're never gonna hear this because
you never listen to your voicemail.
Ever.
But that's actually a
good thing in this case.
Because I can just say
whatever I want to you.
So...
The first thing I want to say is...
I didn't mean that email.
Please, please, please, please, please...
contact me.
Contact me whenever you want.
I would love it right now
if you would call me and...
break up with me again.
I mean, like... fuck you
in advance if you do, but...
I just miss your voice.
But, I don't like the way that
you talk to me sometimes.
If we see each other
again, don't do that shit...
[phone beeps] This mailbox is full
and cannot accept new messages.
To disconnect press... Keir...
Why don't you believe that I loved you?
I honestly thought that you were
just saying it because I said it.
But... I know that you
thought I was beautiful, and...
I always...
God I...
I hope that you still...
My mom...
My mom got me this saree for this wedding
tomorrow, and it's really beautiful.
And it doesn't fit me
the way that I would want it to, but...
But if we were together?
Oh man...
Yeah, I got to, like,
sing this song, at this wedding tomorrow
in, like, ten hours,
and I have no idea what I want to sing.
And actually, that's not true.
I do know what I want to sing. I just...
can't.
I want to sing that,
that old-ass song that you knew
all the words to for some...
stupid reason.
But I'm probably just going
to sing some Hindi bullshit.
I shouldn't say that.
Anyway, I'm gonna sing
this song for you now.
And...
I guess you're just going to have to be
okay with the fact that
you never got to hear it.
[singing]
When you have
another's arms around you
do you ever think of me?
And when you whisper
I can't live without you
do you ever think of me?
And when your eyes disguise
those same old loving lies
you tell so tenderly
Deep in your heart unfeeling
some heart you're stealing
do you ever think of
me?
Jaladhi.
What?
What did we do wrong?
What are you talking about?
Your sister and her
clothes for the wedding.
Dad, just let it go.
Look, I just want for you to be happy.
You and your sister.
So believe me when I tell you
that nothing is going to give you
more happiness than family. Nothing.
So I try to give this gift
to you, and your sister...
Dad... slaps my hand away.
That's not it.
You know, maybe we're
happier than you realize.
You've done a great job already.
Okay, then you talk to her.
Tell her to put those clothes away.
This is not the time.
I just want her to find
someone and be happy...
I'm not going to do that.
But nothing is wrong?
What is wrong, beta?
Did you ever love anyone besides Mom?
Before Mom?
What is this? This is all...
Dad, I'm being serious.
You don't mean love beta.
You mean romance.
Everyone has romance.
It means nothing.
You don't build a life around romance.
When your mother was promised to me,
that was beginning of a great love.
But you love mom, right?
Like romantically? You...
She makes you happy?
I love the life we've built for each other.
She's my [speaks Gujurati].
The common thread that binds us all.
But that was not built on romance.
That was built on a promise.
Not feelings.
I'm really tired, Dad.
I will let you sleep.
Maybe talk to your sister, okay?
Yeah. Did I go too
heavy with the blush?
No. I think this is
as good as it's going to get.
Okay.
Do me, do me.
There's that one song from the movie.
You know the one I'm talking about.
No. I'm just going to wing it,
you know, just be in the moment.
No, but you know the movie, right?
[phone vibrates]
[instrumental hip hop score]
[furniture bangs]
Ow! Fuck!
[electronic a plays]
PHOTOGRAPHER: Other
shoulder! Other shoulder.
All right, all right. That's
something, that's something.
Keir. 50.
Keir, I got something.
Keir.
Keir, God damn it!
- Where the hell are you?
- My bad.
All day, you got one thing to do.
One thing.
Okay, that's good.
That's good.
SUBWAY: Manhattan bound
C train.
The next stop is Shepherd Avenue.
Carter, we doing this or we going home?
Kneel for me.
All right, all right.
That's something, that's something.
Try and chase me with it.
Chase me? You know
what I mean when I say, chase me?
Carter? We doing this
or are we not doing this?
[TV show plays]
[music and muffled talking]
[music plays from phone]
I love that song.
KEIR [over phone]: Come out.
[instrumental hip hop score]
[heavy rain falling]
Well, no. Can I...
Yeah, no. No.
I just don't think we need
the room anymore, that's all.
Okay, well, how much is a refund?
Seriously? That's...
Well, no that...
I'm... Okay. Yeah, no. I...
No, fine. It's fine. It's OK.
We'll... Don't worry about it.
[Jade coughing]
Oh, God.
Okay.
I got...
Okay, give me... Give me the drugs.
Give me all the drugs.
I got Tylenol, I got Delsym.
I've got Sudafed.
I've got crack. I've got... - Crack.
- Yep.
You know I'm allergic.
Well that's more crack for me then.
[Jade coughs]
Oh God.
[water rushes in sink]
I promise I'm going to beat this
and I'm coming to your party.
You don't really have to worry about it.
I mean, to be honest
I'd rather stay here
and take care of your sick ass anyways.
It's your party.
You can't not go to your
own going away party.
They can make it a gone away party.
No! We're going.
Your parents are so nice to do this.
And it's like this last time
that you guys will be together and...
Okay. So... Drugs.
My parents already love you.
You can chill on trying to impress them.
Or make them happy and...
You lucky you cute.
Sick kiss. Sick kiss.
Oh, I'm not giving you a sick kiss.
- Sick kiss.
- No...
'Cause I am not going back out.
You're about to get all that up.
Yep.
Is this what it's going to be like
when you move to California?
This is Northern California, babe.
I told you, I'm moving
to Southern California.
There's a difference.
I know, I'm... What I mean is like, all
all the happy-ass white people.
Their mom just died.
Then a comedian and a drummer
move into their basement,
and everything's fine.
I don't even know why
we're watching this shit, man.
Okay, you know, not
everything has to be an art film.
Yeah, but we have Netflix at our disposal.
Okay, just learn to appreciate
the simple pleasures in life.
Like 90s sitcoms and Christmas movies.
Oh, and mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise is fucking gross.
And you know it.
I'm just trying to help you out
with your dry-ass sandwiches.
Wow! Okay.
What's whiter? Mayonnaise?
People who love mayonnaise?
Or this fucking show?
You know, maybe the point of TV
is just to make people feel good
- See? And that's the problem right there.
- After a long day of...
That's the problem.
Maybe, I'm sick!
And I just wanna turn my brain off
and passively accepting some Stamos
can be a conduit for my needs.
And maybe...
Not everything has to be an exercise
in challenging my fucking worldview.
Okay, well maybe this is so effective
at doing it that it puts your mind at rest
and makes you passive,
makes your whole body passive.
Maybe you can't fight infection.
Maybe that's the reason you're sick.
You know what's not a conduit for my needs?
- What?
- Your ass.
Art! Real arts?
Oh, that requires labor.
That requires an active audience.
The fuck does real mean?
Legitimate.
Okay. You're struggling
to come up with something less objective.
You can't come up with a counter argument.
So there we go.
What I want to watch is just as important
as what you want to watch.
Absolutely, absolutely.
You're right, you're right, you're right.
Just not as good.
Okay? You know what?
I'm done with you.
Hold on.
What? Oh.
[Jade blows her nose]
I wanna memorize you.
Lips.
Eyes.
Cheeks.
Shoulders.
So I can still feel you when you're gone.
And when...
What?
No, babe. What's wrong?
It's nothing.
I was just touching you.
I'm sleeping.
[person humming]
Hey.
[drumming on countertop]
Keep going.
- Hey.
- Morning.
Morning.
Well, you like you're feeling better.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm feeling much much better.
Yeah.
Like how much better?
Pretty-Pretty good. Yeah.
Party pretty good?
Yeah.
Like we should go to
the party, pretty good?
Yeah.
- Yeah? Like...
- Keir.
- We were never not going to the party.
- I didn't know. You were sick last night.
- So?
- It's your going away party.
We're going.
Okay.
You want some donuts?
Some donuts?
Yeah, I actually picked them up
on my way back from the run,
which I probably shouldn't
do because I'm trying...
[Jade exclaims]
[both laughing]
- They're so...
- Get them off.
I might stink.
I don't care.
I want you closer.
[both moaning]
[Jade beat boxes]
Riding down the street,
got Jade on the beat.
My hand is on her legs
and also on her feet.
Brown skin little bitty honey bee,
going straight to the family
We about to eat a ton of food
like chicken and grits.
Well, we ain't in the South, yeah.
Keep your mouth going like that.
Trying to hear how you do it.
Double back.
Bring the beat back and don't let it
drop. You ain't no rat. That's right.
You're my girl. You in my world.
Trying to make sure we don't unfurl.
I wonder what you look like with curls.
[Keir laughs]
Like that?
[unintelligible conversation]
Come, come.
I have something to show you.
I know you didn't show up
to our Christmas party this year.
So I didn't get a chance to show you.
- I am so sorry.
- Oh, no, no. It's okay.
I'm glad you're here.
But! Wait...
Have you ever seen one of these?
I bought it for the
kids, but I kept it for me.
Look.
[Christmas hip hop plays]
[Keir's Mother laughs]
I mean, I can't...
I wanted to share it with the whole family.
[Christmas hip hop continues]
It's adorable isn't it?
It is.
It's really adorable.
[unintelligible conversation]
Oh, there you go.
There you go.
We're going to miss you.
Now we know you're going to be back
for every major holiday.
Arbor Day, Rosh Hashanah,
and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
But in all seriousness, in all seriousness.
We are very proud of you.
And we hope that you come back to us
but we know that life
is long and it's winding.
But if you live it well,
it will take you on paths
that you never expected.
So here's to Christmas break.
Here, here.
And Jade.
Oh, no.
Jade, please make sure that he visits you.
Because we know that she's
going to see you more than we do.
To Jade.
To Jade!
Thank you.
BLACK GUY: One thing about long
distance? It's long distance.
That's the only thing!
[group shouting]
So you guys are still fucking?
- Wow.
- Oh my God.
- WHITE GIRL: What?
- KEIR: I mean, do we have to go here.
- I'm just asking! What are you going to do?
- We're fine, we're fine.
- That's a great question.
- We don't have that problem.
WHITE GIRL: I mean,
it's a six month program, right?
- It's like, what are you doing?
- It's actually three years.
- Wow.
- Just three.
Three times 365 is what?
What're you looking at me for, man?
BLACK GUY: You look like
somebody's substitute teacher.
We just don't want to break up.
We don't want to end things.
So...
BLACK GUY: So what are y'all doing
to keep each other interested?
- We talk every day.
- Every day. And we're here.
I talk to my mom every day, and I don't...
WHITE GIRL: Yeah,
he's not fucking his mom.
I don't want to.
Well, you know, everyone has
a webcam these days. So...
- We've done it before.
- It was okay. It was nice.
It was definitely not the real thing.
It doesn't beat the real thing. At all.
- ALAN: Cybersex.
- It's nice though. It's cool.
- WHITE GIRL: Oh, it's nice?
- No, no. It's nice, it's nice. She makes it nice.
- She makes it nice?
- She makes it nice?
- Yeah. She makes it...
- Oh my God!
- Don't say that I make it nice.
- What?
That sounds foul as shit.
What're you talking
about? It's a compliment.
- ALAN: Yeah, I know. Very complimentary.
- It is a totally a compliment.
- Nice is nice.
- Literally nice.
Oh my God. Please.
Please stop.
We're not going to talk
about this anymore, okay?
She makes it nice!
[all laughing]
- You keep saying, Makes it nice.
- That's what... I'm going to just stop there.
Is there any naughty in there?
That's all I'm trying to figure out.
Shit. You got naughty right here.
- Fuckmouth over here.
- Yeah. You want to know what this is?
- KEIR: No. No!
- [all laughing]
KEIR: Keep it on. No! No!
[all laughing]
Listen here. Thing about me is
I'm a hobo-sexual.
- KEIR: A Hobo...
- ALAN: What?
A hobo-sexual is
when you make love to your woman, right?
Give her the best sex of her life
because you need a place to stay.
[all laughing]
[phone vibrates]
KEIR: What do you want from us?
We told you the webcam.
- Mom.
- WHITE GIRL: I'm just saying, like...
- I'm at home, Mom. It's nobody.
- I haven't fucked anything in...
I always... I can't get guys to sleep over.
Sorry, I'm just thinking, like...
God, like I want... Let's
say I wanted to try to like...
Sorry. Well, whatever.
- Sorry, man.
- Oh, no. It's just... It's fine.
It's not the first time somebody's
been embarrassed I'm Black.
Hell, sometimes I'm embarrassed I'm
Black. It's not a big deal.
WHITE GIRL: Can I
ask you something?
How does she make it nice?
Because I would like to do that.
It really is hard for me.
I would like your guys' support.
- Please.
- ALAN: We're here for you.
[dishes clattering in sink]
You sure you don't need any help?
Jade, if you ask one more time,
I'm going to feed you another plate.
Hey, man.
We're headed out.
I'll see you out there.
[Keir and White Girl
making cartoonish noises]
- Homie.
- Okay.
- I miss you already.
- I'll be back.
KEIR'S MOTHER: Yes. You're welcome.
Have a good night, okay?
- Oh, thank you so much for having us.
- Be safe.
Hey, wait.
Always, always.
Shut up.
Hey.
Guess what?
You remember that thing
we always used to talk about doing.
I did it.
What?
The room.
The hotel uptown.
For tonight.
It's going to be just
the two of us together.
You don't want to be here with your family?
No.
Plus, I booked it already.
Come on. You love surprises.
[Jade sighs]
I'm still pretty sick.
We don't have to do it.
It's not a big deal. So...
What do you want to do?
KEIR: Want to get dressed up?
Get some dinner?
JADE: I am so full.
KEIR: So dessert.
Can we get dressed up?
[r&b plays from phone]
JADE: Okay. I need another name
because I'm not me right now.
This is a character.
I'm like a jazz singer from the 40s.
Why?
Give me a name.
But I like Jade.
Name.
All right.
Fluffy Winter bottom.
The fuck?
Yep. That's the one.
Why?
Because your hair looks
fluffy and that ass is cold.
Okay. You're an idiot.
You're a fucking idiot.
- All right. Okay, okay. I'm sorry.
- All right, just shut up. Shut up.
And sit back.
Holy shit.
Mrs. Winter bottom will see you now.
You're married?
- Did I say, missus?
- Yeah.
Oh, that's uncomfortable.
Because a married woman
couldn't do what I'm about to do to you.
Well, Mrs. Fluffy Winter bottom... Wow.
Look at you. When did you get this dress?
- You just pulling out all types of...
- You like it? You like this dress?
I love it.
Oh, I could not have imagined this.
- Is this sexy?
- How did you get...
Is this even sexy?
I don't know what I'm doing.
This is very sexy.
[camera shutter clicks]
Whoa, whoa.
What is that?
I'm just taking a picture.
That's all.
Okay.
See that leg dance?
Ooh!
- Show a little leg?
- Ankles are scandalous.
Ooh, Mrs. Winter bottom...
Yes.
[camera shutter clicks]
Whoa! What the fuck?
What, are you working now?
What am... Working? No. I just...
I don't know when I'm gonna see...
I just want to remember this.
That's all.
You don't have to take
pictures like we're never...
- I'm with you right here, right now.
- Okay.
Okay.
It's gone. It's gone. Okay?
Can we just... Fucking...
Jade!
[knocking on door]
Jade, come on.
[door opening]
Jade?
Jade?
Yo, what in the fuck is wrong with you?
I'm trying to do something special
and you're acting like you want to hang with
my parents more than you want to hang with me.
Yeah, I get it. Tomorrow, I leave.
Yes, I know. You keep fucking
reminding me of that. But what?
I have to hang out with Fluffy
fucking Winter bottom?
You just want to fuck.
You bring me to this fucking hotel
- like I'm a fucking escort!
- You're not a... Oh my gosh...
And then you have me dress
all sexy so you can fuck me
and you can fucking forget about me!
- Forget about you?
- Yeah!
I'm literally trying to
make memories with you!
You've always wanted to
go to a fancy hotel and have...
Dress up in fancy clothes
and have sex on a...
My God! I want to have sex
in the fucking hotel room!
Me! Not just some fucking whore
that I'm supposed to pretend to be.
Jesus! You know what?
I don't even fucking...
- I don't fucking care or give a shit. Here!
- What? What the fuck are you doing?
Yeah. Go.
Get a fucking escort. Get a hooker.
Call up one of those fucking girls
that you take pictures of.
- Don't tell me what to do.
- Yeah, go! Call!
- Make the fucking call!
- What the fuck is your problem?
Why are we even doing this?
What?
This isn't fucking worth it.
Fuck this.
Fuck.
[TV show plays]
[phone vibrates]
[rustling in bed]
Keir.
Keir.
Keir, just get in the bed.
I'll sleep over there.
Keir?
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it.
[belt buckle clinks]
Shit.
Oh, shit.
It's okay. Relax.
Jade, don't... You
don't have to... It's okay.
Hey.
[Jade whimpering]
Hey, hey. What's wrong? Babe...
Jade.
You don't...
Jade stop.
[Jade weeping]
Hey. No, no, no.
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
[Keir grunts]
[Keir breathing heavily]
[Jade inhales sharply]
[door closes]
[pants zip]
[sobbing from bathroom]
[Jade sobs]
[trains running]
I think I'm just going to go home.
Tell your parents I'm
sorry I couldn't make it.
Okay.
Can I walk you home?
I'll just get off at my stop.
Yeah.
I love you.
I love you so much, Keir.
[Home by Jaime Woods plays]
Jade's not coming?
She's not feeling well.
[Keir whimpers]
Drop that fucking act.
No, you don't... You don't get to do that.
You don't get to play like
you're doing me a favor.
You're not... You're being the bad guy.
You're ending me.
JADE [over phone]: I don't know
how to make you happy.
How am I supposed to make you...
- I just... I...
- Oh, so what? You leave me?
I'm not leaving you.
You're not listening to me.
I'm saying we need time.
We need space.
6000 miles.
6000 fucking miles.
- Is that enough space for you...
- It's 3000.
- What?
- 3000. Coast to coast. It's...
- We live 3000 miles apart.
- Fuck you.
Fuck you.
Fuck me? Fuck me?
I wasn't the one at the
fucking strip club last night.
I asked you, you said it was okay.
JADE [over phone]: What girl is okay
with some other woman
rubbing her fake tits up
against her boyfriend?
Oh so, I'm not supposed to
believe you now? Is that it?
What the fuck, dude?
What about all the other times?
What about that?
No. And I said I was sorry.
Oh my God.
Yeah, you fucking did it.
So don't act like you're
all fucking committed.
Like... Like you're the
only one who fucking cares.
You don't care.
What the hell did you just say?
You heard what I fucking said.
You don't fucking care.
You... We barely see each other.
You don't fucking care
that you're doing this long distance.
And you're 3000 miles away.
You don't fucking care about any of it.
- I just...
- You just... You...
You just like the fact that
you're not really alone.
That's it.
No, Keir.
This, right here, is the
first time I've been alone.
Now I'm alone.
That's not what I meant.
I'm sorry.
Jade?
Jade, that's... Hello?
DASH [over phone]: I'll
come down tonight then.
BELL: No. It's tomorrow.
- I don't care.
- I already told you that.
You're acting like I
don't know it's a big deal.
I know you're graduating.
I know...
It's not about me graduating.
It's about you showing
up in a larger sense.
You said you didn't care about it, but...
No. Just be fucking present,
Dash.
I didn't want that.
I did not want that. You wanted it.
stop being a bitch...
Well, if you're going to be my boyfriend,
then act like you're my boyfriend.
What do you think I'm doing?
That is the whole
reason we are not together right now.
That's why I'm coming down.
No. No, I don't want to see you.
I don't want to see you.
Do not come tonight.
won't fucking listen to me.
Hello?
Bitch.
He fucking hung up on me.
Well, I did it.
It'll be okay.
He called me a bitch
six times in a 25 minute conversation.
How many of those do
you deserve, you think?
Not funny.
- I'm sorry.
- Not yet.
Thank you for being here.
I appreciate it.
Hey, hey, hey... That's...
Okay.
I'm saying... - You just...
- Whatever.
Okay.
I just wanted to...
Not feel hated.
For a minute, you know?
He said he was going to marry me.
Oh... Oh, yeah... Fuck me harder.
VOICEMAIL [over phone]: Friday,
5:58 p.m..
[Voicemail beep]
[excited screams and laughs, over phone]
It's Mom.
I saw your email.
You got the job!
[Excited screams and laughter]
I'm screaming.
Okay. You start now or in the Fall?
I hope you have time to come home
for a little bit first.
Oh, honey.
California dreaming.
You did it.
You made it come true.
I'm so happy for you.
It's exactly what you went out there for.
I'm so excited, and I'm so proud of you.
We know you're not walking but,
your father and I will be thinking of you
tomorrow for graduation.
Love you. Call me back.
Soon.
[mouse clicks]
[computer keys typing]
[computer key clicks]
Fuck.
[instrumental hip-hop score]
[Phone dial tone]
KEIR [over phone]: Yo.
ALAN [over phone]: Hey man.
Ready for tomorrow?
I guess.
Like, what's left to do?
You could get your life together.
You staying here?
You going back home?
I just want to get through
tomorrow and then I'll figure shit out.
Hey, where are you right now?
How have we been living here? For years?
We weren't made for this.
Like this... This should all be pizza.
This is where you go
when you do what we do.
This is where the young go to die early.
There were art schools back East.
I've already shot every
struggle rapper in every
dusty-ass corner of Greenpoint.
Plus...
We always said
we were going to move to L.A..
Yeah, man.
But we're not in L.A..
We are in Orange County.
Remember when you
said you were going to work
for the Playboy Mansion.
[both laughing]
I said I was going to
be a Crip or a Blood, or...
Did you decide yet?
I'm still on the fence about it.
Keep your options open. Smart.
You feel me? You see it.
You can always go back.
Snap some more dusty corners.
Yo, why are you smiling at me?
Don't smile at me.
Wait, get the fuck out.
- Did you get it?
- I'm not... Oh yeah!
Hey!
Oh! Sorry.
We just... It, umm... Number 37.
Sorry about that.
This looks awful.
Thank you.
Bell broke up with her boyfriend today.
She made me hold her hand while she did it.
You are too good of a friend.
Yeah, yeah.
I was kind of surprised
you guys never like... Why?
Because we're the only
two black people in school.
Yes, basically.
Well, no... And 'cause like... Me and her.
Me and her were you two sounding
boards when you and Jade split.
Whatever.
She's like the homie, though.
So, Jade was...
Jade was different.
Yeah, she called me the other day.
What for?
It was my birthday.
Really? Damn man.
My bad.
Anyway, she's like, helping
me find a place in Boston.
I think that's where I'm headed.
- How's she doing?
- She's fine.
She's in Jersey, so...
So why haven't you taken the offer yet?
It's weird, man.
You know, I...
First offer out of school.
Like, I just want to make
sure that I'm not settling.
I don't know.
You ever feel like sometimes
we're not supposed to be here.
Why do you think I'm moving back?
I don't know, you fit.
Oh, fuck you man.
Lyle's having some people over.
Little pre-graduation party?
Fuck it.
Fuck it.
Nothing but net though.
Sometimes I worry about you.
[Bass-heavy hip hop music]
Where's the party?
- You're the party, faggot.
- Jesus Christ...
- Iris!
- Faggot!
What's up losers?
What's up Lyle?
What have we got here?
This... This is two minutes
on how you see the world.
Or... How I saw the world.
- Okay.
- Wait for it... Wait for it...
[retching on screen]
IRIS: Yeah...
KEIR: So why the hat?
Like... I get the puke.
- But why the hat?
- This is very you.
IRIS: Thank you.
LYLE: Because she shot it
20 minutes before class.
And I made the fucking mistake
of leaving my hat in your car.
No! No, the hat spoke to me, okay?
Respect my process.
- Her process!
- Alright, whatever.
This is the last time we're
going to matter anyway.
KEIR: Why're you
being so morbid?
IRIS: I'm not! I'm just saying,
like, right now, right here...
This is the last time
we'll actually have a fucking audience.
ALAN: What? And you need
an audience to matter?
IRIS: Well, yeah.
Who else are you going to matter to?
LYLE: Family, friends, and...
- Significant others.
- KEIR: They don't give a shit.
Oh wait. Audience, audience and audience.
- And they can't be objective about your work.
- She's got a point.
And it's all performance
anyway at the end of the day.
All the world's a stage, and...
- Lyle, show them your thing.
- It's not a bad idea.
- I wanna show them the...
- An audience gives you purpose.
ALAN: Shut up, Keir.
You wouldn't be saying that right now
if you didn't get that job.
- What does that have to do with anything?
- You got a fucking job!
What the fuck?
Jesus.
I overreacted, like, I'm really sorry.
And, I'm actually happy for you.
I'm telling you guys...
After this, we're all just going to be
peons, fucking farmhands pretending.
You're going to be a fucking peon.
IRIS: No, we're all gonna... Lyle...
Can you fucking show the video?
I'm trying to prove a point to them.
There we go. Yep.
IRIS: Okay. Yeah.
You see that balloon?
After tomorrow, we're
going to be that balloon.
You see that dance?
That's art school.
Because, watch.
Total fleeting acceptance.
ALAN: This is
fucking depressing.
It's kinda nice though.
To chicks puking in
hats and faggy balloons.
Our best work.
ALAN: Can we please
not say that word?
Fuck you.
I'm allowed to say it.
Okay, like... Do you
think about what you say?
Like the meaning of any of it?
Do you ever think about
how much your very existence...
bores the shit out of me?
BELL [over phone]: Hello?
I'm drunk. And I'm calling you.
You're my first victim.
Only victim.
If you act right.
Where are you?
Lyle and Iris's.
I'm at Sean's.
A bunch of us over here right now.
You should tell your
people to come over here.
I don't know.
We got a good thing going on over here.
We're umm...
watching old shit.
Oh.
Well, I was just calling because...
I think you're cute.
Really cute.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think you're cute too.
You don't have to say it, you know?
I am just giving you my opinion.
That's all.
The next time I see you,
I'm-I'm gonna blow you.
- I'm gonna ruin your life with my-my wet...
- Ja... I mean, Bell.
Oh, wow.
- That's...
- Okay.
- I'm sorry. That just...
- No, it's cool.
- That came out wrong. That's...
- No, it's fine. All good.
Okay.
So, I guess you're not coming to the party.
I'll...
- I'll talk to you late...
- Good night.
IRIS: Okay! Best work. Now.
Best work you've done since you got here.
I have nothing of interest nor personal
enough to share with any of you.
Nigga, no one asked you what you are...
Can not say that.
- At all.
- Well I just did, you swollen asshole.
And nobody asked you what
was personal to you, okay?
What do you need? A fucking drum roll.
What do you need? Oh!
[drum roll on table]
Got a fucking drum roll.
Alright, alright, alright.
Okay.
You're going to show
us or... Just-just quiet.
Just...
[rapping] The laws of matter
matter more when you've lost in battle.
The inertia's going to herd you
like you're all some cattle.
Soul tortured,
torso shattered, uncage
all the madness.
You can hear his ribs rattle.
Savage.
Bad habits.
I've been lost
and I've been found.
I've been tossed in the sky
and I've been in the ground.
Yeah, I've been around.
The physics is within me now.
How many atoms is I?
That's exactly why they pin me down.
Because when I blow, it's Nagasaki.
Hiroshima. I'm not a lonely bleeder.
This home is only theater.
A breathing artifice
and I long to be a part of it.
This life is bought and sold,
and every moment is anonymous.
No, I'm not an optimist.
But this is my apocalypse,
a dark eclipse across the tinted sky.
My mind and heart could glimpse...
A rise, a spark, convinced
that I could start a revolution.
Blinded by my own pollution.
This is not absolution.
But the truth is I'm clueless,
and this metaphor is Confucian,
But I use it like a juggernaut
racing towards Ragnarok...
With a mag, two glocks
and a box of clips,
with the face of a patent pessimist.
Pissing excellence.
The scent of heaven
drenched the precipice.
Life's a jump off. Never come soft.
You either rainstorm or you runoff.
Either change form
or you've done lost,
And we shine on like Amun-Ra.
We grind dog. We out here.
Yeah, we out here.
We about life. You about fear.
We're not a generation of dreamers.
We were born as believers.
Sworn to be phoenix.
Sing my song.
Reincarnate in the remix.
Flow life like we all is anemic.
The sickle cell is sick.
Ain't no prescription for my diction.
Hell...
Ain't even mentioned.
But Hell was paved
with the best intentions...
So listen well.
I'm too big to fail.
Hide behind the crimson veil
to pop out of the grip,
and leave you holy
like religious grails.
That's it.
What's so funny?
It's a poem.
- It's not a poem...
- It's fucking spoken word.
I mean, tomorrow, you're getting
a master's in photography
and you just gave us a fucking poem.
Holy shit.
You're even more fucked than Lyle.
It's more of a rap. It's
not... It's not spoken word.
- It's more of a rap.
- Oh, right.
You guys are the wrong
audience, that's all.
- What? You're the wrong fucking audience.
- That's why you didn't get it.
Take the job, dude.
Look, y'all want to get out of here.
What up?
I thought you were coming.
What's up guys?
Big day tomorrow.
Come on in! Come on, come on,
it's too cold out there.
What happened?
Figured I'd stop being anti-social.
Well you picked the wrong time.
DASH: Oh, is that Keir?
Hey, how's it going, man?
You remember Keir, Dash?
I do, I do.
Photo guy from New York.
How've you been?
Good. Thanks.
How are you, uh... You-you guys doing?
We have never been better.
I mean, I just got here, but, uh...
Yeah. We've never been better.
I'm going to go get something to drink.
Sounds good.
So... [nervously laughing]
I'm gonna use the bathroom.
Okay. Sounds good, but actually, when
you're back, I would love to chat with you.
When you get a sec. Just one on one.
Is that cool?
Yeah.
Awesome. Cool.
[water rushing in sink]
[unintelligible conversations]
Hey.
Want one?
- I don't smoke.
- Really?
In art school.
That's a lonely life, sir.
So, listen.
Bell, she almost broke up with me today.
Actually, she did break up with me.
But then, I was already
on my way down here.
She called and took it all back.
But has she seemed weird to you recently?
Everyone's been weird,
we're graduating tomorrow.
I wasn't even gonna come for graduation.
Of course, here I am.
She won that one.
I don't know, I know I
haven't been around a lot.
These agencies have me freelancing
all over the fucking place.
Aren't you doing long distance too though?
What?
The Indian girl, back in
New York or wherever.
Bell was telling me you
guys are powering through.
Yeah. Jade.
I didn't realize she had...
Damn man, you remember
a lot about me, don't you?
Well, you know, Bell likes you, so
figured I should like you too.
Hey, but that's... No, no, no.
I know she doesn't go for
black guys or anything. No offense.
I just know that she
cares a lot about you. So...
Come on. What's your secret?
Don't hold out on me.
I wish I knew.
I think after a while, you
stop missing the person.
You start missing home
because that person is home to you.
No one can replace home
so there's no temptation.
But I do miss the fucking city though, man.
Like a real fucking city.
Feel like I haven't done
good work ever since I moved out here.
What?
The California coastline doesn't
photograph well enough for you?
There's nothing to look up to, man.
Well, Bell showed me some of your stuff.
If you ever want to get some freelance
snaps in, you give me a call, okay?
Or if you just want to get back home.
We could always use
some fresh eyes. Okay?
This is for all you lovebirds out there.
SEAN: Fuck you and your job, Keir.
[patrygoers jeering]
IRIS: Ugh. She went back to him.
Could you believe this fucking shit?
She went back to that fucking asshole.
It's what the heart wants.
She can't help it.
I just thought she was better than...
No. I thought she was more than that.
I mean, you weren't
fucking right for her either,
but at least you weren't that fucking guy.
What? So you knew?
Yeah, I fucking knew.
You were an asshole to her too.
Oh, yeah.
Playing that little middle ground.
Where you're not...
You're not the boyfriend,
but you're not the bad guy either.
So guess what? You don't
have to be anything to anyone.
I'm really, really going to miss you.
But, I mean, I'll give it to you.
You have the decency
to have like fucking dread.
To wonder if you're even fucking alive.
This guy's a fucking clone.
- Pinot Grigio drinking, suit wearing, mother...
- Maybe, maybe, maybe...
he's not so bad.
You're fucking bought and sold.
That's how it fucking happens.
I'm not making this up.
They were shitty together.
Maybe we're all shitty.
Okay? You know, and
we just... You keep fighting.
And if they want to keep fighting
maybe it means something.
I mean, he showed up.
When's the last time you
showed up for someone Iris?
When was the last time
you fucking showed up?
You're not even walking with us tomorrow.
You can't even be bothered to say goodbye.
I show.
I show.
- BELL: Is it my turn?
- GROUP: Yes!
Oh, no. I didn't want that one.
You draw, you place.
Okay. What are the rules for this?
Never have I ever.
Good. Never have I ever...
You can do it.
Gotten caught having sex in public.
[group exclaims]
DASH: Wait, wait, wait.
I'm confused, because that's not true.
You have to drink.
No. What are you talking about?
That's not true. San Diego.
Gallery opening.
Oh, fuck!
[group exclaims]
Fucking gross.
ALAN: You guys are sick.
Who caught you?
IRIS: Oh, my parents.
I mean, it's the best way
to come out. You know?
[unintelligible conversation]
BELL: I wasn't even trying to.
But you just made me do it.
Oh my God!
[group exclaims]
IRIS: You're not good at this game.
That's nasty. I'm done.
What?
I'm so done. - DASH: Come on?
- No, you can't be done.
- ALAN: Boo!
- IRIS: Don't boo her!
I think I just need to get some air.
- IRIS: You do. Go get some air.
- Do you want me to come with you?
No, you stay. And you play. For sure.
Okay.
Never have I ever.
[group mimicking]
Shut the fuck up!
Never have I ever done
a long distance relationship.
And that's you, bitch.
You why don't you drink?
And that's also you. And...
- SEAN: Yeah.
- ALAN: And you too?
And then for sure not you.
[group exclaims]
She got secrets.
When did you do a long
distance relationship?
Long distance is just promising a good friend
you won't fuck anyone else until you see them.
So, yeah, I didn't fuck
someone for a couple months.
Long distance can work.
Maybe you just didn't
have the right person.
Is he giving me relationship
advice right now?
Oh, and Bell's your Mrs. Right?
Oh, that's so fucking sweet.
I'm not talking about me.
I'm talking about this guy
right here, man. He's crushing it.
Wha... Keir and Jade?
Yeah.
Keir's crushi... Doing what?
Long distance.
He's been with the same
girl for, like, three years.
This dude said, fuck that.
This motherfucker's
been single for, like, a year.
He's been out here crushing shit.
Wait, are you serious?
Is he serious?
- IRIS: Dude, shut the fuck up.
- ALAN: He was just like, bye bitch.
I got dreams.
But she's a really cool girl though.
And, I mean, we're all still tight.
I don't understand, though.
Like... So you're not together?
No, it's-it's long distance, it's
complicated, you know? There's a...
- So who've you been texting all night?
- Okay, you know what?
Long distance is fucking complicated,
you're right.
It's just fucking easy for you
because you have money, you fuck face.
Oh. Oh, 'cause you know anything?
Okay. He's probably texting her
now, right?
You don't know anything.
- Did I say something dude?
- IRIS: Oh. Have you had a bad day?
Yeah. You don't even know
the kind of day I've had. Okay.
[unintelligible conversation]
[computer keyboard typing]
[computer keyboard typing]
[computer mouse clicks]
[ocean waves breaking]
[camera shutter clicks]
JADE [over phone]: What do you mean
you can't tell me? I'm your girlfriend.
That means you promise to tell me
everything. That's the rule.
KEIR [over phone]: All right, well,
I'll tell you... I'll tell you one thing.
Alan spent $400.
Bullshit. On what?
I... Can't tell you.
Oh, come on.
Well, how much did you spend?
Let's see. Between entrance
and a Sprite, about...
$900.
Are you sure your
Sprite wasn't called, like...
Paradise or Chrysanthemum?
Chrysanthemum?
Chrysanthemum?
Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know
what strippers are called?
I guess one could be putting herself
through botany school.
What would my stripper name be? Nirvana.
No, no, no, people just know the band.
They wouldn't associate
that with an Indian thing.
What about Fluffy Winter bottom?
You really love your Fluffy
Winter bottom, don't you?
Oh, hey, let me... Let me call you.
I got to run down the hall
to John's room, all right?
Okay. Yeah.
All right, all right.
Hey.
KEIR [over phone]: I'm back.
I'm back.
Okay. So hey,
I have a question for you.
So when you would go to these strip clubs,
- would you...
- Oh my Gosh.
What? Okay, listen...
When you would go to these strip clubs,
would you get lap dances?
You say this like I was a regular.
I told you, I've only been to a strip club
like, four times in my life.
Oh, yeah man. Here you go.
Yeah. No problem.
It's just my girl.
She just got up, so.
All right, man. Good night.
Okay, but would you?
Would I what?
Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I would.
It just seems like such an intimate thing.
It's not really.
Or at least it isn't to me.
So, I don't know how
other people feel about it.
Well, I guess we just
see things differently.
Did you get a lap dance tonight?
I mean, it's okay if you did.
It's not like I told you not to.
No, no, no, I didn't.
I didn't get one tonight.
I just...
What? What's wrong?
I... I went to a club a while ago
and I did get one then.
Okay.
I mean, it's... I'm really sorry.
It wasn't a big deal to me.
And I knew you wouldn't like it,
so I just didn't tell you about it.
Why? Was it, like, someone's
birthday or something? Or...
No, it wasn't someone's birthday.
I went by myself and I was just lonely.
I guess.
I mean, we talk on the phone every day.
Yeah, I know. But, like, what?
You don't get lonely?
Not that kind of lonely.
Why didn't you tell me?
I mean, when was I
supposed to tell you about that?
- I... When we...
- Whenever we're on the phone
it's always about your internship
and how it's kicking your ass,
or your anatomy professor
has it out for you, or...
Your crazy family and how you
lie to them or have to... Whatever.
You know, I just feel like my
evenings are spent propping you up
so you don't spill over.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it like that,
but I'm just... You asked. So...
I can't believe you just fucking said that.
You're no joy to talk to either.
But...
I didn't know you were so unhappy.
I'm not so unhappy.
I'm just regular-ass baseline unhappy.
I mean, Jade, we're long distance.
It's supposed to suck, right?
I don't think it sucks.
It doesn't suck. You're right.
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just...
I'm waiting for us to graduate.
Okay? So we can be real again.
Like we were in New York.
What?
What? So these last two years that
we've been apart just haven't been real?
Jade!
No! No, no, no, no.
They haven't been real, Jade.
We don't wake up together.
We don't go to sleep together.
We don't have to sit across
from each other during a meal
and look at each other while
we're upset and fighting. No.
This is not real.
I... I still feel like it's pretty real.
What?
Are you listening to yourself?
You think that this...
You want to keep doing this?
Only seeing each other every three months.
Every four months.
You want to keep doing this?
- Jade!
- I...
I think we just need some
time apart. Just some space.
Some time to recalibrate
because... Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Keir, I had no idea this was going on.
And I just need to process this.
You don't... What?
Because I went to a strip club?
You need to process what?
Listen, I was only there
for, like, half an hour.
It was just...
It was a low moment in my life. That's it.
I'm just so sorry that
I put you through this.
- And that I pushed you, and...
- You didn't push me through anything.
You didn't...
Look. I just wanted someone in front of me.
To just look at.
And who would look at me.
Yes, it was a bad decision, and I...
[unintelligible talking from phone]
[sniffles]
I just think we need
to be alone for a while.
No!
INTERVIEWER: I see here you've lived in
three cities in the past four years.
Boston, New York, and
here in New Brunswick.
Oh, and before that, Washington, D.C..
Bit of a restless spirit?
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
I mean, two of those cities
were actually for school.
But I do like to travel, yes.
If that's what you were...
But are you the type of person
that just gets up and goes?
Because, you know, we're a small clinic.
Kind of hang our hat on providing
stability to our patients.
Whereas some people
don't like to be tied down.
No, no, of course.
I'm here. I will be here.
Never went too far, it looks like.
Oh, yeah. I mean...
I wanted to stay close to my family.
Okay.
We do have room for some full-timers,
and it sounds like you'll be a great fit.
But I'd like to bring you back in.
You can show us a regimen you've designed.
[hip hop plays from car stereo]
[hip hop continues as score]
Thank you aunty-ji!
RAJINI [over speakerphone]: Which one
did she put in for me?
Does it matter?
You hate all of them anyways.
Black and gold.
- Ugh, I really hate that one.
- Whatever.
No one you care about
is going to see it anyways.
It's just going to be all
old uncles and aunties
and girls whose hair you used to pull
at temple twenty years ago.
I'm not trying to find anybody.
I don't want all those aunties
talking about me. Judging me.
God, you can like, feel their looks.
What is all that shuffling?
What are you doing?
I'm just checking the fit of the blouse.
So if you get this physical therapy job,
are you gonna move out?
Mom and dad have got to
be driving you crazy by now.
Are you still checking?
Verdict?
I hate my body.
How much have you gained?
Like what? A pound?
Well, you know I don't mean it like that.
It's just...
I've been eating shitty all week,
and I just feel gross.
And I look like a fucking...
[sighs]
I look like a fucking fruit roll-up.
RAJINI [over speakerphone]: So
you're not gonna go tonight?
Oh God, I don't know.
I don't even like those girls.
Pretty sure they don't like me either.
They just invited me
because I'm singing at the wedding.
And I wouldn't even be doing that
if mom would stop pimping me out.
But Sushmita's so nice.
You know, I wouldn't even be coming back if
any of the other ones were getting married.
Are you out to her?
No. I'm sure I could be.
Well, whatever. They're all just
shitty, entitled gossips anyways.
They can all eat a dick.
You're so classy!
Mom said at least one of us needs to go
and I won't be there till tomorrow so...
So I just do everything
mom tells me to do now?
Whose laundry are you picking up right now?
Okay. Shut up, you bitch.
All this cursing. So classy.
I am so classy.
[hip hop plays from car stereo]
Hello.
Just the regular.
[singing]
When you have
another's arms about you
do you ever think of me?
And when you whisper
I can't live without you
do you ever think of me?
And when your eyes disguise
those same old loving lies
you tell so tenderly
Deep in your heart unfeeling
when some heart you're stealing
do you ever think of me?
SUSHMITA: Hey!
Thanks again for coming.
No, of course. Of course!
I'm just... I'm so happy for you.
Again, congratulations.
Thank you. Yeah... It's...
It's like in two days,
and I still can't believe it.
Excited?
I just want it to get
done already, you know?
I mean, this wedding
doesn't really change anything.
Exactly. That's what I always say.
Like...
I mean, if it's working then...
What is there to change?
- Exactly. And...
- Excuse me?
Can I order you ladies a drink?
Thanks. But I think... Yeah.
Yeah, sure. Martini? Maybe... And?
Two martinis, please.
I'm J.T.
Sushmita.
Sushmita?
That's lovely. Is that Hindu?
- Hindi. Yes.
- Okay.
She's about to get married.
Congratulations.
Yeah. Thank you.
And?
Jade.
Jade. That's nice too.
Sounds oriental?
Oriental?
Are you kidding me?
People don't say that anymore.
It's Asian.
Like, Oriental is like a...
Rugs and furniture.
No, that's what I meant.
You sound like a vase.
[Sushmita snickers]
Bartender. Two martinis please.
You're marrying a doctor?
No, I am the doctor.
Wow.
We could not find him anywhere.
He was gone.
We went hopping from casino
to casino, paying cover charges to clubs...
You know damn well
you're not going to find me in the club.
We scoured all of Vegas
and then walked into White Castle.
And this dude is passed out on the table
with 50 cheeseburgers
piled up in front of him. Like...
[group laughs]
That's God's food right there.
Where were you guys going from there?
Burning Man.
- Well, we were...
- Wait.
What's Burning Man?
You don't know what Burning Man is?
If you don't know what it is
I don't know if I can explain it to you.
It's an art festival
where you can camp out.
No, that's not... Really?
It's about survival.
And the work of surviving,
like the psychological work.
Like what happens when you truly
accept that we are animals
and all of the things that we are
forced to carry around with us
because of society, because of the
paradigms that we are forced to exist in.
What happens when we let those go as...
as a collective.
[phone vibrating]
RAJINI: Hey, I'm home.
Hello.
Is no one here?
Where is everyone?
Why are you so loud though?
Dude, it's 1 p.m..
How can you still be asleep?
What's on your computer?
What are you watching?
Hey, are you okay?
[Jade sobs]
What's wrong?
Jade.
Three years.
One year in New York,
before we went to grad
school and two long distance.
And I never met him?
Like, even in passing?
I tell you everything.
You came out to me a year and a half ago.
- You knew though.
- Can you not make this about you right now?
You ended it?
He did.
We got in a really big fight
about the distance, and...
I called him the next
day, and I told him that
I was good, and he told me,
Your instincts were right the first time.
Did you sleep with him?
[Jade scoffs]
Never mind, never mind.
Forget I asked that.
Seriously.
I know we talk about everything.
Jade.
You're my baby sister.
So what are you going to do?
I don't know.
Do you love him?
Yes.
Wrong answer, girl. Wrong answer.
You're supposed to be the one person
in our family that didn't tell me that.
Okay, best case scenario:
You go meet him, you hit it off.
You've both grown and changed.
What then?
I don't know, I thought
this was best case scenario.
Best case scenario?
He moves to New York.
He buys a house, moves you into it.
You get the perfect job.
Mom and dad will still cut you
out of the family like you were cancer.
I thought this was best case scenario.
That is best case scenario.
Jade... Why're you being
such a dick about this?
I'm being a dick?
You're gay.
And you're telling me
that I fell in love with the wrong person?
So you can only love Black artists.
That's your orientation?
He's Muslim too.
- Are you serious?
- No.
He's an atheist.
That's worse.
You don't think I don't think
about being straight sometimes?
How much easier it would be?
You know I've come out to them,
like, four times. They just laugh at me.
So this is about you.
You have options that I don't have.
That's what I'm saying.
Mom and dad have always told us
that they just want us to be happy.
This is what makes me happy.
They expect us to make them happy too.
Look, I get long distance.
You talk on the phone,
you take little weekend getaways
and it never interferes
with your real life.
Jade, you got to know
that's not your real life.
This cannot be just another
little adventure of yours.
That's not what it was?
What?
That's not what it was.
[mouse clicks]
[computer keys typing]
Like old times? What am I?
A fucking talkie from the 40s?
[mouse clicks]
[laptop shuts]
Did you girls try the cholis on?
Yeah, mom, it's all fine.
[speaks Gujurati] Because I don't even
have time to do anything now.
So, Jade, what are you
singing for the wedding?
Still not sure.
Jade!
Not sure? It's tomorrow.
They said I can sing whatever I want.
I'm singing a cappella.
- JADE'S MOM: A cappella?
- Everybody calm down.
I told them I'm singing. I'll sing.
You know, I've known Sushmita's
father since I was six years old.
His father got me a job
when I first came to America as a janitor.
Before I sent for your mother.
Raj, are you listening to this?
This is fascinating.
- Dad has literally never told this story before.
- Fascinating-fascinating kind of thing.
I used to sleep on the basement floor.
The floor of the basement
shared with your uncles.
And I used to tell myself,
Why am I doing this?
I used to do this in India.
But then his father told me,
You are not here, so you
will not sleep on the floor.
You will sleep on the floor
so your children will
not sleep on the floor.
Because they will be Americans.
So I am telling you all
this, my American daughter
so you better pick a damn good song.
Are you sure the cholis fit?
I was looking at the pictures of you
from the last time. It was so long ago.
I bought something else, Mom.
Why would you do that?
- I bought a pantsuit that I like.
- Rajini...
I bought it, I like it,
and I'm going to wear it.
What will people think?
You wearing trousers?
Unmarried. They're going to
think we're [speaks Gujurati].
Well, then let's just rip the Band-Aid off.
- Raji beta...
Listen to your mother. It's embarrassing
for us to see you single still.
Put some effort.
- I'm not going for the men.
- [exclaims in Gujurati]
Wherever you go, you
need to be looking for men.
Excuse me.
I have a black boyfriend.
Yeah?
Well, that's good.
It's good to have all
different kinds of friends.
[speaks Gujurati]
[TV show plays]
KEIR [over phone]: Yo.
It's Keir. Leave a message.
VOICEMAIL [over phone]: At the tone,
please record your voice message.
When you are finished recording.
You may hang up or press
pound for more options.
[phone beeps]
Um... Hey.
So... you're in the air right now
on your way to New York, and...
you're never gonna hear this because
you never listen to your voicemail.
Ever.
But that's actually a
good thing in this case.
Because I can just say
whatever I want to you.
So...
The first thing I want to say is...
I didn't mean that email.
Please, please, please, please, please...
contact me.
Contact me whenever you want.
I would love it right now
if you would call me and...
break up with me again.
I mean, like... fuck you
in advance if you do, but...
I just miss your voice.
But, I don't like the way that
you talk to me sometimes.
If we see each other
again, don't do that shit...
[phone beeps] This mailbox is full
and cannot accept new messages.
To disconnect press... Keir...
Why don't you believe that I loved you?
I honestly thought that you were
just saying it because I said it.
But... I know that you
thought I was beautiful, and...
I always...
God I...
I hope that you still...
My mom...
My mom got me this saree for this wedding
tomorrow, and it's really beautiful.
And it doesn't fit me
the way that I would want it to, but...
But if we were together?
Oh man...
Yeah, I got to, like,
sing this song, at this wedding tomorrow
in, like, ten hours,
and I have no idea what I want to sing.
And actually, that's not true.
I do know what I want to sing. I just...
can't.
I want to sing that,
that old-ass song that you knew
all the words to for some...
stupid reason.
But I'm probably just going
to sing some Hindi bullshit.
I shouldn't say that.
Anyway, I'm gonna sing
this song for you now.
And...
I guess you're just going to have to be
okay with the fact that
you never got to hear it.
[singing]
When you have
another's arms around you
do you ever think of me?
And when you whisper
I can't live without you
do you ever think of me?
And when your eyes disguise
those same old loving lies
you tell so tenderly
Deep in your heart unfeeling
some heart you're stealing
do you ever think of
me?
Jaladhi.
What?
What did we do wrong?
What are you talking about?
Your sister and her
clothes for the wedding.
Dad, just let it go.
Look, I just want for you to be happy.
You and your sister.
So believe me when I tell you
that nothing is going to give you
more happiness than family. Nothing.
So I try to give this gift
to you, and your sister...
Dad... slaps my hand away.
That's not it.
You know, maybe we're
happier than you realize.
You've done a great job already.
Okay, then you talk to her.
Tell her to put those clothes away.
This is not the time.
I just want her to find
someone and be happy...
I'm not going to do that.
But nothing is wrong?
What is wrong, beta?
Did you ever love anyone besides Mom?
Before Mom?
What is this? This is all...
Dad, I'm being serious.
You don't mean love beta.
You mean romance.
Everyone has romance.
It means nothing.
You don't build a life around romance.
When your mother was promised to me,
that was beginning of a great love.
But you love mom, right?
Like romantically? You...
She makes you happy?
I love the life we've built for each other.
She's my [speaks Gujurati].
The common thread that binds us all.
But that was not built on romance.
That was built on a promise.
Not feelings.
I'm really tired, Dad.
I will let you sleep.
Maybe talk to your sister, okay?
Yeah. Did I go too
heavy with the blush?
No. I think this is
as good as it's going to get.
Okay.
Do me, do me.
There's that one song from the movie.
You know the one I'm talking about.
No. I'm just going to wing it,
you know, just be in the moment.
No, but you know the movie, right?
[phone vibrates]
[instrumental hip hop score]
[furniture bangs]
Ow! Fuck!
[electronic a plays]
PHOTOGRAPHER: Other
shoulder! Other shoulder.
All right, all right. That's
something, that's something.
Keir. 50.
Keir, I got something.
Keir.
Keir, God damn it!
- Where the hell are you?
- My bad.
All day, you got one thing to do.
One thing.
Okay, that's good.
That's good.
SUBWAY: Manhattan bound
C train.
The next stop is Shepherd Avenue.
Carter, we doing this or we going home?
Kneel for me.
All right, all right.
That's something, that's something.
Try and chase me with it.
Chase me? You know
what I mean when I say, chase me?
Carter? We doing this
or are we not doing this?
[TV show plays]
[music and muffled talking]
[music plays from phone]
I love that song.
KEIR [over phone]: Come out.
[instrumental hip hop score]
[heavy rain falling]
Well, no. Can I...
Yeah, no. No.
I just don't think we need
the room anymore, that's all.
Okay, well, how much is a refund?
Seriously? That's...
Well, no that...
I'm... Okay. Yeah, no. I...
No, fine. It's fine. It's OK.
We'll... Don't worry about it.
[Jade coughing]
Oh, God.
Okay.
I got...
Okay, give me... Give me the drugs.
Give me all the drugs.
I got Tylenol, I got Delsym.
I've got Sudafed.
I've got crack. I've got... - Crack.
- Yep.
You know I'm allergic.
Well that's more crack for me then.
[Jade coughs]
Oh God.
[water rushes in sink]
I promise I'm going to beat this
and I'm coming to your party.
You don't really have to worry about it.
I mean, to be honest
I'd rather stay here
and take care of your sick ass anyways.
It's your party.
You can't not go to your
own going away party.
They can make it a gone away party.
No! We're going.
Your parents are so nice to do this.
And it's like this last time
that you guys will be together and...
Okay. So... Drugs.
My parents already love you.
You can chill on trying to impress them.
Or make them happy and...
You lucky you cute.
Sick kiss. Sick kiss.
Oh, I'm not giving you a sick kiss.
- Sick kiss.
- No...
'Cause I am not going back out.
You're about to get all that up.
Yep.
Is this what it's going to be like
when you move to California?
This is Northern California, babe.
I told you, I'm moving
to Southern California.
There's a difference.
I know, I'm... What I mean is like, all
all the happy-ass white people.
Their mom just died.
Then a comedian and a drummer
move into their basement,
and everything's fine.
I don't even know why
we're watching this shit, man.
Okay, you know, not
everything has to be an art film.
Yeah, but we have Netflix at our disposal.
Okay, just learn to appreciate
the simple pleasures in life.
Like 90s sitcoms and Christmas movies.
Oh, and mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise is fucking gross.
And you know it.
I'm just trying to help you out
with your dry-ass sandwiches.
Wow! Okay.
What's whiter? Mayonnaise?
People who love mayonnaise?
Or this fucking show?
You know, maybe the point of TV
is just to make people feel good
- See? And that's the problem right there.
- After a long day of...
That's the problem.
Maybe, I'm sick!
And I just wanna turn my brain off
and passively accepting some Stamos
can be a conduit for my needs.
And maybe...
Not everything has to be an exercise
in challenging my fucking worldview.
Okay, well maybe this is so effective
at doing it that it puts your mind at rest
and makes you passive,
makes your whole body passive.
Maybe you can't fight infection.
Maybe that's the reason you're sick.
You know what's not a conduit for my needs?
- What?
- Your ass.
Art! Real arts?
Oh, that requires labor.
That requires an active audience.
The fuck does real mean?
Legitimate.
Okay. You're struggling
to come up with something less objective.
You can't come up with a counter argument.
So there we go.
What I want to watch is just as important
as what you want to watch.
Absolutely, absolutely.
You're right, you're right, you're right.
Just not as good.
Okay? You know what?
I'm done with you.
Hold on.
What? Oh.
[Jade blows her nose]
I wanna memorize you.
Lips.
Eyes.
Cheeks.
Shoulders.
So I can still feel you when you're gone.
And when...
What?
No, babe. What's wrong?
It's nothing.
I was just touching you.
I'm sleeping.
[person humming]
Hey.
[drumming on countertop]
Keep going.
- Hey.
- Morning.
Morning.
Well, you like you're feeling better.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm feeling much much better.
Yeah.
Like how much better?
Pretty-Pretty good. Yeah.
Party pretty good?
Yeah.
Like we should go to
the party, pretty good?
Yeah.
- Yeah? Like...
- Keir.
- We were never not going to the party.
- I didn't know. You were sick last night.
- So?
- It's your going away party.
We're going.
Okay.
You want some donuts?
Some donuts?
Yeah, I actually picked them up
on my way back from the run,
which I probably shouldn't
do because I'm trying...
[Jade exclaims]
[both laughing]
- They're so...
- Get them off.
I might stink.
I don't care.
I want you closer.
[both moaning]
[Jade beat boxes]
Riding down the street,
got Jade on the beat.
My hand is on her legs
and also on her feet.
Brown skin little bitty honey bee,
going straight to the family
We about to eat a ton of food
like chicken and grits.
Well, we ain't in the South, yeah.
Keep your mouth going like that.
Trying to hear how you do it.
Double back.
Bring the beat back and don't let it
drop. You ain't no rat. That's right.
You're my girl. You in my world.
Trying to make sure we don't unfurl.
I wonder what you look like with curls.
[Keir laughs]
Like that?
[unintelligible conversation]
Come, come.
I have something to show you.
I know you didn't show up
to our Christmas party this year.
So I didn't get a chance to show you.
- I am so sorry.
- Oh, no, no. It's okay.
I'm glad you're here.
But! Wait...
Have you ever seen one of these?
I bought it for the
kids, but I kept it for me.
Look.
[Christmas hip hop plays]
[Keir's Mother laughs]
I mean, I can't...
I wanted to share it with the whole family.
[Christmas hip hop continues]
It's adorable isn't it?
It is.
It's really adorable.
[unintelligible conversation]
Oh, there you go.
There you go.
We're going to miss you.
Now we know you're going to be back
for every major holiday.
Arbor Day, Rosh Hashanah,
and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
But in all seriousness, in all seriousness.
We are very proud of you.
And we hope that you come back to us
but we know that life
is long and it's winding.
But if you live it well,
it will take you on paths
that you never expected.
So here's to Christmas break.
Here, here.
And Jade.
Oh, no.
Jade, please make sure that he visits you.
Because we know that she's
going to see you more than we do.
To Jade.
To Jade!
Thank you.
BLACK GUY: One thing about long
distance? It's long distance.
That's the only thing!
[group shouting]
So you guys are still fucking?
- Wow.
- Oh my God.
- WHITE GIRL: What?
- KEIR: I mean, do we have to go here.
- I'm just asking! What are you going to do?
- We're fine, we're fine.
- That's a great question.
- We don't have that problem.
WHITE GIRL: I mean,
it's a six month program, right?
- It's like, what are you doing?
- It's actually three years.
- Wow.
- Just three.
Three times 365 is what?
What're you looking at me for, man?
BLACK GUY: You look like
somebody's substitute teacher.
We just don't want to break up.
We don't want to end things.
So...
BLACK GUY: So what are y'all doing
to keep each other interested?
- We talk every day.
- Every day. And we're here.
I talk to my mom every day, and I don't...
WHITE GIRL: Yeah,
he's not fucking his mom.
I don't want to.
Well, you know, everyone has
a webcam these days. So...
- We've done it before.
- It was okay. It was nice.
It was definitely not the real thing.
It doesn't beat the real thing. At all.
- ALAN: Cybersex.
- It's nice though. It's cool.
- WHITE GIRL: Oh, it's nice?
- No, no. It's nice, it's nice. She makes it nice.
- She makes it nice?
- She makes it nice?
- Yeah. She makes it...
- Oh my God!
- Don't say that I make it nice.
- What?
That sounds foul as shit.
What're you talking
about? It's a compliment.
- ALAN: Yeah, I know. Very complimentary.
- It is a totally a compliment.
- Nice is nice.
- Literally nice.
Oh my God. Please.
Please stop.
We're not going to talk
about this anymore, okay?
She makes it nice!
[all laughing]
- You keep saying, Makes it nice.
- That's what... I'm going to just stop there.
Is there any naughty in there?
That's all I'm trying to figure out.
Shit. You got naughty right here.
- Fuckmouth over here.
- Yeah. You want to know what this is?
- KEIR: No. No!
- [all laughing]
KEIR: Keep it on. No! No!
[all laughing]
Listen here. Thing about me is
I'm a hobo-sexual.
- KEIR: A Hobo...
- ALAN: What?
A hobo-sexual is
when you make love to your woman, right?
Give her the best sex of her life
because you need a place to stay.
[all laughing]
[phone vibrates]
KEIR: What do you want from us?
We told you the webcam.
- Mom.
- WHITE GIRL: I'm just saying, like...
- I'm at home, Mom. It's nobody.
- I haven't fucked anything in...
I always... I can't get guys to sleep over.
Sorry, I'm just thinking, like...
God, like I want... Let's
say I wanted to try to like...
Sorry. Well, whatever.
- Sorry, man.
- Oh, no. It's just... It's fine.
It's not the first time somebody's
been embarrassed I'm Black.
Hell, sometimes I'm embarrassed I'm
Black. It's not a big deal.
WHITE GIRL: Can I
ask you something?
How does she make it nice?
Because I would like to do that.
It really is hard for me.
I would like your guys' support.
- Please.
- ALAN: We're here for you.
[dishes clattering in sink]
You sure you don't need any help?
Jade, if you ask one more time,
I'm going to feed you another plate.
Hey, man.
We're headed out.
I'll see you out there.
[Keir and White Girl
making cartoonish noises]
- Homie.
- Okay.
- I miss you already.
- I'll be back.
KEIR'S MOTHER: Yes. You're welcome.
Have a good night, okay?
- Oh, thank you so much for having us.
- Be safe.
Hey, wait.
Always, always.
Shut up.
Hey.
Guess what?
You remember that thing
we always used to talk about doing.
I did it.
What?
The room.
The hotel uptown.
For tonight.
It's going to be just
the two of us together.
You don't want to be here with your family?
No.
Plus, I booked it already.
Come on. You love surprises.
[Jade sighs]
I'm still pretty sick.
We don't have to do it.
It's not a big deal. So...
What do you want to do?
KEIR: Want to get dressed up?
Get some dinner?
JADE: I am so full.
KEIR: So dessert.
Can we get dressed up?
[r&b plays from phone]
JADE: Okay. I need another name
because I'm not me right now.
This is a character.
I'm like a jazz singer from the 40s.
Why?
Give me a name.
But I like Jade.
Name.
All right.
Fluffy Winter bottom.
The fuck?
Yep. That's the one.
Why?
Because your hair looks
fluffy and that ass is cold.
Okay. You're an idiot.
You're a fucking idiot.
- All right. Okay, okay. I'm sorry.
- All right, just shut up. Shut up.
And sit back.
Holy shit.
Mrs. Winter bottom will see you now.
You're married?
- Did I say, missus?
- Yeah.
Oh, that's uncomfortable.
Because a married woman
couldn't do what I'm about to do to you.
Well, Mrs. Fluffy Winter bottom... Wow.
Look at you. When did you get this dress?
- You just pulling out all types of...
- You like it? You like this dress?
I love it.
Oh, I could not have imagined this.
- Is this sexy?
- How did you get...
Is this even sexy?
I don't know what I'm doing.
This is very sexy.
[camera shutter clicks]
Whoa, whoa.
What is that?
I'm just taking a picture.
That's all.
Okay.
See that leg dance?
Ooh!
- Show a little leg?
- Ankles are scandalous.
Ooh, Mrs. Winter bottom...
Yes.
[camera shutter clicks]
Whoa! What the fuck?
What, are you working now?
What am... Working? No. I just...
I don't know when I'm gonna see...
I just want to remember this.
That's all.
You don't have to take
pictures like we're never...
- I'm with you right here, right now.
- Okay.
Okay.
It's gone. It's gone. Okay?
Can we just... Fucking...
Jade!
[knocking on door]
Jade, come on.
[door opening]
Jade?
Jade?
Yo, what in the fuck is wrong with you?
I'm trying to do something special
and you're acting like you want to hang with
my parents more than you want to hang with me.
Yeah, I get it. Tomorrow, I leave.
Yes, I know. You keep fucking
reminding me of that. But what?
I have to hang out with Fluffy
fucking Winter bottom?
You just want to fuck.
You bring me to this fucking hotel
- like I'm a fucking escort!
- You're not a... Oh my gosh...
And then you have me dress
all sexy so you can fuck me
and you can fucking forget about me!
- Forget about you?
- Yeah!
I'm literally trying to
make memories with you!
You've always wanted to
go to a fancy hotel and have...
Dress up in fancy clothes
and have sex on a...
My God! I want to have sex
in the fucking hotel room!
Me! Not just some fucking whore
that I'm supposed to pretend to be.
Jesus! You know what?
I don't even fucking...
- I don't fucking care or give a shit. Here!
- What? What the fuck are you doing?
Yeah. Go.
Get a fucking escort. Get a hooker.
Call up one of those fucking girls
that you take pictures of.
- Don't tell me what to do.
- Yeah, go! Call!
- Make the fucking call!
- What the fuck is your problem?
Why are we even doing this?
What?
This isn't fucking worth it.
Fuck this.
Fuck.
[TV show plays]
[phone vibrates]
[rustling in bed]
Keir.
Keir.
Keir, just get in the bed.
I'll sleep over there.
Keir?
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it.
[belt buckle clinks]
Shit.
Oh, shit.
It's okay. Relax.
Jade, don't... You
don't have to... It's okay.
Hey.
[Jade whimpering]
Hey, hey. What's wrong? Babe...
Jade.
You don't...
Jade stop.
[Jade weeping]
Hey. No, no, no.
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
[Keir grunts]
[Keir breathing heavily]
[Jade inhales sharply]
[door closes]
[pants zip]
[sobbing from bathroom]
[Jade sobs]
[trains running]
I think I'm just going to go home.
Tell your parents I'm
sorry I couldn't make it.
Okay.
Can I walk you home?
I'll just get off at my stop.
Yeah.
I love you.
I love you so much, Keir.
[Home by Jaime Woods plays]
Jade's not coming?
She's not feeling well.
[Keir whimpers]