1
As of now, there are
about 7 1/2 billion people
living on this planet.
It is estimated that we'll meet about
27,000 in our lifetime, so
the chances that every single
one of of us will ever meet our soulmate
are not so good.
Besides, what if our soulmate was
part of the 93 billion that
already lived and died?
So, let's leave the soulmate
thing aside for now.
Studies have shown that if
two people ask each other 30
intimate questions, and
answer them truthfully,
there is a good chance
they might fall in love.
The question is,
whether they stay in love.
I'm telling you all of this so,
so you know I was fully aware
of the mathematical calculations when
late one night, into an early morning,
I electronically crossed paths with
Amelia.
Yeah, you guessed it.
Against impossible
odds, I've finally heard
that little voice
saying what I've always wanted it to say.
That sounds like a great
start to your new screenplay,
Finn, but I actually just need
you to finish the damn thing.
It's been two years since your last film,
and the production company's starting
to get a little nervous.
They only optioned the
rights for three years,
so I figure that gives you about a month
before they pull the plug on this deal.
You think this shit's easy?
No, no, I don't think it's easy at all.
I think it's one of the
hardest things a person can do.
But you chose to walk
away from your career job,
and now you're about out of advance money.
Finn, you're gonna have
to pay that shit back
if you don't finish this.
Amelia Garner?
Yeah, I guess.
I'm officer Brian Napp, with
the fire marshal's office.
I have a few questions
for you about the fire
that occurred at your boyfriend's
house the other night.
Can I come in?
Can we just do this right here?
I mean, this is not my house.
Sure, it won't take but a minute.
And he's my ex-boyfriend.
I went through all of this
downtown at the police station.
I understand, but a lot of your clothes
and furniture were still inside the house.
You said in your statement that you
no longer live with Kevin Bowles.
Now if that's still true,
when was the last time
you were at that address?
Oh, I don't know,
because he kicked me out,
so I haven't been there
since he threw me out,
which was what, on a Friday?
The fire was on Monday?
So, you're just going to
leave your things there?
I didn't really give a
shit, to be honest with you,
and I know what you're trying to imply.
You wanna know if I started the fire.
I didn't say that, ma'am.
And I'm not trying to imply anything,
I'm simply trying to establish
a timeline of events.
I'll tell you what,
I think that'll just about do it for now.
In case I have anymore questions,
are you going to be
staying here for awhile?
I don't really know if I'm
going to be here tonight,
or tomorrow, or much less next week,
because my friend was nice
enough to let me stay here.
I have nowhere else to go.
Take care, ma'am.
It's a beautiful
morning here in Birmingham
at just 74 degrees.
Clear skies across Alabama all the way
to the Gulf of Mexico.
Hey Josh, how's it going?
Listen, uh, can you put
up a post at Upwork?
I need to hire a ghostwriter to finish
this script I'm working on.
Yeah.
Can't seem to get inspired.
Hm.
I'll even give him a co-writing
credit, I don't care.
I gotta get this done.
I wanna talk to you today
about staying full of hope.
God has put dreams and desires
in every one of our hearts.
Oh, yeah, mm.
Mm, you like watching, you dirty fuck?
Ooh, yeah.
Hello?
Um, Amelia.
I saw your job post on
Upwork for a ghostwriter?
I'm sorry, what'd you say your name was?
Um, Amelia.
I saw your job post on
Upwork for a ghostwriter.
Oh yeah, um, can I see samples
of your writing, please?
I'm um, well, I'm mainly a blogger.
Hm, a blogger?
You can actually make a living doing that?
Yeah, yeah, if you work at it, sure.
Well, I'm not sure how that's gonna
translate into screenwriting.
Listen, I, I can do it.
I've been in a thousand stage productions.
My sister, she's a student film major.
I was in one of her student films.
I can, I can show you
that reel, if you'd like.
Sure, that'll help, uh...
Yeah, um.
But I gotta be honest with you.
I need help with this, uh, uh,
this script I'm working on,
and my deadline is coming up real fast.
So um, just need somebody
to jump right in.
Yeah, um, sure, what's it about?
Well,
it's about these two people,
looking for soulmates,
realizing that shit doesn't exist.
But I wanna tell it from
uh, from both sides.
Kind of a, like a parallel dialogue.
Shit, I've got
experience to do that, then.
If you knew the relationship
I just got out of,
you'd understand.
Hm, you better tell me about it.
Uh, you're gonna need some time for that,
and unfortunately I don't really have time
to do that right now.
Can I call you later?
Sure, of course.
Uh, you know, meanwhile, send me the link,
and um, you know, if you
helping me doesn't work out,
maybe you can give me some ideas
to get me out of this writing funk.
Yeah, yeah, sure, that sounds great.
I will, uh, text you the
link to the demo reel.
Um, why don't you text me when
you're ready to talk again,
and just, I'll make sure
that we have time to talk,
and that we're not, we're not interrupted.
Okay sure, sounds like a plan.
Great, I'll talk to you then.
Talk to you later.
Oh, wait.
Uh, by the way, the clip
I'm going to send you is
raw, so don't judge it too harshly.
All right, sure,
thank you for telling me that.
I'll keep that in mind.
'Kay, I'll talk to you later, bye.
Okay, great.
Amelia?
I'm here.
I didn't know if you were awake or not,
but we're about to leave.
Oh, um, have fun this weekend.
I was just about to get
up and look for a job.
But um, thank you, for everything.
'Kay, honey.
Good luck.
April?
April?
April?
You have one unheard message.
Um, hi Amelia, it's Finn.
I really like your audition
reel, we should talk.
Call me back, or text me.
Bye.
Um, hi Amelia, it's Finn.
I really like your audition
reel, we should talk.
Call me back, or text me.
Bye.
Um, hi Amelia, it's Finn.
I really like your audition
reel, we should talk.
Call me back, or text me.
Bye.
End of messages.
Hello, this is Finn.
Hey Finn, it's Amelia, you busy?
No, no, not really.
So, you liked the short film I was in?
Yeah, I actually did.
I mean, I could tell it was raw,
but I could also tell
you can deliver lines.
Thanks, my sister's the one
that talked me into trying.
Hmm, ah, how old is your sister?
I mean, you look pretty young yourself.
Ah, she's 23.
She's senior where she goes
to school in Birmingham,
and I'm 30.
Oh, does she go to
UAB, or Birmingham Southern?
Birmingham Southern.
Huh, okay, and uh, so where do you live,
and how many kids do you have?
Or do you have any kids?
I live in Atlanta, and I have three kids.
Alexia is 16, Amanda's 14, and Ben is 12.
Huh, you started pretty young, and uh,
spaced them exactly two years apart, huh.
So you said you live in Atlanta?
Yeah, I uh, that's kind of a long story,
but uh, I live in Atlanta right now.
My oldest lives in Birmingham
where she goes to school.
Uh, Amanda lives with her
father in Mississippi,
and Ben lives with his father in Texas.
Okay.
So yeah, I have three kids
with three different fathers.
Like I said, it's a long story.
I uh, I'm from Jackson, Mississippi,
but I'm living right now
in Atlanta, with a friend.
That's a lot of places to keep up with.
So, you're divorced?
I am, married three times,
divorced three times.
So, this is me starting over.
And so the kids, they all went
to live with their fathers?
Yeah.
Well, Alexia is in school
for gifted art students.
It's part of Birmingham Southern,
where my sister, you know, is.
So it's good that she's
there if anything happens.
Amanda, I lost her in
an ugly custody battle.
Husband was friends with the judge,
so I knew I was screwed on that one.
And Ben,
It's just, he's a boy, you know,
it's just be better to
spend time with his father,
doing father son stuff, you know.
So um, in your divorce settlements,
you didn't get to keep any of the,
any of the houses you lived
in with your three husbands?
No, I uh, I didn't really
want to live in Texas,
so I went back to Mississippi.
I was a real estate agent for like,
a really big apartment complex.
Then I met this guy named Kevin,
who was much older than I am,
and he asked me to move in with him.
And he's in Mississippi?
Actually, he's in Atlanta.
He uh, kicked me out a few months
after I gave up my job to be with him.
Huh, so uh, you're uh,
living with a friend now?
You couldn't just go back to Mississippi?
Ah, that's a good question.
What happened was, I
was going up to Atlanta
every weekend to be with him,
and instead of going back and forth,
he said that if I moved in with him,
we could start a business together.
And uh, he did apply for the loan,
but once the financing fell
through, he kicked me out.
So uh, he kicked you out
because his loan didn't go through?
I know, right?
So uh, what kind of a
business were you going in?
Well, I always had my heart set
on helping abused and neglected teens,
so we were gonna open up a halfway house.
The plan was I was going to stay on site
and manage the facility.
Hm, I still can't
believe he kicked you out
because his loan didn't go through.
I know, right?
But uh, it's okay,
because karma's a bitch.
What do you mean?
Well, three days after he kicked me out,
his house burned down.
Wow, shit.
Yeah, yeah, I know, right?
But payback will always find you.
And the funny thing is,
well, it's not funny,
but you know what I mean.
I bought every single piece
of furniture in that house.
Everything, right down to
towels in the bathroom.
Hm, so uh, wow.
So what does he do for a living,
and how much older is he?
Ah, he's 30
years older than me, and uh,
he has an acting studio, in Atlanta.
So, he's 60.
So he's uh, 30 years older than you.
Yeah, well, I fell in love with him.
Did you get your old job back?
Ah, that's a good question.
I don't really want my old job back.
I don't wanna go back into real estate.
I kinda had my heart set
on helping abused teens.
I'm actually up for a
job right now in Kansas,
for the Teen Challenge program.
Oh, really, I know that program.
I used to be a journalist, and
we did a documentary on it.
Everything centers
around the Bible, right?
That's interesting that
you know what that is,
since it mostly deals with drug addicts.
Um, and I gotta be honest with you.
I used to be,
I used to be hooked on
like, meth, and cocaine,
so that's really why my
first husband left me.
So uh, you did meth.
Did your teeth get all fucked up?
Well, he paid to fix them.
He uh, was embarrassed when
he found out I had a problem,
and he didn't want his holy family,
or God forbid the neighbors, find out.
Are you still there,
or did I scare you off?
No, I'm still here,
just taking it all in.
I admire your honesty.
Hm, I thought my life was complicated.
Well, I just uh, figured it'd be better
to be up front with you.
I don't really have time for people
who can't handle the truth.
Yeah, I know
exactly what you mean.
That was the reason why
my two marriages failed.
So you aren't married now?
No, and uh, I'm not sure if I will.
I mean, you get married
and then you don't know
what it's going to be like
10 years down the road.
Especially if there's no
complete raw honesty and trust.
And unconditional love.
What'd you just say?
I said if two people don't
have unconditional love
it'll never work.
Why, you don't agree?
No, I agree.
I just don't think it exists.
Yeah, probably not.
But uh, that wasn't what really shocked me
when you said that.
Then what did?
Well, a few years back I wrote a book.
It was called A Journey Through Pines.
It's about this guy
spending his life looking
for unconditional love with someone,
and finds out that it doesn't exist.
It can only occur between
a parent and a child.
Yeah, I believe that, too.
See, love between adults can come and go,
but a bond between a parent
and a child cannot be broken,
or at least shouldn't be broken,
if your parent is doing it right.
I'd like to read your book.
Where can I find a copy of it?
Sure, it's on Amazon.
All right, well, I'll write that down.
A Journey Through Pines.
So you are a writer?
Yeah, I guess so.
Um, see I wrote the book,
and then it got turned into a movie.
But, I dunno if you ever written
anything in the long form,
but a book like this,
especially so emotional,
takes a lot out of you.
So the thought of actually
turning it into a screenplay
made me want to curl up in the
fetal position on the floor.
You know, so I hired somebody
in Argentina to do that.
Now the movie made it online, actually,
into all the major
video on demand outlets.
Which brings me to a
project I'm working on.
See, the deal I made with the studio
is that I give them a second screenplay,
and I'm just way behind on that promise.
Well, sounds like it'd be
something fun to do with you,
and I'd love to help in any way I can.
Okay, sure, let's see what happens.
But I have to run now,
so uh, can we talk later?
Like tonight?
Not necessarily,
but whenever you can.
Uh, well I can't tonight,
'cause I told my friend,
Christy, I'd go to Bible study with her.
What about tomorrow?
Sure, yeah, okay.
Sounds good.
All right, I
will talk to you soon.
Bye.
Bye, oh, wait.
Yeah, what is it?
Ah, this is, um, just a small question,
but your name, Finnegan,
doesn't really sound like Irish
or Scottish, or wherever a name
like Finnegan would come from.
No, I'm not Scottish.
I'm actually Russian born.
I left Russia when I was 16, in 1973.
My parents were um, kind of survivors
of the second World War.
My mother survived Holocaust,
and my father went to fight Nazi Germans
like throughout most of
the war, front lines.
So uh, when we came to this country,
they were kinda concerned
that, you know uh,
I might get in trouble being Russian,
and Cold War going on, so they
gave me this name, Finnegan.
I have no idea where, I
actually should ask my parents,
you know, where the hell
did they get that name from?
But anyway, that's how it happened.
Oh, that's weird.
Well, I've never really
known a real Russian before.
Or anyone named Finnegan,
and I don't think I actually know
what the Cold War is, either.
Well, let me put it this way,
thank God it wasn't a hot war.
Anyway, I'll talk to you later.
Bye.
Okay, bye.
What's up guys, it's Amelia again,
here with another video tutorial
of how to use my makeup products
that I am offering to you guys.
This one is up for our tomboy collection.
It is a little bit
edgy, a little bit nice.
First, as always, you
start with a foundation.
I kind of ran out of foundation,
and this is my roommate's,
so you cannot tell her.
This little thing make
my bags go packing, ayy.
My God, she's beautiful.
Because makeup is all about deceit.
Makeup
is to accentuate, and to
also lie a little bit.
Give it a little.
And there you go.
A little bit sassy.
If you guys are interested
in any of these products,
again, you can contact me personally.
If you can subscribe, hit
like, hit I don't like this.
Uh, if you are interested,
let me know personally.
Contact me, message me,
and I will get these products to you.
Thanks for watching.
You know, I spent way
too much time looking
at your picture today on Facebook.
Why?
Don't laugh, but you know, you
actually look like somebody
I imagine I would fall in love
with when I was a little boy.
What do you mean?
Well when I was 13 or
so, before I go to sleep,
I would close my eyes
and imagine this woman
I would fall in love with.
And when I looked at your pictures,
you looked exactly like her.
So I was shocked a little.
I uh, , that's overwhelming.
Yeah, imagine how I felt.
So you like what you see?
Yeah.
By the way, what's um, what's
with that do-it-yourself
step by step makeup you have over there?
Well, uh, oh God.
I uh, never really felt
very good about my looks.
I never, I'm not pretty, and I know it.
So just to make myself feel
better when I did makeup,
in the morning I would talk to myself,
kinda like Snow White.
You know, mirror, mirror, on the wall,
who's the prettiest one of all?
I know, it's silly, but it's what made me
feel better about my looks.
Did you just flush the toilet?
Yeah.
You gonna wash your hands?
Sure.
So, uh, my friend convinced me to ah,
do online tutorial videos
of how to teach girls
how to do makeup.
And in exchange for teaching
them how to use the makeup,
they would buy the makeup.
So, hopefully.
So um, how did that work out?
It lasted two weeks, tops.
Now, why would you think
of yourself as not beautiful?
I can answer that one,
but I have a little bit
of a confession to make.
Okay.
I bought your book yesterday,
and I stayed up all night reading it.
Hmm, and that's a good thing?
All I can say is wow.
I, I have no words for
how I felt when I finished
at sunrise this morning.
And I uh, have to see the movie now.
I might have also bought
your uh, your T-shirt.
It'll be here in a couple days.
Hm, well thank you for
contributing to my retirement fund.
Yeah, anytime.
Now, the uh, the movie picks
up where the book leaves off,
so you might want to rent it.
You know, it doesn't end
as happy as the book did.
How can I, how can I see it?
It's also on Amazon.
So, what were the
circumstances surrounding
why you wrote the book?
Well, it was a low point in my life.
I lost three family members
in an 18 month period,
my first marriage was on the
rocks, and I was totally lost.
I was living in California
for about 10 years,
and then when my father
died I decided to move
to Alabama to be closer to my mother.
You know, she kind of
never learned how to drive,
so uh, I would drive to her
house about two hours away,
and help her with whatever
she needs help with,
for, I dunno, about six months.
And then um, you know, I
kind thought that something
still wasn't quite right.
So one day I came from
work, and uh, told my wife
that I wanted to move in with my mother.
She can either come with
me, stay in Birmingham,
or go back to California.
And?
Well,
four hours after I had that conversation,
I got a call that my mother died.
I never got to tell her about
my plans of coming home.
Finn, I'm so sorry.
Yeah.
Anyway, uh.
I hit rock bottom.
I ended up moving to my mother's house
and just locking myself
up there for three months.
That's where I wrote the book.
I'm so sorry that happened to you.
Yeah.
Well, that was 1992.
Fast forward, 2013.
My oldest daughter turned 16.
I wanted to give her a present.
Something special, and I
wasn't about to buy her a car.
So I thought of the book
of the book I had written.
See, she was named after one
of the characters in the book,
and even though I didn't
have any kids at that time,
I always knew that if one
day I will have a daughter,
I'll name her Karley.
So, I thought it would be
cool to give her a book
with her name in it.
That is a great present.
Of course, she wanted to
know how come her name
was in the book that's been
written before she was born.
I tried to explain to her that
one day when she would want
children of her own, she'll understand.
The point is,
I always wanted her to
look for unconditional love
in her relationships.
Amelia?
Are you crying?
What's wrong?
I uh, I just
know exactly what you mean.
You do?
We just have these conditions
that we um, place on love.
We have these expectations, and it's,
it's unreachable, you know?
It's conditional.
I think except of between
a parent and a child.
Even then.
I uh.
When I was little, um.
My brother sexually abused me.
I never told anyone, until
he was 25 and in prison.
And I told my parents.
They told me that I still had to love him
because he's my brother.
They never said sorry for what happened.
And that's where my hang ups
about my looks come from.
I'm, I'm really sorry to hear that.
It was seven years ago,
I haven't spoke to them since then.
So uh, how is it between
you and your brother now?
Well, we talked, I mean, you know.
We went out for lunch
when he got out of prison,
and uh, I forgave him,
and he said he found God.
Hm, how does that effect
your relationships?
Um, if you mean sexually,
uh, I don't enjoy sex.
I mean, it's just a performance thing.
I do it because I have to,
and I usually end up crying afterwards.
They never know it.
I told my last boyfriend, but...
Last boyfriend, still
can't believe how someone
you gave up your job for,
asked you to move in with him,
just kick you out because
his loan didn't go through.
Yeah, pretty shitty.
So uh,
how are you surviving now, financially?
Well um, that's part of the problem.
He uh, bought me a car, so that
ties me to him, financially.
I don't really have any
other bills right now.
I mean, I saved up enough
money for food and gas.
But, I mean, living with my best friend
helps me from paying rent.
So you don't get anything
from your ex husbands?
No.
So you have to deal with this Kevin guy,
even though he threw your
ass out on the street?
He says that he still loves
be and that he misses me.
Can you go back?
No, I'm not interested in going back.
He's in a motel right now, anyway,
'til his house is rebuilt.
How often do
you see your children?
Once a month or so.
I have an idea.
What?
Why don't you send me a picture
of yourself every day,
so I know I'm a part of your life now.
I mean, we just spilled our
guts about some heavy duty shit.
Takes people weeks to divulge
this kind of information.
I mean,
are you gonna do the same?
Sure.
I don't know if you're gonna want
more than one picture from me.
I uh, I don't wear any makeup.
I don't, I don't have any
makeup right now, so uh.
I prefer it that way.
Okay.
Amelia Amanda Garner.
Warning, this report
contains arrest records
and criminal court documents
that may be disturbing.
Okay.
Three criminal records,
five court documents,
one bankruptcy, two DUI reports.
Well, hm.
'Kay.
39 bucks, to find out what?
Nope.
Still beautiful.
Send.
I'd like that
very much.
Send.
What am I doing?
I have no money, no clothes.
I'm living out of a plastic bag.
I'm eating someone else's food,
swimming in somebody else's pool.
I might be falling in love, again,
with some guy old enough to be my father,
that I've never met.
He's either really good, or
this is a really cruel joke.
Either way, I know my
life is about to change.
And what scares me is I'm not sure
if I'll regret meeting him,
or if I'll ever love
another man because of him.
What choice do I have but to find out?
So, are we gonna write
the screenplay, or what?
Well, if I knew how to do that,
I wouldn't have needed you, would I?
Then let me do
my job and play your muse.
You ready?
Okay, so your two main characters,
they meet on the phone, and fall in love?
Well, that's the idea, anyway.
That's perfect, it's
something we can play off of.
They always say to write what you know,
so now all we have to do is fall in love.
Okay, so in the prelude
of your screenplay,
you mention some sort of
study about two people
who asked each other 30 intimate questions
there was a better chance
of them falling in love?
Actually, there was a real study done
by psychologist Arthur Aron.
Yeah, yeah I know, I uh, I
read it in the New York Times,
or some shit like that.
But I don't really know the questions,
so why don't we just make up our own?
So, do you want me to go first,
or do you want me to start?
Is this how we're gonna
write a screenplay?
Why not?
Let's see if this shit works.
So, do you want me to go
first, or do you want to start?
You go ahead, go first,
go ahead, by all means.
I would love to, but you gotta promise
to be completely honest,
no matter how embarrassing
your answers might be.
I can, can you?
You nave no idea.
All right, ready?
First question.
When was the last time you had sex?
You had to start with the
most embarrassing one,
especially for a man.
And your hand doesn't count.
Great, this is funny, really.
Ah, I don't remember.
I guess like a year and a half ago,
and it was buddy fuck
with a drunk old friend.
Nice, are you still friends?
Is this your second question?
No, no no no, no no, your turn.
Okay.
Well,
okay.
Given anyone dead or
alive, anyone in the world,
who would you have as a dinner guest?
Ah, Jesus
Christ, hands down, Jesus.
I mean, I, just, this life is
just so twisted and unfair,
and this world is just so cruel, you know?
Just, I have problems, you
know, why are children dying,
why not just go right to the source?
All right, next question.
Um.
You know what, same question to you.
Who would you have dinner with?
Hm.
I think that would be Amelia Earhart.
Aww, that's my name.
I know, I love that name, your name.
She was a woman who arrived
way before her time.
Strong, fearless, fragile even.
I'd love to know what happened to her.
And actually I was
gonna write a screenplay
about Fred Noonan, her navigator.
I bet he was in love with her,
but all she wanted him
for was to help her to fly
around the world nonstop.
I wonder if he could ever
tell her how he felt,
maybe right before they crashed?
Or months and months on
a deserted island, alone.
Hm, yeah.
Yeah, that's who I would want
to have as a dinner guest.
Okay, my turn.
If you had a crystal ball
that could tell you anything
you wanted to know, what would that be?
Uh, how I would die.
Seriously?
Not like, when, but how.
I mean, yeah, it could
lead me to be more careful
about the decision that causes my death.
Wow, that could be a scary one.
Or a piece of information
that someone needs to know.
All right, uh, next question.
What is your biggest regret?
Being responsible for
my brother's suicide.
It was
spring, New York City, 1986.
My brother and I went to the movie,
and afterwards we went to dinner.
See, my brother was sick
like, for nine years,
with this terminal illness, and uh,
it's kinda hard to be around him.
He would just like suck
all your energy out,
and your energy would just
go into this dying man.
Anyway, ah, when we sat at
the table, the waiter came.
And I knew the waiter,
so I started chatting to
the waiter, and laughing,
ignoring my brother.
He uh, he tried to tell
me something, like uh,
this life wasn't meant for him.
And he just sit and looked down
as I was laughing with the waiter.
Next day he killed himself.
How did you lose your kids?
Listen, uh, we don't have to
play this game anymore, really.
No, no, I uh, promised to
be honest and open with you,
and you promised the
same, so I gotta do it.
I was bored.
We had a lot of money, you know.
My husband probably made about, what,
200 grand a year, more?
I was buying expensive
things I didn't need.
And uh, I started snorting coke
to relieve my pathetic
existence, you know.
I wasn't really interested in
any of the social hierarchy,
and I didn't really have a
career that I was chasing,
so I just developed a
really expensive habit.
And uh, my husband found
out, got embarrassed of me,
put me in rehab.
Wasn't long before I found somebody else,
and when we, when I kept
falling off the wagon,
he divorced me.
And I knew I didn't have a chance in hell
of keeping my daughter.
Hm, when was the last time you did drugs?
Since I lost my daughter?
Never again.
Hm.
So how did you lose the
custody of your second child?
Oh, well.
I cheated,
and my husband was a cop.
He knew everybody in
town, including the judge.
So I knew I was screwed again.
And uh, the third marriage?
How did that fail?
Eh, well, he just wanted me for my looks.
Poor guy, he said I was
the best looking woman
he'd ever been with, and, you know.
I tried to be a good wife,
I did everything I could've to please him.
And this time it was him that cheated.
But now I've given up on being happy
and having the life
that I've always wanted.
I didn't feel worthy of being happy.
I'm a survivor though,
I don't fear living
out of a cardboard box.
But Amelia, you have to stop
taking such desperate chances.
You know, you have to uh,
let somebody love you.
You have to allow to be loved.
I don't need anyone, really.
I only really need God.
I mean, honestly, he's the one
I should have been pursuing
the whole time.
He's the answer to everything.
I don't know, I don't think
God intended us to be alone.
It'll go against His, one of
His most famous commandments,
love one another.
Yeah, so are you religious?
Do you believe in God?
Well, I'm not your typical Bible belter.
You know, I believe that,
I believe that religion
is the way we treat humans, you know.
Um, what I, what we do to one another.
What we say to each other,
whether it's a one time encounter,
or a lifelong friendship.
You know, what I leave you
with, what somebody gives me.
I think that's what religion is all about.
My daddy always told me I was
like Delilah in the Bible.
Only cared about material things,
and the ironic part about it is we never
had shit growing up.
You know, and I guess I
always looked for in other men
what my daddy couldn't provide, you know?
Food on the table, and nice things.
The ironic part, I guess,
the temple's starting
to fall down around me.
You know actually, I always wanted to uh,
write a screenplay about the
modern day Samson and Delilah.
He's a country preacher and
she's a dancer at a strip club.
I'd go see that.
So um, where were we with
our intimate questions?
Or have we been doing it all along?
I don't know.
I don't know about you, but
I'm pretty depressed now.
I know.
All right, okay.
Here's a fun one.
What's your favorite part of the body?
On me, or somebody else?
On you.
Well, I have a tattoo on my thigh.
It's um, it's a pirate ship at sea,
and it's uh, being
entangled by an octopus.
Mm, pirate at heart.
No, I guess, not really.
Just maybe a sign not to fuck with me.
And yet, the ship is being
attacked by an octopus.
And your point?
Well, an octopus can camouflage itself
to its surroundings
when it's being attacked
or it's afraid of something.
And then it waits for the
right moment to strike back.
So there is a battle
going on between octopus
and the pirate ship.
The question is, which one is you?
Or, maybe I'm the sea.
Not to be confused as to
who's really in charge.
I don't think you'll be
uh, forgotten anytime soon,
by anyone who's gonna
try to cross your ocean.
Bring your life jacket.
So uh, I don't remember who's turn it is,
but here I have uh, I have one for you.
Let's see how honest you can be.
Ooh, is this one a test?
Maybe.
How do you feel about
pornography?
Oh ho ho, um, well.
I think that for some
people it is a disgusting,
destructive, bad habit.
Um, but for me, thank
God for the Internet.
Explain.
Well, um, I just never really
been comfortable sexually,
you know, since my brother,
so sex has always just been
a performance thing for me.
I just have so many hang ups about it,
and uh, everybody needs release.
So, thank God, but then again
if it was my only release,
eh, it's probably not
very healthy as well.
But isn't that how you describe
your sex life anyway, these days?
Not being able to be yourself,
not being able to let go?
So uh, what about you, mister?
Since you're gonna go there.
You haven't been with
somebody in over a year.
I will probably cry like a
baby when I finally let go.
Cry, you sure you won't be
filled with tears of joy?
Well, I have trust issues too, Amelia.
You know, I uh,
I don't want to have a sexual encounter
that passes in the night.
I have, what, 15 good years in me?
I want to spend it with one person.
Finn, you know I'd be a lot of work.
I can only go where I
wanna go with one man, Finn.
I feel you, waving at me in the dark.
I so badly want to swim to shore,
but the tide just keeps pushing me further
and further out to sea.
Oh God, this sounds so corny,
but it really hurts to see the lighthouse
pass out of my reach.
Amelia.
One mistake I keep
repeating all my life is that
I can't save you, and you can't save me.
I can only wave from the shore,
you have to swim to me.
How do you imagine it'll
feel when our skin touches,
or our lips touch for the first time?
I feel like we'll
just get lost in that moment.
I feel like there wouldn't be
anything you can possibly say
or do to make me go away.
I feel like never,
ever being alone again.
I've got uh, one more
confession left in me tonight.
Oh?
Well, you called one
day, while I was bathing.
And, if I'm being completely honest,
I had snuck into my
friend's private bathroom
while she was gone.
I was uh, I was horny as hell,
and uh, before I could get
really going, you called.
Oh yeah?
And uh, I didn't stop to answer the phone,
but that's not the secret.
Okay, what is it?
You have this incredibly sexy voice,
and so uh, I played
your voicemail message,
over and over, while I uh,
I finished getting off.
Whew, I guess
uh, I'll keep in mind
my sexy voice.
You could totally
make a living doing phone sex
if this whole writing
thing doesn't work out.
Do you wanna tell me what uh,
what the fantasy was about?
Let's just say I don't think
we're gonna make it to 30 questions.
We talked all
night, until the sunrise.
I'm not sure I heard much else you said.
I needed to know she was for real,
I needed to make sure
that her chaotic life
was not her fault, but a chain of rather
ill fated circumstances that happened
to the dreamers with good intentions.
I needed to see her, face to face.
Hi, you've reached me.
Leave a message.
Hey, this is Finn.
Are you in the bathtub?
You can pick up.
Listen, uh.
I dunno if that 30 question thing worked,
but I just can't stop thinking about you.
I mean I, I haven't shared
this much with anyone
or been close to someone in a long time.
I guess I'd gotten used to the
idea of just being by myself,
or living inside my own head
for the rest of my life.
But one thing I know is that
if there is something going on,
this is gonna be my last shot at it.
My age says take it easy, you know.
Whatever happens, happens,
but my heart just shouts,
grab onto it, man.
Dream like you're gonna live forever.
So what I'm saying is...
Hi, you've reached me.
Leave a message.
Hey, I thought I'd try you again.
Hey you, I'm
sorry about not being able
to talk much today.
I, I didn't know I was gonna have a chance
to be with Amanda.
Remember that I told you
that Kevin teaches acting?
Well, Amanda's in his class,
so of course afterwards,
he asked her if she wanted to call me
and get pizza with him.
And I didn't really want to, but,
it was a chance to see her, so I took it.
Sure, I understand.
So uh, what have you been up to?
Nothing really.
Thinking a lot, trying to write.
That wasn't happening.
Still stuck?
Our long phone call
last night didn't help?
I'm not sure what that did.
Sorry, um, I uh,
I heard most of that.
Let me, let me walk outside
and see if I can hear you better.
Can you hear me?
I can always hear you, Amelia.
So, what you're
saying is that you've changed
your mind about me.
No, no, no, no, not at all.
Actually the opposite.
I need to see you.
I mean, I
know we just started talking
on the phone a few days
ago, but what's been said,
you know, we kind of spilled our guts
about most of our lives and
how we got to where we are now.
I think it's only natural
to want to see each other.
You uh, you already
know what I look like.
Yeah, I know.
It's part of the problem.
I love the way you look.
And I love how you look.
See, do you not feel the same?
No, no, I do!
It's just, it's, it's
just been really fast.
I'm almost pinching myself to
make sure I'm not dreaming.
I know, I get it, I was there.
But Amelia, we're both grown ups.
I think we can handle
a normal conversation
when we can actually look at each other.
Say, over lunch?
You're right, you're right.
So uh, when do you want to do this?
Well, you are the one
with a complicated life,
you know, you tell me.
Ah, so, this is Tuesday.
I have to come into Birmingham on Friday
to pick up Amanda after school.
Why don't I see you
after I drop her off at,
I don't know, three o'clock?
I have a few hours
between dropping her off
and picking her up for the weekend.
Sold, I'll take it.
Um, so where do you want me to meet you?
Oh, um, mm, there's a little hole
in the wall restaurant,
it's like a mom and pop.
It's called Arley's Coffee,
it's close by the school.
Uh, I'll text it to you.
Okay, great.
Uh, also uh , I have an idea.
Uh, why don't we don't
talk between now and then?
This way it'll feel fresh when we meet.
Mm, that's a little
weird, but all right.
Okay, good, I'll see you Friday at three?
Yay, can't wait!
Me neither, so uh, I'll see you later?
All right, I'll talk to you later.
Okay, oh wait, uh, one more thing.
It's about uh, you know, us,
sharing things with each other.
I mean uh, you know, we
told a lot of intimate stuff
to each other, the kind of
things that we haven't shared
with anyone else.
What if uh, something
happens to one of us?
I mean, there'd be nobody to
call me, nobody to call you.
We'd just be wondering what happened.
Oh, don't say that,
Finn, that's horrible.
But it's true.
Oh, God, don't say that.
That makes me really sad.
Well, something I've been thinking about.
Would you come looking for me?
Probably.
And uh, what would
you say when you found me?
Well,
I'd want to know that you are
where you really want to be.
Hey, uh, I thought you
didn't want us to speak
before we meet.
Well, I didn't want to text and drive.
That's probably a smart move.
Um, how far away are you?
I'm about 30 minutes away.
Um, I didn't expect to meet before three,
so I'll be there as soon as I can.
No, yeah, that's, that's fine, I just,
I ended up getting Amanda out of school
a little bit early to hang out with her.
Uh, I have some errands to
do with Kevin, actually,
so that could kill some
time before we meet.
Hm, well uh, I'll be there in 30 minutes.
Okay, I'll see you in about 30.
Hey, Finn.
You're a little short, but stunning, wow.
You look even more beautiful in person.
Thanks, not for the short comment, but.
Let's go inside.
So uh, wanna order?
Can we wait?
Unless you really want to.
No, we can wait.
Can I ask you something?
Does Kevin know you're here with me?
Why would that matter?
You said he still loves
you and cares about you.
You just made a bank deposit for him.
He probably thinks that you guys
are going to work things out.
It's none of his business
who I have lunch with.
Maybe not, but knew what we talked about,
and what we shared, I
don't think he'd approve.
When a man, I mean, I
don't care what man he is.
When a woman he's been inside
of is with another man.
I mean, I get it, but did
you have to say it like that?
When was the last time you guys did it?
What, had sex?
Yeah.
Honestly?
Yeah.
A few days ago.
A few,
a few days ago?
I was trying to help you
write your screenplay, okay?
And had me thinking about how
honest you and I had been,
and how dishonest he and I had been,
and so I just wanted to call
him up and have a conversation
and just get some stuff off my chest.
And being who he is,
he didn't want to have
that conversation over the phone.
So I drove down to the motel,
and he opened the door.
And as soon as he saw
me, he just grabbed me,
and he started kissing.
And he told me that he missed me.
So you just fucked him?
I laid there, he did the fucking.
And it was the first time
he saw me cry after sex.
But it doesn't mean that
you have to keep doing this.
If you find yourself with the right man,
the two of you can change it.
You can work at it, you know?
Honestly, Amelia.
You know sex is just an act with me, okay?
I don't enjoy it.
Not that I do it because,
it's just, I can't.
I can't enjoy it.
What did he say when he saw you cry?
Nothing.
He had already gotten what he wanted.
I don't know, Amelia.
Some things just don't add up with you.
Like what?
Well, like making bank deposits for a man
who kicked you out.
I mean, I know, but, he
bought me a car, Finn.
I mean, I'm just trying
to help him out, too.
Okay, he has an acting class.
The bank closes early, I'm just trying
to help him out, okay?
The man bought me a car, it's the
least I could do.
Pretty trusting errand
for two people who are
broken up, don't you think?
Not really.
He says that he loves me
and that he still misses me.
We just can't live together.
But you're living with your friend
because he kicked you out.
You lost everything in his house fire,
you quit your job to be with him.
And what do you do now?
Running errands for him,
making bank deposits?
You knew my life was complicated.
What, you have a problem with it now?
This is why I didn't want
to talk before we met.
Didn't want anything to
ruin our first meeting,
but you know what, face to face, okay?
We can work it out.
'Kay?
Amelia.
You can tell me anything,
I won't judge you, okay?
But I've got to know the truth.
I can deal with anything, but
nothing short of the truth.
I have been honest with you,
I've been really honest with you.
I'm just, I'm trying to
work things out, okay?
My life is complicated,
and I didn't need another relationship.
I'm just trying to help you
out with your screenplay,
you just happened.
Okay, all right, sorry.
I love you.
I want to help you.
I want you to help me,
because I'm damaged from
my past relationships.
You see, you and I have
something that most people
can only wish and hope for.
The willingness to deal
with the ugly shit.
Together we can build something
that no one can ever break.
You've done this before.
What are you talking about?
You've done this before.
I've been upfront with you
with my feelings, haven't I?
Amelia, this is different.
Can we just, can we get some
menus and order some food?
I'm starving.
Sure.
Excuse me?
Can I get a cheeseburger with onion rings
and extra pickle, please?
I knew you were gonna order that.
I'll have the same.
No one will ever get one with me.
So there you go.
So you think you love me?
I do.
I mean, it's not like, I'm
gonna die if I don't have you.
But,
I want this to be special.
I want this to be the last relationship
either one of us have.
I love you, too.
So uh,
what doesn't add up?
About my story, just out of curiosity?
Well, let me tell you what I think.
I think you gotten your ass
between a rock and a hard place.
I think that you're still with Kevin,
but trying to leave him.
However, because he pays your bills
since you don't have a job, you
have a hard time doing this.
Then, you meet me.
Now that you think you
and I can be real thing,
you're in a tough spot.
I can't do this.
I can't do this, I can't do this.
I, I'm doing the same thing that I've done
in every relationship,
and I need to change.
I'm doing the same thing
and I'm expecting different results.
Listen, wait.
I'm sorry.
Listen, wait,
if you leave now, you'll
never break the cycle, okay?
Let us be good for each other.
All you need is God, okay?
You don't need to pursue me,
and I don't need you, okay?
You don't need me, you're just,
you're pursuing the wrong thing, okay?
Okay, listen, don't do
anything rash, okay?
Think about it.
I know it's a lot to take,
let's talk later, okay?
Maybe it was God that
let us find each other.
No, Finn.
I'm sorry, I can't do
this, this is all too fast.
Wait, Amelia, Amelia!
Thanks for lunch?
Yes.
Wow.
You made me fall in love with you
after only four phone calls.
You said you loved me, right?
And then you left.
You left after our only
first and only meeting.
And all you have to do
is say thanks for lunch?
We didn't even get to eat fucking lunch!
Just, find God, Finn.
You're such a hypocrite.
You call yourself a Christian?
What kind of a Christian does
that to another human being?
And don't talk to me about religion,
because I know how to treat
people, and this isn't it!
Goodbye, Finn.
Crazy bitch.
What?
Finn, it's Laura.
I've been trying to call you.
I'm sick of fucking phones.
We've gotta talk
about your deadline.
You're lucky I was asleep,
I didn't realize I was answering it.
Look, I just got a letter
from the production company,
saying you have until the end of the week
to turn a script in.
Well it ain't gonna happen.
Tell them I'll pay their
advance back somehow.
You mean you haven't
written a damn thing
this whole time?
No, now bye.
We're sorry,
you have reached a number
that has been disconnected
or is no longer in service.
Can I help you?
Uh, my name is Finnegan.
I knew Amelia, uh.
Do you know where she is?
Yeah, she's right here.
Can I come in?
Yeah, why not?
Come on in.
What are you doing here?
Looking for answers.
Wait a second, wait a second.
You know this man?
Yeah, she knows me.
She fell in love with me,
or at least that's what she said.
Is this the fella you say
has been bothering you?
Oh, I see, that's how she played it.
So you must be the guy who
kicked her out on the street
just before your house burned down?
You know about that?
Finn, I told you, I don't
want a relationship.
You also said that all you needed was God.
So old Kevin here must be
Jesus Christ come back again.
Did you know that
we talked on the phone at
all hours of day and night?
Sharing with each other
intimate stuff about our lives,
making plans to be together.
Is this true?
Amelia, is this true?
Do you even have three kids?
Did you really quit your
job to be with this guy?
Did you burn his house down?
No!
I mean, yes, I have three kids.
You come here to humiliate me?
No.
I came here to,
to see that
you are where you want to be.
Congratulations, my man.
They loved your script.
What script?
You are so funny!
It's a masterpiece.
You had me fooled from the very beginning.
I couldn't tell if it was about something
that had happened to you,
or if it was a screenplay
about writing a screenplay,
or a screenplay being
written right in front of us.
Anyway, we're putting the book out first,
and the movie's gonna be
made at the end of the year.
You see, you
and I have something
that most people can only wish...
The chances are not
good that a single one of us
will ever meet our soulmate.
Besides, what if our
soulmate is nothing more
than the little voice we
hear inside of our head,
guiding us through a lifetime of choices?
Each one totally dependent on
what we hear, see, and feel,
from every intimate
relationship along the way.
The question them becomes,
what choices will we make?
Okay, maybe it was God
that let us find each other.
I heard a man
named Finnegan say exactly
what I needed to hear.
I love you, I want to help you.
I saw him only twice,
but I'm not sure he ever saw me.
And the path I had chose,
well, left me homeless,
and he got his muse.
Plato believed humans originally
came with four arms, four
legs, one head, but two faces.
Zeus was so intimidated by this,
that he split the body in two pieces,
and we've all been looking
for our other half ever since.
I think Finn is on a mission
to find his other half,
while I'm on a journey.
Two totally different destinations.