Supporting Characters

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Basically, we're all just a little

close to this thing right now,

and we need some fresh eyes.

What we're hoping to get out

of you guys today is feedback.

Some notes that are a

little bit more objective.

Notes that express

what you feel work

and doesn't work

about the movie.

So what we have here is basically a

marriage of convenience, in a sense,

we have a film that we'd like to

test in front of an audience,

a film that we're editing, and

your teacher, Mr. Federico,

the great Professor Federico,

sorry I omitted that,

who used to be my great

professor at one point,

needed a

two-hour class to kill.

So I'm going to say this knowing full

well that most of you will forget it

or dismiss it,

but these forms that my

handsome assistant editor,

D-Money,

is handing out...

It's Darryl.

They're not a forum for you

to try to impress us

with how clever you are,

or to tell us how

shitty the movie is.

We know the movie has problems.

We know it's imperfect.

That's one of the reasons

we're here.

What we're looking for from

you guys today is basically

comments that are constructive,

ideally in a way that will allow

us to make the movie better

in the editing room as we

continue to play with it.

So how about a nice warm round of

applause for the assistant editor.

Let's give it up to my

prodigal student, Nick.

Do you have a question?

Yeah, um, is Jamie

Kirkland gonna be here?

Yes, Jamie Kirkland

will be here.

Mmm-hmm. In case you

guys don't already know,

actresses love it when you

criticize their work publicly.

They take it extremely well,

so, uh, no, she won't be here,

but the director and the

producer of the film...

...will be here, and they could field

any questions that you might have.

Which reminds me, if you

guys would be kind enough

to silence your phones and other

gadgets I'd appreciate it.

Okay, guys, thanks again,

hope you enjoy the film.

Darryl, sit down

for a second, please?

It's not a big deal

or anything,

and I don't want to make it

something that it's not...

Fine, but I do want to

get back in there, man.

This'll just take a second and

it's generally pretty positive.

Okay?

Since you started dating...

- Liana.

- Liana, yeah, I know her name.

Which has been, what, two or three

months, something like that?

- A little more.

- A little more.

You've been much more

focused at work.

You're much more

engaged and enthused,

and, creatively, I think

you're coming up with some of

the best stuff I've ever seen you come

up with in our three years together.

- Just phenomenal stuff.

- Thank you.

I agree with that. I agree

with that, definitely.

And in the moments when you're not

constantly fighting with each other,

I think you're

generally really happy.

- I am.

- And I can see that every day.

I am, man.

I agree with that, man.

- I'm gonna go back in there.

- Okay.

I know you don't like to watch,

but I like to watch the movie.

I know you do. This is

what I'm getting at.

That being said, I've

noticed recently...

...that some

of the energy

that's been freed up through

your relationship with...

- Liana. Why is it...

- Liana, right.

- Liana.

- 'Cause it's a weird name.

- It's not a weird name.

- It's uncommon. It's an uncommon name.

Some of that energy

has been replaced by...

...constantly having

to deal with her.

It's like the pendulum

has swung the other way.

Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there,

and I'm gonna say you're wrong.

If you notice, I stopped drinking,

- I'm, like, more focused... - Shh.

- I care about my body more...

- Shh.

Here it comes.

- Nothing.

- Nothing.

- This is gonna be brutal.

- That was the big joke, too.

That was probably

one of our best jokes.

So, uh, what was your

favorite part of the film?

"The beagle."

Actually, I wrote that.

Okay, but then, what was

your least favorite?

"I was really upset

when the beagle died."

They formed an attachment,

that's something.

Sure.

Here's a good one. "I want

to f*** Jamie Kirkland."

Me, too.

Well, see, that's another

positive, right there.

- Yeah.

- Very positive.

People are attracted

to the star.

Yeah, one of my

honors students.

This whole thing is a wash, man. I

didn't even want this to happen.

I mean, clearly what the cards suggest

is that people are the most confused

about whether or not it's a light

romantic comedy about a dog-walker,

or a dark, cautionary tale

about pet euthanasia.

These cards are like tea leaves, they can

mean whatever you want them to mean.

Look, we have three weeks until we have

to lock the film for its premiere.

I say we roll up our sleeves,

try to address these tonal

issues as best as we can.

If it doesn't work,

it doesn't work.

Have you seen Broadcast News?

81/2, Shadows, Faces, Last

Tango in Paris, Scarecrow?

Yes.

I mean, no one's like... No one

in real life is like, uh...

"Excuse me, are you

a quirky waiter?

"Or you

a depressed waiter?"

It's not that... It's

like you're a complicated

complex human being. That's what I'm...

That's this film.

I think we're all set,

thank you very much.

I need help. I need help, Darryl.

I need help.

- What are you doing?

- Um, yeah.

Well, I think you guys are

both making some, um...

Some good points, but I

think, at the end of the day,

we're kind of all

on the same page here.

Are you f***ing listening?

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