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- [Alex] Abdicate.

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

Abdicate.

I'll use it in a sentence.

Geraldine is abdicating her responsibility

to study for her SATs which are in a week.

- To neglect or abandon a responsibility or duty.

- Or? - To renounce one's throne,

for instance, despite the urgings of other members

of the royal family, General Douglas MacArthur

pressed Emperor Hirohito to refrain from abdicating

the Japanese throne in the aftermath of World War II.

- Showoff.

- How many more of these do we have to do today?

- Why?

Practicing SAT words with your cousin isn't exciting?

- No, I'm just tired.

- Fair enough, since you got the last 65 questions right,

I guess I can let you go after this last one.

Disencumber.

- To free oneself of an encumbrance.

- And what's- - An encumbrance is a burden,

an albatross, an obligation.

For example, you might think

that the end of this tutoring session disencumbers me

from everything that I have to do tonight.

However, little do you know

that now I've got to go to soccer practice.

- [Alex] The test's in a week.

Your folks are still making you play?

- Yep, hedging their...

My bets. Got to get recruited, too.

- I forgot how insane college admissions is.

- Can't be too bad compared to grad school. Speaking of.

- I find out in...

23 minutes. - Good luck.

- Hopefully.

Then I'll never have to tutor another high schooler again.

- Tutoring us isn't exciting?

- You see, the thing with college students is

they actually choose to be there,

so it's a bit less like pulling teeth.

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

This is exactly what I want to be doing

after eight hours of school

and before two hours of getting kicked in the shins.

- Go play video games or snort some glue

or whatever teenagers do.

- Seriously? You're, like, 24.

- 25. I'm geriatric.

- Okay. - Don't you have to get going?

- Yes, yes. Good luck. - Thank you.

(optimistic music)

(Darren sighs)

(Darren clears throat)

- Good evening, Mr. Tanaka.

You too, a pleasure as always.

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh, wait, wait, no no no, Mr. Tanaka,

you have to understand

that great films require great capital.

Okay, look, I can guarantee you 15 1/2.

You know what, 17 1/2 percent.

Okay, but we've been talking about this for months.

I understand, yeah.

Look, Mr. Tanaka, you are making a big mistake

and passing up on one hell of an opportunity here.

I know you'll reconsider.

My regards to you as well, sir.

- Shit, man, I'm sorry.

- It's fine, it's fine, honestly.

I've got plenty of other investors lined up,

so if the guy can't appreciate my vision, fuck him, right?

Fuck him.

Wait, today's the 14th, right?

- Yeah.

- Oh, shit. And...

- I got in.

Sorry about the phone call. - Dude, dude dude dude dude!

I'm so happy for you, that's amazing.

I mean, now we have something to celebrate, right?

Come on, let's not fucking sulk, come on.

Seriously, seriously, come on.

No, it's a big deal. It's a big deal.

You're taking a big step here, right?

I'm proud of you, honestly.

- I mean, it's a big decision.

The next five years of my life-

- Shut up, shut up. It's awesome.

It's awesome, that's what it is.

Now, let's do some fucking drugs, right?

(upbeat dance music)

(shower running)

(birds tweeting)

(Alex sighs)

(water splashing)

Good morning, Mr. Howard.

Yesterday I spoke to Mr. Tanaka and he informed me

that he was unable to meet

his financial obligations as a producer,

so I am prepared to offer you- - Yes, mom, I'll find out

about financial aid later this week.

- An extraordinary opportunity.

- So what if I got things in a couple weeks late?

It's not gonna be a huge deal. They have a huge endowment.

- But Mr. Howard, this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

I regret that you feel this way. I know you'll reconsider.

- Yes, I love you too.

Bye.

(door opening)

- Uh, catching up on required reading?

- Trying to.

- Oh yeah, I think I know, um,

about three words on that page.

- Yeah, if I know 10 of them by the time I'm done

with my Phd, that'll be 10 new words for me.

- Ah, 10 words for $250,000.

What does that come to, $25,000 per word?

Wow, expensive words.

Yeah, that's nice, that's good, keep it.

Hold that, hold that.

Hold it, hold it.

Cut, shit. Cut.

Hello?

What, um...

No, it's Saturday. No, you said I...

You said I didn't have to work this Saturday, so.

(tense music)

You're tying your tie wrong.

Your belt and shoes clearly don't match.

When was the last time that you dressed up like this?

- [Alex] Your grandfather's funeral.

- Damn, that was like freshman year of college.

- Shit.

I'm going to this alumni networking event.

Do you want to come?

- Gross.

The only people that are there

want to give life advice or get life advice.

You're already going to grad school, why do you want to go?

- It's free booze.

- Tempting.

Here, let me fix it. - No!

- Come on, stop, stop, stop.

- Well, you're early.

Things aren't gonna get hopping here for another half hour.

- Sorry, I didn't have anywhere else to be.

- It's all right. What, you get out of work early?

- I don't work.

- No? What do you do?

- I'm going to grad school.

- (gasps) You gonna get an MBA?

What, a JD?

- [Alex] A PhD in literature.

- Ooh, you're gonna be a writer.

- [Alex] Well, I'm going to be teaching

the promising minds of the next generation.

- Uh-huh.

- [Alex] Keeping the dying art of literature alive.

- Uh-huh.

- [Alex] You know, we live in a world

that's so over-inundated with all this mediocre content

designed for a generation with attention spans

really only of about five seconds.

- There's gonna be plenty of people for you to network with

any minute now.

Right now, why don't you have a drink?

Go on, it's good for you.

(crickets chirping)

- Um, so I, um.

I am a little tight on cash at the moment.

I was wondering

if you

might be able to,

you know, um... (laughs)

Um. - If I could spot you?

- Yeah, yeah, if I could dip a little bit into Darren debt.

- You mean deeper into Darren debt.

What if I were to say no?

- I'm gonna get cash later this week from my mom.

- From your mommy.

(Alex sighs)

(bag crinkling)

(door knocking)

(relaxing music)

- Got it.

- [Kyle] Hey, eyes over there, guys.

(safe clicking)

Well, now that business is concluded,

I believe that congrats are in order.

- He filled out an application.

- Yeah, but it's not like they accept everyone.

- [Darren] I'm sure a pulse is required.

- Well, you know, it's actually

some really very high level stuff, you know, I don't know

if you guys would quite meet the qualifications.

- And why?

'Cause I deal drugs?

- And I'm a suit?

- I didn't mean to...

No, you- - I'm fucking with you, man.

It's not like that, I'm fine.

Well, that book-ology degree

has got to be mad expensive, right?

- Yeah, well, a couple alums endowed a scholarship.

I mean literally, like, $20 million in donations.

- Donations.

You subsist on goodwill, Alex.

- Better than bad will, am I right?

- Some of us work for what we have.

- Some of us.

- You subsist off of my donations, right?

I mean, in theory, I could just steal your weed and leave.

What would you do, call the cops?

- You wouldn't do that. I'd stop donating drugs, man.

Now, who wants to smoke?

(crickets chirping)

- That was fun.

- The weed was fun.

- Kyle's a fun guy.

- Kyle's a source of weed and weed is fun.

- You know, maybe you'd have a little more fun

if you weren't such a dick to him.

- He's a fuck up.

- I feel like shit, okay? Is that what you want me to say?

I feel like shit about the whole

accidentally making you spotting me thing.

- It's not a thing. It's not an accident.

You just fucking stiffed me.

- I'll pay you back. It's like 40 bucks.

Don't you make that in an hour?

- I make that in 45 minutes, but it's about the principle.

- The principle. - Yeah.

Do you know what's fun? 14 hour work days.

- Okay, I get it, I get it.

(stammering) I fucked up.

- (stammering mockingly) You did, yeah.

I work to make money.

I save to make films, so paying for your drugs

means I have less money to make films.

- I told you, I will pay you back.

- It's not about that.

- Then what's it about?

- You get to pursue your educational aspirations.

You don't even want to cure cancer,

you want to lord over young minds from some ivory tower

and watch them suffer through student loans

while you get to slither on through the tenure track.

(Alex scoffs)

- That's minimizing it. - No, no, it's not.

You literally want to get paid to read.

Kyle gets to chill and smoke all day,

even though the guy's got to be old enough

to have three fucking kids.

If I had a tenth of the opportunities that you had-

- Oh, no no no, do not pull that shit on me, man.

No way, mm-mm, no.

I begged my ass off for those scholarships, you know that,

and it's not like I live in a fucking castle.

- Yeah, but you have had opportunities.

You have had a future shoved down your goddamn throat

by a fucking family that supports you,

and that is way more than anything I've ever had.

- So you resent the fact that I didn't grow up in a trailer?

- No, I resent the fact that if I had what you had,

I would have already made five fucking films.

- Well, you've got the savings. What's stopping you?

Look, I obviously didn't-

(Darren screaming)

- Why does it just seem

like everyone gets whatever they want but me?

- What do you want me to say?

- Nothing.

Just learn to listen.

(door clunking)

(door opening)

(keys jingling)

(Darren breathing heavily)

(birds tweeting)

You know I didn't mean any of it.

- Yeah, I know, you were just frustrated.

I could stand to learn how to read the room once in a while.

- Shit. Thanks, man.

(door opening and closing)

(phone ringing)

- [Janice] Hi, Alex, this is Janice Brown,

acting assistant junior dean

for admissions and financial aid.

I wanted to extend my sincerest congratulations to you.

Well, unfortunately we cannot offer you financial aid

at this juncture.

You are more than welcome to appeal this decision

as per the processes listed on our website.

Alex, are you still there?

- Yes, hello, yes.

Sorry.

I'm just a little bit shocked.

Tuition is a huge expense for me and my family.

- [Janice] Tuition is a huge investment

for all of our students.

I regret to inform you that several important documents

were not submitted in a timely manner.

- Yes, but what about the-

- Our Witzelberg Kennedy fund has been depleted.

Well, congratulations again,

and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.

(pages flipping)

- You all right, man?

I threw in a bit extra for you there.

I figure you needed it.

- Thanks. I could use it.

- Yeah, man.

Listen, don't let this scholarship thing get you too down.

- I almost wish I didn't get in.

- Yeah, but you did,

and that's something in and of itself, right?

- It's them saying, we like you, but not that much.

It's like your parents telling you

you're their second favorite child,

or finding out you're like a third string boyfriend.

I should really just focus on something else

and get my mind off of it.

God, I'm such a little bitch.

- [Kyle] Check this out.

- U Chicago Law?

- [Kyle] It's the fourth best in the country.

- So why do you deal? If you don't mind me asking.

- [Kyle] I object to the question.

I don't object to you asking it.

- So you'd be upset if someone else asked it.

- [Kyle] Well, I should mind, because it insinuates

that I must've shat the proverbial bed.

On the other hand, I don't mind

because it is a valid fucking question.

- Okay then, so tell me, why do you deal?

- I like to exist

outside the sphere of conventional commerce.

You know, away from all this arbitrary bullshit.

Like rules, laws, et goddamn cetera.

- So what's your endgame?

- I'm living it.

I have no endgame, and that's the way I like it.

- Well that's great for you, but I do,

so how does that help me?

- Have you thought about how you're gonna deal

with this scholarship thing?

- I have not been able to think about it.

The whole thing just hit me like a truck.

- Yeah, but you're an intelligent person.

You must have some kind of hustle, right?

- What do you mean?

- I mean something that makes you money,

like stocks or a side job.

- No, not really. Except I have a tutoring gig.

- [Kyle] Yeah, but tutoring can make you good money, right?

- Yeah, if I had more than one client

who I wasn't related to.

- You have something else, right, Alex?

'Cause I mean otherwise, you're just a bum.

(melancholy music)

- That's ridiculous. Kyle's my friend.

- You pay him, and he gives you weed.

That's the extent of your relationship.

- He's an honest guy. He gave me a bit extra on the eighth.

- He gives everybody a bit extra.

Nobody actually weighs their shit, come on.

- So even if that's true,

then he's stealing from you as well.

- Yeah, but everybody steals from everybody, right?

Everyone fucks everyone else over, dude.

Kyle stiffs us, we stiff the waiter, the waiter-

- We're not robbing Kyle!

- Okay.

That eighth that you just bought,

did you smoke any of it?

- Not yet.

- How much do you think it weighs? Come on, tell me.

- Um, let's see, so an eighth is 3.5 grams,

so with a bit extra, that's 3.8.

- I bet you if you weigh that, you'll come around.

- Mom.

I didn't want to have to have this conversation,

and it's probably gonna get fixed on appeal, but...

- [Alex's Mom] But?

- Everything from the structure

to the precision of the language, fucking phenomenal.

- Oh, come on. Maybe I'm good for a high schooler.

And you're probably not supposed to curse at your students.

- Well, shit.

I don't see any way you're not gonna get

a perfect score on the essay section.

- Thanks. I don't need any more compliments, though.

- Why, all this flattery making you uncomfortable, Ger-bear?

- Ugh, only my mom can call me that, and I hate it.

I get enough compliments.

- Well, aren't you special.

- I don't think so, but apparently I'm a pro grade goalie,

according to my coach, and I'm a guaranteed valedictorian.

- God, if I had that coming out of high school.

- It's a lot of pressure.

All these people with all of these expectations.

- Well, a little pressure's a good thing.

It keeps us accountable.

- I think it's good to fail every now and again.

Gives us a chance to reevaluate.

- Have you ever failed at anything before?

- No, not in any meaningful way, no.

My parents or my coach is always there to catch me.

It'd be interesting to see what it's like

to actually fuck up.

- It's a lot less interesting than you'd think.

But anyway, if you do feel the need to fuck up,

please don't do it tomorrow.

(lamp clicks)

(bag rustling)

(depressing music)

- [Kyle] That's solid work, you know.

You're a great aspiring filmmaker, you are.

- Aspiring, huh?

Yeah, I've worked too hard to just be aspiring.

- Well, have you made a movie yet?

- Some shorts, but I busted my ass

on this film, and I think it's actually gonna be good.

- You ever thought about not working so hard?

- Sounds lazy to me.

- Yeah, but laziness is good sometimes, man.

It keeps us sane.

It gives us time to reflect, man.

- You spend too much time reflecting

and you waste all the energy that you could be using

to actually do shit.

- [Kyle] Fair point.

Answer this, though. Why do you do what you do?

- Why do you do what you do?

- I love what I do.

Why do you do what you do?

- I work to make money so I can make films.

- You didn't answer my question, though.

Why do you make films?

Why do you want to make films?

Look at you, man, you're gonna explode.

I feel like your brain's gonna, like, just, pshh.

You really need to learn how to relax a little.

- Why the fuck do you think I smoke?

- Still, you're gonna burn out, man.

You're gonna blow a gasket.

- Yeah, but if I don't burn out, I'm gonna succeed.

- Succeed at what?

- Succeed at being a success.

Look, I will blow my fucking brains out

if I end up being a corporate stooge or a broke loser.

What, what is your definition of success?

- Easy, man. Being happy.

- And are you happy?

- Hell yeah. I wouldn't be doing what I do if I wasn't.

And how about you? Think about it, for real.

Are you happy?

(door shuts)

(elevator beeping)

(tense music)

(crickets chirping)

I think your best bet is to write it

like an appellate brief, show that you have

a practical understanding of writing,

also that you're savvy enough

that they want to make sure they're one your good side.

- That sounds intimidating.

- Perks of a legal career.

- [Alex] Why don't you wear it on your sleeve more?

- Because it is intimidating, you know?

It's great for big dicking cable companies,

but it doesn't make me any friends.

- [Alex] I guess I don't like being intimidated.

- Listen, I'm a drug dealer.

I sell people distractions, anesthetics.

People deal with me because they don't want to deal

with their own bullshit.

- And what's my bullshit?

- [Kyle] Come on, Alex, you really want to do this?

- Fuck yeah.

- Convince me you're actually passionate

about being a literature professor.

- Call it narcissism or a power trip,

but I feel happiest when I am teaching,

when I am helping someone get better.

I enjoy teaching driven people.

Kids in college, by virtue of having chosen to be there,

are more likely to give a shit about what they are learning.

- That's wishful thinking.

Is that what you were like in college?

- You're not convinced.

- I don't know, man,

it sounds a bit like an essay, you know?

You're telling me why people go into teaching,

but you're not telling me why you want to go into teaching.

- Well, I've worked my ass off for this.

Does that not convince you?

- That's working off sunken cost theory.

You know, I dumped so much time, money, and effort,

and fuck, my identity into lawyering

that quitting would've meant putting my tail

between my legs and admitting that I fucked up,

so I didn't abandon my investment.

Instead, I worked my ass off to maintain

the shitty fucking status quo.

- So why'd you quit?

- I got fired.

- Why?

- I got cocky.

I started taking on cases that I wasn't ready to handle.

- Did you ever try looking for other work?

- The day I got fired was the worst day of my life.

Pretty sure I cried when I cleaned out my office.

I woke up the next day around noon,

and I realized

I didn't have anywhere I needed to be,

didn't have anyone I needed to impress,

and that...

That was the best day of my life.

- So you think...

So you think I should give up on being a professor?

- It's up to you whether or not you want to be a professor.

Now, do you want to write this financial aid appeal letter?

(optimistic music)

(bag crinkling)

- 2.7. - 2.73 grams.

Apparently that's an eighth now.

- I told you.

What, do you want to go shake him down now for your...

Actually, for my 40 bucks back,

considering that you're still in Darren debt?

- No, I want to empty his fucking safe.

I don't see anything wrong with stealing from a drug dealer.

Everybody fucks over everybody, right?

- You know I was basically kidding about that, right?

- Basically.

- Got to applaud you for the- - He fucked us!

Now we need to fuck him back!

- Hey, hey, sh, easy there girl, easy there.

What's this really about?

- It's about me getting my money for grad school.

What is he gonna do with all that cash?

- I don't know, like, maybe move to the beach,

retire, take some lovers.

- Retire off of money he made by scamming us!

- Didn't seem to bother you before.

- I wouldn't be mad if he had just been

fucking honest with us

or if his advice had fucking helped with my appeal letter.

- So you trusted him to write an essay,

he does a shitty job, now you want to rob him.

- Okay, okay, sure, sure.

When you put it like that it sounds kind of terrible, sure.

Sure, but the fact is,

I want to go to grad school, and you want to make a movie.

- I do want to make a movie.

(Darren slurping)

- Okay, I think we need to approach this

in an orderly fashion, create an outline.

- Step by step guide.

- Go about it like a lawyer would.

- So then what's step one?

- Well, we need to figure out how to get into his apartment.

- Step two is restraining him.

- Right, we don't want him fighting back.

- How's your knot tying ability?

- I'm okay.

- Right.

- What if he screams?

- Stuff a towel in his mouth.

- What if he does fight back?

- We're fine, I know tai chi.

- Darren knows tai chi.

- Look, we've got to be professionals about this, right?

We can't have him thinking

that we're a couple of fucking kids.

Every morning I get dressed up so people see me

and assume that I know what I'm doing, like a real adult.

- Yeah, but there's a bit of a disconnect

between being a real adult and a real criminal.

- It's the same idea, though, right?

Why do you think gangsters wear all that bling

or, like, professors wear tweed, right?

- It's a camouflage.

Like a reptile pretending to be venomous

so that it can ward of predators.

- Yes, in the wild, animals do what they need to do

in order to survive.

You've read "Crime and Punishment", right?

- Yeah, I know my way around a Tolstoy.

- Dostoevsky, dipshit.

- Yeah, I know, it's a joke.

I know my way around bleak Russian literature.

- Okay, so Raskolnikov's compelled

to kill his landlord, right?

He has to do it in order to survive,

and he actually gets away with it until, you know,

his guilt comes in and fucks things up.

- I need to do this.

I need to earn something for once in my life.

I've never had to kill, but I eat. I'm a fucking parasite.

Do you know why I didn't get the financial aid?

- Weren't poor enough? - No.

I didn't submit the documents on time.

I didn't do what I needed to do to survive.

- Wow, I mean, why didn't- - I don't know.

I don't know why I do or don't do.

- [Darren] What the fuck does that even mean?

- I just keep thinking about things and planning

about things when I need to be doing about things.

- [Darren] Yeah, well,

we know why we're doing this, you know?

- Yeah.

Net good, yeah, net good.

If Kyle has all that money, one person is happy.

If we take that money, two people are happy.

- Besides, you know, once I make it big,

he can get a cut of my film or something, right?

You know, pay off the debt.

- So really, the only thing that makes every person happy

is us robbing him.

- [Darren] I mean, we could rationalize this all day,

you know?

So, yeah.

You want to go do some drugs?

Yeah, let's do some drugs.

(optimistic music)

Mr. Tanaka.

(distant party music)

Yeah, I'm so glad you came around.

Oh yes, of course I could do the film for under 200,000.

Yeah, and the 15% we agreed upon, absolutely.

I assume that your lawyer will send over the contract, then?

Always a pleasure.

(Darren laughs)

(Alex panting)

- Yeah, I know, I'm a bit out of shape.

- It's not that. (clears throat)

- [Alex] What is it, then?

- Nothing, just some film shit.

- [Alex] Do you want to talk about it?

- Nah, it's fine.

- [Alex] You sure?

- It's fine.

(melancholy music)

(shower running)

(crickets chirping)

I got funding for the film.

One of the producers came through.

- Wow. Wow!

- What the fuck would you do, huh?

- I wouldn't just hang me out to dry like this.

- You think that's what I'm doing?

Where were you when I was trying to get funding

for this film this whole time?

- Why does everybody-

- Why does everybody seem to get what they want but you?

- You know, I am, I am happy for you.

I am happy for you.

I'm just frustrated.

- You're not happy for me.

You're sad for yourself.

- Like you were when I got into the PhD?

- Yeah.

Do you want a swig? - No.

I think I want

to go home now.

(Alex breathing heavily)

(melancholy music)

(crickets chirping)

(elevator beeping)

(fingers drumming)

(metal clinking)

(Alex breathing heavily)

(metal clinking)

(lock clicks)

(optimistic music)

(birds tweeting)

(Alex breathing heavily)

(train rumbling)

- You just- - Yeah.

- Hey.

- I don't get it.

I mean, these aren't bad scores, per se, but...

- I guess I just choked.

- No, no, no, it's not that, no.

Even if you choked, you knew all of these answers.

What is it?

- Fine, I bombed it.

- Why? Why would you-

- So that I would have a choice.

- If you don't get into these schools,

you don't have a choice.

- No, if I get into these schools, I don't have a choice.

- Have you ever tried saying no to your parents?

- That's not it, I've got to say no to myself.

Every time that I want to try something new,

I get a fancy internship or an award shoved in my face

and I always take the bait.

- Have you tried studying something you're passionate about?

- I don't know what I'm interested in.

I just want to take some time off,

maybe work, travel.

- So you're afraid of getting pushed into something?

- Yeah.

If I keep on succeeding, I'll get too comfy to say no,

so I failed.

- And how does it feel?

- Disencumbering.

(melancholy music)

(crickets chirping)

(water splashing)

- Have you paid tuition for school yet?

- Thanks for reminding me. Got to get on that.

- What are you telling your mom about the money?

- Haven't really figured that part out.

- You don't seem too excited.

- Yeah, well, you don't seem too excited about the movie.

- I guess getting what you want is overrated.

- Yeah.

(melancholy music)

- Hey, Alex, it's Kyle.

I haven't talked to you in a while and I just wanted to see

how you were doing and was interested in, you know,

knowing how that appeal went, if it went through.

I know you're busy and everything like that,

but I think we should hang out, you know?

It was a good time hanging out, and I kind of, well,

anyways, if you could give me a call back,

let me know, and maybe, you know,

maybe we can hang one of these days.

All right, appreciate it. Take care, Alex.

(melancholy music continues)