Die My Love (2025)
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Screenplay: Enda Walsh, Lynne Ramsay, Alice Birch
Based on: Die, My Love, by Ariana Harwicz
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence (Grace), Robert Pattinson (Jackson), LaKeith Stanfield (Karl), Nick Nolte (Harry), Sissy Spacek (Pam), Gabrielle Rose (Jen), Debs Howard (Marsha), Sarah Lind (Cheryl), Marcus Della Rosa (The Lifeguard)
Release dates: May 17, 2025 (Cannes); November 7, 2025 (United States)
Plot: Jackson’s uncle leaves his Montana home to him after his death. Jackson decides to move there from New York with his pregnant girlfriend, Grace. Soon after the couple moves in, Grace gives birth to a baby boy.
While initially happy and playful in their rural abode, Grace and Jackson begin to have problems, not long after the baby’s birth. He is away at work for long periods, while she feels stuck at home; her feelings of boredom, loneliness, and abandonment worsen when she realizes that Jackson is sleeping with other women while he is on the road for work. Sexually and emotionally frustrated, Grace masturbates at home and in the woods surrounding her house.
It is revealed that in the months leading up to the baby’s birth, Jackson’s father Harry passed away. Grace visits Jackson’s mother, Pam, now a widow, seeking company and support. The two women talk over iced tea about the challenges Pam has faced, navigating the world without Harry, but when the conversation turns to Grace’s mood swings and trouble coping with her current circumstances, Grace leaves. Grace is also disturbed to learn from Pam that Jackson’s uncle who died and left them the house had died by suicide inside of it by shooting himself up his rectum.
Jackson brings home a dog without checking in with Grace, but she does not welcome this new addition, especially as it constantly barks and cannot be calmed. One night, after the dog is injured in a car accident, she demands that Jackson shoot it, asserting, “Something you love is suffering. Put it out of its misery.” When Jackson refuses to shoot the dog, saying he will take it to the vet the next day, Grace shoots it herself.
As time goes on, Grace’s behavior grows increasingly erratic. She walks around with knives, begins an affair with a stranger who drives by the house on a motorcycle, and on one occasion throws herself through a glass door when particularly upset. In the midst of all this, Grace and Jackson fight continuously, leading Grace to spin out and react more and more intensely.
Despite their constant fighting, Jackson asks Grace to marry him one afternoon when the two are playing in the grass as they used to. The wedding and reception start off well, but by the end of the night, Jackson rebuffs Grace when she continues to ask him repeatedly to kiss her, and leaves her to dance on her own. She eventually heads to the bridal suite alone.
Waiting for Jackson, Grace asks the receptionist to bring her ice for a bottle of champagne; when the receptionist refuses, it is implied that she asks him to come sing for her in her hotel room. She dances to the music, and suddenly, bashes her head into a mirror, drawing blood. Grace returns home on foot with the baby in a stroller, and along the way, is spotted by Jackson, who silently admonishes her and guides mother and child into the car.
Jackson commits Grace to a psychiatric institution. Here, a psychiatrist talks to her about her relationship with her parents and suggests that she has abandonment issues that stem from their death when she was a child. When Grace is released, she seems to be doing better, but her world has changed markedly during her brief time in the hospital. Jackson has bought a new car, and cleaned, remodeled, and repainted the house in her absence.
When the family hosts a welcome-back party for Grace, she snaps after hearing how “healthy” and “well” she looks, and tries to leave. Jackson takes her on a drive, during which she expresses that she does not want to go back, and that he does not see her. When they reach a stopping point, they sit in silence for some time, before Grace kisses Jackson and says, “Enough,” walking into the nearby forest.
Jackson continues to smoke a cigarette pensively while Grace sets fire to the journal she kept in the psychiatric ward. She leaves the journal to burn while she removes her dress. Jackson realizes that something is wrong and runs into the forest just in time to see Grace walk into the rapidly spreading fire.
* * *
Die My Love (2025) | Transcript
[Ethereal melody; Soothing, bell-like percussion]
[Delicate violin plucking]
[Sustained, warm violin tone joins]
[Music fades]
[Insects chirp]
[Birdsong]
[Gentle rustling]
[Vehicle approaches]
[Car engine stops]
[Man] Oh man.
[Woman] Wow.
[Horse neighs in the distance]
[Man] I haven’t been here since I was a little kid.
[Woman] I thought you grew up here.
[Man] Like round the corner.
I knocked my tooth out on that step.
Got me brain damaged.
[Woman chuckles]
[Man laughs]
[He laughs] It’s not New York, but… it’s ours.
I think it’s gonna be pretty sick, no?
[Door opens] Yeah?
I could send for my drum kit?
[Woman] No way.
[Man] No?
My uncle was a hoarder.
I didn’t realise how much… space there was in here.
It’s peaceful.
[He climbs up the stairs] I can just record an album out here so easily.
Gracie!
What?
[Man] I found an office!
[Grace] Oh.
[Man] You can write your Great American Novel up here.
Whoa!
What?
[Man] Um…
It’s alright.
It’s just a little rat situation.
We should get a cat.
[Man] You can write all day, every day.
Nothing but the birds singing.
[Grace] How did he die?
[Man] Um…
I don’t know.
[Grace chuckles]
[She climbs up the stairs]
[She climbs down the stairs]
Here we are.
We need a broom.
[They laugh]
[Harsh, fast-paced rock music]
[Music continues]
[Music halts; Insects chirp and buzz]
[Pinky & Perky’s version of Let’s Twist Again plays in the distance]
[Man] Hey, hey, hey.
[Baby cries]
Hey.
Hey.
[He sings]
♪ Came on, let’s twist again ♪
Hey! Where’s your mommy?
[Crying continues] Pumpkin, where’s your mommy?
[Baby gurgles]
[Man babbles in singsong]
Oh, no!
Where’s Mommy?
[Music continues]
Oh, God.
Grace.
[Music halts]
[Insects buzz;
Baby coos] Mom wanted to stop by.
Oh?
I told her it wasn’t a big deal.
It’s like a “us” thing.
And it’s just for six months, anyway, so…
[Grace] Mmhmm.
I just feel kind of bad, ’cause I think she just wants the company.
I don’t mind her coming.
It’s weird.
It’s like she doesn’t know how to function any more.
She’s still cooking for two people.
Did she tell you that?
It’s too sweet.
Yeah? No, it’s nice.
He liked it.
A real mom would have baked a cake.
[He scoffs]
Want another one?
Why is it so fuckin’ hot?
[She mimics his voice]
“Why is it so fuckin’ hot?”
“Why is it so fuckin’ hot?”
It’s always hot.
[Baby coos]
[Record whirrs]
[Insects chirp]
[Baby cries]
[Baby gurgles]
[Baby coos]
[Faint, unsettling buzz]
[Insects chirp and buzz]
Boy’s asleep.
[Man] Mmhmm.
[He hums]
[He spits]
[Motorcycle revs nearby]
[Revving fades into the distance] You wanna look?
How can you not give a shit about the stars, Grace?
Well, they make me feel like nothing.
[Man]
I like they make me feel like I’m part of something bigger.
You like to feel like nothing?
[Man] No.
You know how many universes there are out there?
What are we doing in the different universe?
Are we together?
[Man] Sure we are.
Am I a rock star?
[Man] Hmm…
Can you sing in a different universe?
Hey.
[He chuckles] Yeah, I’m sure you’re a rock star.
Do we fuck?
[Man] Uh-huh.
All the time?
Hey, what?
Do. We. Fuck?
Like rabbits.
[He chuckles]
Do you hear him?
[Man] No.
He’s crying. Listen.
[Man] Grace, it’s totally silent.
Am I boring you?
[Grace] Not you.
The universe.
[Door opens]
Who gives a shit?
[Door closes]
[He sighs]
[TV presenter]
…a wild party mom…
[Woman on TV] I’m very well known as Big Bouncy, the over-the-hill party girl.
[TV presenter] …swap lives for two weeks.
[Woman 2 on TV] I hope you survive.
[Boy on TV]Bye!
[Woman] Nice to meet you.
[Soft rattling] We are two worlds apart.
[Woman 2] I’ve never seen anything good come from alcohol.
[Woman] I’ve never killed an animal before. Oh, my God!
[Boy] I’m talking!
[Woman 2] I’ve never seen a more disrespectful child.
[Soft rattling]
[Soft rattling]
[Horse whinnies in the distance]
[Horse neighs]
[Horse neighs intensely]
[Soft snoring]
[He grunts sleepily]
[She sighs]
[Woman]
Does it feel like a girl?
[Grace] What does a girl feel like?
[Woman] If it moves more on the right, then you’re probably having a boy.
You didn’t wanna know?
[Grace] Mmmm.
Grace, I…
I didn’t find out what I was having either.
I think that’s nice.
You didn’t find out ’cause you wanted a girl.
[She laughs ironically] Ha, ha.
Oh, gosh. He forgets to drink.
Harry, you gotta have a drink.
[Woman 3] He’s fine.
No, I didn’t, I wanted a baby.
I wanted whoever was in there.
Yeah? And you got Jackson?
Unlucky.
I heard that, Auntie Jen.
[Sports reporter speaks indistinctly] Are you off your food, Grace?
Leave her alone.
You didn’t eat.
Being pregnant makes your stomach shrink.
[Woman] That’s bullshit.
[Jen] It’s sucking on you every minute of the day.
Then you’ll be famished.
I couldn’t get enough in me.
[Woman] That never went away, did it?
[Women laugh]
You can talk.
What’s your excuse?
[Jen] Never had a baby but always ate as though you’d just had triplets.
[Women laugh]
You know, Grace, if you get a screamer…
[Woman 2] She’s not gonna get a screamer.
[Woman] Jackson was a screamer.
[Jackson] That’s a lie!
[Woman 2] Jackson was a sweetheart.
The point is, if you do, let the baby cry.
Just walk away from it.
Don’t let yourself get tired, stressed.
[Woman 2] That’s a horrible thing to say.
[Jen] Slow fuckin’ death.
If you’re not at your best, it’s no good for anyone, especially the baby.
[Woman] And a crying baby doesn’t mean it’s in pain.
[Jen] It’s the only way they have of communicating.
[Woman 2] No, it’s not.
People say that shit because they wanna walk away from their kid.
Anyway, all I do is take care of Harry.
[Woman] Barely.
[Woman 2] If you need me…
[Jen] She doesn’t.
[Woman 2] …we’re just a walk away.
What you doing in here, Pop?
Wanna watch the Grizzlies?
Wanna open some of those presents?
Whose presents?
For the baby.
No, I gotta sort out these shoes.
Okay.
They’re the wrong ones.
They look good to me.
You had enough to eat, Mom?
Honey, I’m stuffed.
Would you get your dad something to drink, please?
Here you go, Pop.
No more pie.
[Woman 2] Well, I’m stuffed.
[Jen] Can’t stop eating.
It’s the same every holiday.
Well, you can do it.
You’ve always been skinny.
Grace likes me lean.
Don’t you, baby?
You can starve in January.
[Women laugh]
What are y’all doing?
Why are y’all here?
This is Frank’s house.
It’s his house.
Harry, this is Grace and Jackson’s–
No, this is my brother’s house.
[Woman 2] Sweetheart, Frank’s not here.
Get out of my brother’s house!
[Grace giggles]
[She clears her throat]
[Thuds and clattering in the distance]
[Jackson exhales deeply]
Jackson.
[Jackson groans, softly]
[Clattering continues]
Harry.
[Door creaks, opens]
Harry!
[Insects chirp]
Did you find the right size?
Hello.
Hello.
[He gasps, emotional]
Is it a baby?
A baby.
[Harry] A boy?
I don’t know.
I think, maybe.
[Harry] It is.
Oh?
Don’t leave him to cry.
I won’t.
You know, when he comes, he’s a cat.
He’s a bear and a baby.
And he’s you, he’s all of you.
He’s gonna be so funny.
[They chuckle]
[Waltzlike rhythm, romantic French chanson]
[Music continues]
[He sniffles]
[Music continues, muffled; Insects chirp]
[Music concludes; Wind blows]
[Lively music plays in store]
Hi. Find everything you’re looking for?
[Grace] In life?
[Clerk chuckles]
Any gas for your car?
[Grace] No.
Alrighty.
I love this stuff. Whatever they put in that powder, it’s like magic.
It’s two for six dollars if you want another.
I’m good.
This one’s four.
And the other one is two.
I get it.
No, thanks.
He’s a boy, right?
He’s so cute.
Hi there, handsome.
Hi there, sweetie-pie.
Does he have a name?
No.
We decided not to name him.
[Clerk, chucking] Oh.
[Baby cries] How old are you, sweetie?
Wait. Let me guess.
I’m really good at this.
About six months?
Why are you talking?
Do you ever think about what you’ll say or why you’re speaking?
Or do you just open your mouth and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah?
In about 30 seconds, I’ll be gone.
We don’t need to speak.
Okay.
[Music plays Hey Mickey by Toni Basil]
[Upbeat, catchy pop rock music]
♪ …every time you move
I let a little more show
♪ There’s something
you can use So don’t say no, Mickey
♪ So, come on
and give it to me Anyway you can
♪ Anyway you wanna do it
I’ll take it like a man
♪ But please, baby, please
Don’t leave me in the damp, Mickey
♪ Oh, Mickey, what a pity
You don’t understand
♪ You take me by the heart
When you take me by the hand
♪ Oh, Mickey, you’re so pretty
Can’t you understand?
♪ It’s guys like you, Mickey
♪ Oh, what you do,
Mickey, do, Mickey
♪ Don’t break my heart,
Mickey ♪
[Baby coos]
[Motorcycle revs]
♪ Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine
You’re so fine you blow my mind
♪ Hey, Mickey!
Hey, Mickey!
♪ Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine
You’re so fine you blow my mind
♪ Hey, Mickey!
Hey, Mickey!
♪ Oh, Mickey, you’re so fi
♪
♪ You think you’ve got the right
But I think you’ve got it wrong…
♪ Why can’t you say goodni-
♪ …what a pity,
…you don’t understand…
♪ You take me by the
heart and you ♪
[Song halts]
[Harmonica melody]
[Song resumes]
Alrighty.
Alrighty.
Alrighty.
Alrighty.
[Song concludes, record whirrs]
[Song resumes]
[Song concludes]
Alrighty. Alrighty.
Alrighty.
[Glass squeaks]
[Engine stops; Baby coos]
Hey.
[Grace] Hey.
What you doing up, little bug?
I was bored.
You got bored, so you kept the baby up?
I got somethin’ for you.
[Dog barks, whimpers]
What the fuck, Jackson?
You got a dog?
Got a dog.
Look at him.
We need a cat.
[With a playful voice]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Good dog. Good baby.
You’re a good baby.
Yes, you are.
Hey.
[Dog barks]
[Baby whimpers]
Come here. Come on. Everyone but me!
Yeah.
Hey.
[Dog whimpers, pants]
Wanna see some magic?
Wanna see a magic trick?
[He whistles]
[Dog barks]
[Jackson speaks indistinctly downstairs]
[Dog barks]
[Jackson clears his throat]
[Dog whimpers, barks downstairs]
[She breathes heavily]
Stir it up. You stir it up.
[Dog barks]
Second.
Magic.
[Dog barks downstairs]
[Dog barks; Microwave rumbles]
[Barking continues; Sparse, moody indie rock music]
[She mimics barking]
[Baby cries]
[She mimics barking, aggressively]
[She growls]
[Barking and crying continue]
[Music concludes;
Barking continues in the distance] Ready?
We’re ready to steer. Okay.
Ready to drive?
[Baby coos] To the moon.
[She mimics engine revving]
And a left to New York.
[Squeak nearby]
What is that?
Do you feel that?
[Wind blows;
Insects chirp] Where are you now?
[Jackson] In a burger place outside of Nampa. 84.
[Grace] You’re eating?
Mmhmm.
[Grace] A burger?
[Jackson] Yep.
Is it good?
[Jackson] Yeah, it’s alright.
Well, what else have you been doing?
[Jackson] Workin’.
Uh-huh.
What else?
[Indistinct, lively chatter]
Is everything alright?
[Grace]
I’m asking you about your day. This is a conversation.
What have you been up to?
Nothin’.
[Jackson]
Have you been writing? I’ll call you when I get closer, okay?
Well, are you gonna wanna eat?
Yeah, we can have dinner when I get back. It’s gonna be kind of late, though.
[Waitress]
Anything else for you?
[Grace]
What sounds good for supper?
How’s the boy?
He’s sleeping.
[Waitress] Hey, darlin’.
Here’s the check.
[Jackson] Alright, talk later. Thank you, baby.
Okay. Bye.
[They breathe heavily]
[Sparse, sombre music]
[Music continues;
Motorcycle revs in the distance]
[Music continues]
[Music concludes]
[Train horn blares in the distance]
[Insects buzz]
Pam?
Pam?
Pam?
Pam?
Fuck!
Fuck! Oh, goddammit.
Pam, what the hell?
You snuck in.
[Grace] I didn’t sneak.
I brought the baby.
You brought the baby.
[Grace] He’s asleep.
[Pam] That’s nice.
Yeah.
As long as you don’t blow my brains out.
That thing loaded, Pam?
Oh, yeah. It’s Harry’s.
He used to sleep with it next to him.
Made him feel safe.
I don’t know what to do with it now.
I don’t know what to do with any of it.
I never do my hair.
It’s pretty.
Harry likes it loose.
Yeah?
[Insects buzz]
Are you sleeping at all?
Um…
You know.
Jackson says you’ve been sleepwalking.
[Pam chuckles]
Oh, yeah. That.
You get far?
Woke up on Culver Road screaming my head off.
Never done anything like that before.
Nothing seems real since… since he died.
My brain just seems… chopped up.
[Insect buzzes]
[Baby coos]
Yeah.
I’m your grandma.
Yeah, I am.
[Insect buzzes]
It’s so wonderful the two of you have taken on the house.
[Grace] Mmhmm.
[Pam] Oh, he was… such a happy little guy, Frank.
[Pam chuckles]
He shot himself?
Uncle Frank?
Yes.
And you found him?
[Pam] I did.
That must have been awful.
Yes, I did. It was.
It was.
In the head?
In the head?
No.
I can’t…
Well, where, then?
The heart? Chest?
No.
Legs, feet, back?
No.
Arms? Stomach?
No, no.
Dick?
Grace.
[Grace] Ass?
Oh, my God. He shot himself in his own ass intentionally?
You know, he looks just like you.
[Clock ticks]
Uncle Frank?
[She chuckles] No.
The baby, you goose.
Oh.
You think?
Yeah.
Yeah.
[Insects buzz]
Grace, you know, everybody goes a little loopy the first year.
Yeah?
Yeah.
You and Harry have known each other your whole lives.
Of course you’re gonna go a bit loopy.
No, no. I mean you.
After a baby.
My mother went nuts.
Jen lost it.
I didn’t feel myself for a while.
But you’ll… you’ll…
[Loud bang, buzzing stops]
You’ll come back.
[She sighs]
[Insect buzzes]
You know… if you’re having a hard time…
I feel fine.
We’ll come again soon.
Thanks for the tea.
[Delicate piano notes]
Who’s pushing you?
Is that a ghost?
[Grace sings a lullaby]
♪ Red and yellow
♪ And pink and green ♪
[Dog pants, whimpers]
♪ Purple and orange and blue
♪ I can sing a rainbow
♪ Sing a rainbow
♪ Sing a rainbow too ♪
[She mimics gun shot; Dog whimpers]
♪ Listen with your eyes
♪ Listen with your eyes
♪ And sing everything
you see ♪
[Sombre, unsettling tone]
[Motorcycle revs in the distance]
[Tone and revving die down]
[Sombre, unsettling music]
[Pam laughs hysterically]
[She gasps]
[Wind blows]
[Thunder rumbles]
[Squeak nearby; Music continues]
What the fuck do you want?
Cut your lip.
Cut it.
[Music fades]
[He breathes heavily]
[Insects chirp]
[Dog barks;
Baby cries]
[She imitates barking]
[She groans, annoyed]
Just gonna leave it?
He’s your girlfriend.
You clean it up.
[Jackson] Nice.
He pissed on the floor too.
You should make better choices in who you bring home.
[Jackson] Fuck’s sake, Grace.
You’re mad at me?
Why didn’t you let him out, you whack job?
He’s not my problem.
Just put him on his leash, take him out the back until he gets used to where he is.
Yeah, I’m not gonna train your fucking dog.
We have a baby.
No shit.
I can’t have this…
This place is a fucking hole.
And you moved us into it.
I am working.
And when I come home, I’m the one cleaning everything up.
Yeah, three days a week.
Let me shower you in medals.
Shut up.
You have an ashtray on the carpet.
You don’t think the baby’s eating that shit?
Shut up.
Move us into the house where your uncle shot himself up the fucking ass.
Oh, my God.
Up the ass.
Up the fucking ass.
Stop.
I knew it. I knew it.
Why are your shorts undone?
Why do you not have your shorts on?
[Grace] Shut up.
Jesus Chr
[Grace]
Fucking sanctimonious dick.
You probably pissed on the floor yourself.
Blamed it on the dog.
It was your mangy dog.
And “sanctimonious” means you think you’re morally superior to other people, dummy.
How’s the book going, by the way?
Fantastic, thank you!
Your Great American Novel.
The main character’s about to batter her husband to death with a hammer.
Sounds like shit.
[Grace] Well, you can’t read, so…
Maybe if I spend a little less time with my hands down my pants and a little more time writing, maybe I’d write something, maybe.
My hands are down my pants ’cause you put your dick everywhere except there, asshole!
[She grunts]
[Horn blares loudly; Barking continues]
You’re gonna wake up the baby.
Now you’re worried about the baby.
I’m always worried about the fucking baby.
We’re going for a drive.
No.
Yes! We are.
[Grace] No!
Get in, Grace.
Fuck off.
We need to talk.
[Grace] We can talk here.
Get in the fucking car!
Fucking no!
Jackson, I’m not leaving the baby.
Stop, stop, stop.
I’m not leaving the baby.
Jackson!
[Jackson] The baby’s fine.
[Grace] Stop! Stop!
You’re a fucking… fucking asshole!
What is wrong with you?
[He pants, grunts]
Seriously?
Give me the belt.
[Grace chuckles] Oh, my God.
Don’t you dare open the door.
[Dreamy, quiet song plays on stereo]
[Dog whimpers, barks]
[Jackson] Gracie.
Hey, bud, don’t…
Stop. Stop!
[Upbeat rock song plays on stereo] Look, okay, I… I just think we need to have a schedule or somethin’, or just…
I just wanna make a plan ’cause I…
Grace, I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate everything that you do, I just…
Like, you’re the glue, you’re the one, you’re the OG, but…
If you’re not feeling good, then… then, I don’t know, maybe we should, like, talk about it.
[Barking continues]
I just want you to know that I’m here.
Having a baby is like the most… monumental fucking thing and…
I get that, I want you to know how much I get that, and if you wanna talk about it, then…
Can we turn this off?
What?
The music. Can we turn it off?
It’s a classic.
Okay.
I don’t care.
I hate it. I hate guitars.
Since when?
Since forever.
What? That’s insane.
Who hates guitars?
You don’t hate guitars.
Grace.
I know what you’re thinking, but that’s just an old pack.
It’s been in there forever.
You’ve seen them before.
[Grace] I’ve seen these before?
[Jackson] Yes.
Look, they’re just… they’re Greg’s.
Wow, you and Greg are very, very close.
Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
Stop it. Grace, stop being fucking annoying.
[Tires screech; Loud crash]
[Music plays Crossroads , by Cream]
[Ferocious, electric guitar music]
[Horse whinnies]
♪ You can run, you can run
♪ Tell my friend boy
Willie Brown
♪ You can run, you can run ♪
[Urine trickling]
♪ And I’m standing
at the crossroads
Believe I’m sinking down ♪
[Music concludes, resonates]
[Baby cries]
[Grace] I’m coming!
I’m here, baby.
[She pants]
[Baby gurgles]
[Dog pants]
He’s not breathing.
Funny.
[Baby gurgles]
[Dog whimpers]
[Whimpering continues]
[Dog barks]
[She breathes heavily]
[Dog yowls, pained]
Fuck it.
[Pam murmurs indistinctly]
[Pam] Harry?
[Footsteps recede]
[Door squeaks]
[Dog whimpers]
Up.
Grace?
You have to shoot the dog.
What?
You have to shoot the fucking dog.
He’s crying.
Where the fuck you found that?
That thing you love is suffering.
[Jackson] Have you lost your mind?
You can fix it.
Are you insane?
He’s in pain.
I’ll take it to the vet tomorrow.
And they’ll put it down.
Grace, please!
I’m not gonna kill my dog.
Okay?
[Dog whimpers]
[Gunshot reverberates;
Whimpering stops]
[Sombre, unsettling echo]
How’s your lip?
[Insects chirp]
[Upbeat children’s song plays]
[Loud crash]
[She grunts;
Song continues]
[Grace chuckles]
I’m sorry.
[Pam] How do you start your days, Grace?
[Insects buzz]
[Grace] What do you mean?
Well…
Yoga?
Running?
Hot water and lemon?
Writing?
What’s happened with your writing?
I can’t do it any more.
Why not?
[Baby coos] You know who’s teaching yoga?
Who?
That neighbour of yours, Melissa?
She does it over the internet.
She…
Maybe you could take a class with her?
[Grace chuckles]
I don’t think that’s yoga, Pam.
Oh, I’m…
I’m pretty sure it is.
[Grace chuckles] Well… it might be a relaxing thing for a young woman to do.
You’re still so pretty, Grace.
Let me help you, sweetie.
Just with the baby, with… with the house, whatever you need.
Just…
[Footsteps approach] give you more time to do other things.
Alright.
You found some.
It’s the good stuff, Mom.
I know this brand.
This is the hot one.
[Grace] I’m going for a walk.
I won’t be long.
Grace?
[Music plays Little April Shower , from Bambi ]
[Light, playful choir]
♪ …beating a tune
as you fall all around
♪ Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
♪ What can compare
With your beautiful sound?
♪ Beautiful sound,
beautiful sound
♪ Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
♪ Beating a tune
as you fall all around
♪ Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
♪ What can compare
With your beautiful sound?
♪ Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
♪ You come along
Come along with your pretty little song
♪ Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
♪ You come along
Come along with your pretty little song
♪ Gay little roundelay
Gay little roundelay
♪ Song of the rainy day
Song of the rainy day
♪ How I love
to hear your patter Pretty little pitter-patter
♪ Helterskelter
when you pelter Troubles always seem to scatter
♪ Drip, drip drop
Little April shower ♪
[Voices intertwine in rich harmony]
[Horse nickers]
[Music turns slightly sombre]
[Baby whines]
[Music subsides]
[Baby cries]
[Choir resumes]
[Crying continues]
[Music concludes;
Birds call] Grace?
[Jackson] Grace! Can you hear us?
[Various voices] Grace!
Grace!
Grace. Grace!
[Baby cries]
[Pam, in a low voice]
She took your baby and disappeared for hours.
Had you frantic.
And now she’s not talking to you?
[Jackson] She just needs some time to herself.
You know, I get that.
[Pam] No, Jackson.
She is not well.
[Jackson] Well, sometimes people aren’t well, Mom.
Sometimes people need some time to adjust when things change.
Sometimes everybody just needs to have some fucking patience and trust that things will get better.
Are you still sleepwalking?
[Pam] I’m just trying to help.
Well, you are helping, Mom.
[Jackson sighs]
She just needs some space to… to write.
[Pam] She says she can’t.
[Jackson]
It’s just like, you know…
It’s just writer’s block or whatever, I guess.
[Lightbulb buzzes]
[High-pitched, unsettling ringing]
[Ringing fades into subtle, unsettling music]
[Indistinct chatter in the background]
[Girl] No. I don’t wanna get in.
[Man] Okay, there we are. Good job.
Hi.
[Man] Alright, that’s a big girl.
That’s a big girl.
[Girl] I don’t wanna go.
[Woman] It’s okay.
[Grace] Sorry to bother you.
Huh?
I think my car might have a flat tyre.
Would you mind just taking a look at it?
[Woman] Breathe.
[Girl] No!
[Woman] Look at Mommy.
Hey, look at Mommy.
Babe, we don’t have any time for this. No.
So…
[Music intensifies] could you…
[Grace] Okay. Yeah, sorry.
[Woman]
Put your leg in the car.
[Music fades]
Alright?
When was the last time we had sex?
Rough guess.
I really couldn’t say, Gracie.
Go on, take a stab.
[He clears his throat]
I don’t know. Like a month?
Try two and a half.
Well, things have been, you know.
And it was four in the morning and you were essentially asleep.
Grace.
And the time before that, we were watching TV about that thing on the island, and I was begging you, and you put a towel down.
Alright, alright, alright.
It used to be good, right?
[Loud rumble]
[Jackson] It’s still good, Grace.
It doesn’t exist, Jackson.
It’s not a thing.
Alright, I’m gonna put more effort in.
Tonight?
Okay.
[Grace] You want me?
[Jackson] Yeah, I want you.
Say it again.
I… I want you, yeah.
Before or after dinner?
Grace, man.
Just have a fucking opinion.
Jesus fucking Christ!
[He clears his throat, sighs]
When we get home?
Yeah.
You’ll fuck me when we get home?
Yeah.
In the car?
If you like.
We used to fuck in the car all the time, remember?
[Jackson] Uh-huh.
I’ll unbuckle, come over to your seat and you’ll fuck me?
Yes.
Yes.
Come on.
My mom’s right there.
Fuck me quickly, then.
I don’t…
[She breathes heavily]
Grace, come on.
I’m just kinda…
[Zipper scratches]
You impotent piece of shit.
You useless fucking faggot!
You’re fucking insane.
Fucking insane.
Everything okay?
[Clattering and shattering]
[Heavy thud, water gushes]
[Footsteps approach]
Open the door.
I need to use it.
Piss outside.
[Jackson, grunting]
I don’t need to piss.
[Grace] Shit in a bush.
I don’t care.
Oh, God, Grace!
Grace!
I don’t wanna shit in a bush.
I wanna shit in the toilet.
[Grace and Jackson chuckle]
Come on, it’s coming out.
Come on.
It’s gonna be all over the floor.
I’m starting to smell it.
Quick.
Thank you.
Jesus Christ.
[Woman] No running, please.
Hi. Hey! Come on in.
Hey.
Greg!
Yeah. Greg said we have enough food to feed a village.
Well, that’s what we’ve got, right?
[Lively, indistinct chatter] Well, you can add these, I guess.
They fell over in the car.
They looked better before.
What happened to your fingers?
I burnt them trying to bake you a cake.
Hey, man.
[Man] There you are.
Welcome, buddy.
Good to see you.
[Jackson] You too, man.
[Man] Hi.
[Jackson] The place looks great.
[Woman] He’s such a beautiful baby.
Jack, let’s get you a drink.
Does he want a snack?
Sure.
Whatever the kids are having.
Okay. No allergies?
No. I don’t think so.
[Woman] Who’s a sweetie-pie?
Here’s Jack’s boy.
Did you guys see this?
[They laugh]
[Indistinct, lively chatter;
Quiet folk music in the background]
[Music concludes]
So, you think you’ll have another one?
Yeah. Pregnant now.
Cookin’ up twins.
What happened to your hands?
Oh.
You should see the wall.
[She chuckles] Yeah, I…
I have two kids, and… and two is a lot, if I’m being honest.
Seems like it.
Babies, though, babies are hard.
I don’t think anybody talks about that enough.
It’s all anyone talks about.
[Woman 2, chuckling]
It changes you.
I think I nearly lost my mind for the first six months.
When do you think you’ll be getting it back?
You know, postnatal depression is so much more common than people think.
[Indistinct conversation in the background]
What do you do for work, Grace?
[Grace] I don’t.
I’m stuck between wanting to do something and not wanting to do… anything at all.
[Woman 2] Hang on.
Cheryl mentioned that you’re a writer.
That’s cute.
That must be nice.
Having something you can squeeze around a baby.
Yeah, I don’t do that anymore.
Why not? Stuck for inspiration?
I’m sure it’ll come back.
[Indistinct conversations; Children yell playfully]
[Jackson] Grace?
Grace!
[Woman 3] Oh, my God!
[Greg] Jackson? Jackson?
Look at me, okay? Hey.
Can you breathe?
[Man 2] Somebody get some water.
Jackson?
[Greg] Let me call someone.
What, your chest hurts?
[He pants] Yeah.
You can breathe.
Breathe with me.
[Greg] I think it’s them at the door.
[Jackson breathes heavily]
Yeah. See?
Yeah, you’re okay.
You’re okay.
[Breath grows steady]
He’s okay.
[Upbeat twist music]
It’s just kind of a wakeup call, you know.
We need to look out for each other, Grace.
I am getting really stressed.
About what?
No one took our pastries.
You see that?
[Jackson] Well, there was a ton of food.
It’s rude.
They weren’t being rude.
Come on.
You know what’s rude, Grace?
Getting into a pool full of kids in your fucking underwear.
That’s what’s rude.
You embarrassed me.
You embarrassed us.
Grace. Grace!
[Tires screech] Goddammit!
[Loud honking]
Fuck me. Jesus fucking Christ.
Don’t ever do that again.
Alright?
[Loud honking]
[Grace] When Amelia was a little girl, she liked to imagine she could stretch her wings and fly like a bird. One day she got to ride on an airplane and liked it so much she didn’t wanna ever come down. The world looked so small, the houses and cars were like toys.
They flew for thousands of miles.
Over oceans and jungles.
Some people thought they were crazy.
But Amelia wasn’t afraid of having a thousand adventures.
So she flew on like a bird, further than anyone had gone before, never to return.
What the fuck?
[Cheerful, rhythmic melody]
[Music continues]
[Music continues;
Insects chirp]
[Music turns tense, dramatic]
[Music fades]
[Insects chirp]
[Birds call]
[Insects buzz, chirp]
[Buzzing and chirping continue]
[Jackson]
You wanna get married?
[Grace] Yeah.
Yeah, fuck yeah.
[Muffled cheering]
[Offbeat countryfolk duet music]
[Music plays In Spite of Ourselves , by John Prine and Iris DeMent]
[Male voice] ♪ She don’t like
Her eggs all runny
♪ She thinks
crossin’ her legs is funny
♪ She looks
down her nose at money
♪ She gets it on
like the Easter Bunny
♪ She’s my baby, I’m her honey
♪ Never gonna let her go ♪
[Female voice]
♪ He ain’t got laid
In a month of Sundays
♪ I caught him once
And he was sniffin’ my undies
♪ He ain’t too sharp
But he gets things done
♪ Drinks his beer
like it’s oxygen
♪ He’s my baby
and I’m his honey
♪ I’m never gonna let him go ♪
[Both] ♪ In spite of ourselves
♪ We’ll end up
asittin’ on a rainbow
♪ Against all odds
♪ Honey,
we’re the big door prize
♪ We’re gonna spite
Our noses right off of our faces
♪ There won’t be nothing’
But big old hearts dancin’
in our eyes ♪
Oh, my God. Really?
[Vibrant ’60sstyle pop-rock music]
[Fast-paced rock music]
Kiss me.
Kiss me.
Grace.
[Inaudible dialogue]
[Music intensifies]
I don’t know where Jackson is.
[Pam] Let’s go find that no-count husband of yours.
[Music halts]
Wow.
Hello.
This is the bride in the bridal suite.
I was wondering if I could get a bucket of ice sent up to my room.
[Concierge, on phone] We’ve got an ice machine on your floor at the end of the corridor there.
Uh-huh.
What’s your name?
[Concierge] Charlie. Charlie, would you mind getting it for me, please?
I’m a little indisposed.
[Charlie]
We don’t bring up ice, ma’am.
Okay.
Are you still there?
[Charlie] Yes, ma’am.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
Well, my husband is at the party downstairs.
Our wedding.
Um… and I think it would be really nice if the champagne was cold for him when we came up.
[Charlie] I understand.
I’m just trying to be a good wife.
[Charlie] Yes. Sorry, but I can’t help with that.
You have a really beautiful voice, Charlie.
[Charlie] Thank you, ma’am.
[He sings] ♪ The beast in me
♪ Has had to learn
to live with pain
♪ And how to shelter
from the rain
♪ And in the twinkling
of an eye
♪ Might have to be restrained
♪ God help
♪ The beast in me ♪
[Loud crash]
[Baby coos]
[Light tubes buzz]
[Grace] I must have been about… three?
My parents and I went down to the beach.
They must have been reading, or maybe they fell asleep.
And I had my feet in the water, and then this girl came up to me.
She must have been about ten, but to me she seemed, you know, like a… like a grownup.
And she took my hand and we walked for a while.
She bought me an ice pop.
People would… say how cute we were.
It was really nice.
And then as my parents realised I was missing and… my mom was crying and… my dad was really angry, and I remember just thinking “I wish you weren’t mine.
“I wish…
I didn’t belong to you.”
[Doctor] Where are your parents now, Grace?
They died in a plane crash.
[Doctor] How old were you?
Ten.
[Doctor] It must have been terribly difficult.
Like, perhaps you have some abandonment issues. Which makes it hard for you to safely attach to people.
Your husband. To your son.
I don’t have a problem attaching to my son.
He’s perfect.
It’s everything else that’s fucked.
[She grunts, angry]
[Voices resonate in the distance]
[Grace] Hi!
Hi, baby.
Oh, I missed you.
What?
[Baby whines]
You got a rental?
No, it’s ours.
I got it off Greg.
With what money?
Don’t worry about it.
He’s taking care of us.
You like it?
Yeah, it’s cool. Big.
[ Kooks by David Bowie plays on car stereo]
Turn this up.
I love this song.
[Volume increases]
Thought you didn’t like guitars.
When did I ever say that?
I love guitars.
[She sings along]
♪ Will you stay
In our lovers’ story?
♪ If you stay,
you won’t be sorry
♪ ‘Cause we believe in you
♪ Soon you’ll grow,
so take a chance
♪ With a couple of kooks
Hung up on romancing
♪ Will you stay
in our lovers’ story?
♪ If you stay,
you won’t be sorry ♪
[Volume decreases]
[Music concludes; Lively chatter]
Doing alright there, bud?
Come on, now.
He’s so cute.
I love his little hat.
He’s not really a fan.
Are you, buddy?
I babysit a kid just like him.
Yours is cuter, though.
Has he been in the water yet?
No, not yet.
[Young girl] We could take him to the edge.
Do you think he’ll go with us?
Yeah. You’re very social, aren’t you?
We can make him a castle if he wants.
If we go just there, we’ll be in sight.
Wanna go with ’em, buddy?
Play with me?
What’s his name?
Harry.
[Young girl] Come on, Harry.
[Harry coos]
[Faint, unsettling music]
[Waves ripple, softly]
[Deep, muffled reverberation; Playful yelling]
[Reverberation becomes strident]
[Distorted buzzing; Unsettling, faint music continues]
[Motorcycle revs]
[Music continues]
[Muffled, ominous whooshing]
[High-pitched, eerie echo]
[Low, oppressive resonance]
[She screams]
What is that?
[Resonance and music continue]
[Grace] Yeah, fuck yeah.
[Man, shouting] Stop it!
[Muffled, playful yelling of children]
[Silence]
[Fast, whooshing heartbeat]
[Harry] You kept saying sorry when you were sleeping. When I came in, you were saying it.
What are you sorry about?
[Grace] I don’t remember.
[Harry] Do you think you need to apologise for anything?
[Grace] No. Do I have to get up?
[Harry] No, Grace. You don’t need to do anything.
[Grace] I can just stay in bed?
If that’s what you want.
[Grace] Oh.
It’s you.
[Heartbeats stop]
How are you?
Everyone misses you.
[Birds sing]
[Jackson] Coming in, babe?
Yeah.
Fixed it up a little bit.
Looks nice.
[Softly] Yeah.
[Light bulbs buzz]
[ Love Me Tender by Elvis plays on record player]
♪ Love me tender
♪ Love me sweet
♪ Never let me… ♪
You’re so beautiful, Grace.
♪ You have
made my life complete
♪ And I love you so
♪ Love me tender
♪ Love me true
♪ All my dreams fulfil ♪
[Baby giggles]
♪ For my darlin’, I love you
♪ And I always will
♪ Love me tender
♪ Love me long
♪ Take me to your heart
♪ For it’s there that I belong
♪ And we’ll never… ♪
[Song subsides]
[Jen] Oh, Grace. You look so well.
It’s so great that you’re home.
You look so healthy.
[Grace] Thanks.
[Lively, indistinct chatter] Sometimes all we need is just a little break, right?
You know what? You and Jackson are really lucky to have each other.
Mmhmm, yeah.
[Dog growls, playfully]
Grace, it is so good to see you.
[Grace] You too.
You look so well.
[Grace] Thank you.
[Cheryl] No, but really, you just look so much better.
You too.
You look a lot better.
All good here?
Yeah, doing great.
We’re both doing a lot better than we were.
You having a good time?
The best.
That’s good.
And I’m just so grateful to you.
For taking care of everything.
And painting the house…
Taking care of the baby.
[Cheryl] That’s sweet.
Having me fucking committed.
You’re just the best.
Okay, Grace, come on.
But I mean it.
Thank you.
Please. Don’t do this.
Don’t do what?
I shot a dog!
It was in pain.
[Girl gasps, chatter halts] We came to be and we ran amok!
May we live long and die out.
Yes.
May we live long and die out.
Grace.
Pam.
[Chatter resumes]
Grace.
Leave her be, Jackson.
[Jackson] Grace!
[Faint music plays in car stereo] Where are you, Grace?
[Grace] I’m right here.
You just can’t see me.
[She sighs] I can’t go back.
[He sighs]
I love you.
I love you.
[Man on radio] Perfect driving tune right here from John Prine.
[Music plays In Spite of Ourselves , by John Prine and Iris DeMent]
I can try harder.
[She chuckles]
[He sings along]
♪ She don’t like
Her eggs all runny
♪ She thinks
crossin’ her legs is funny
♪ She looks
down her nose at money
♪ She gets it on
like the Easter Bunny
♪ She’s my baby, I’m her honey
♪ I’m never gonna let her go ♪
[She sings along]
♪ He ain’t got laid
In a month of Sundays
♪ Caught him once
And he was sniffin’ my undies
♪ He ain’t too sharp
But he gets things done
♪ Drinks his beer
like it’s oxygen
♪ He’s my baby, I’m his honey
♪ Never gonna let him go
♪ In spite of ourselves
♪ We’ll end up
sittin’ on a rainbow
♪ Against all odds
♪ Honey,
we’re the big door prize
♪ We’re gonna spite our noses
Right off of our faces
♪ There won’t be nothin’
But big old hearts dancin’ in our eyes [Music halts;
Birds sing] Enough.
[Delicate, sombre music]
[Music continues]
[Music swells;
Flames roar]
[Opressive reverberations]
[Horse neighs]
Grace!
Grace!
Grace!
[Music continues]
[Music intensifies, becomes strident]
[Music stops, resonates]
[Birdsong]
[ Love Will Tear Us Apart , a capella]
♪When routine bites hard
♪ And ambitions are low
♪ And resentments ride high
♪ But emotions won’t grow
♪ And we’re changing our ways
♪ Taking different roads
♪ Then love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Why is the bedroom
so cold? ♪
[Sparse electric guitars join]
♪ You’ve turned away
on your side
♪ Is my timing that flawed?
♪ Our respect runs so dry
♪ Yet there’s still
this appeal
♪ That we’ve kept
through our lives
♪ But love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ You cry out in your sleep ♪
[Warm, strumming guitar joins]
♪ All my failings exposed
♪ There’s a taste in my mouth
♪ As desperation takes hold
♪ Just that something so good
♪ Just can’t function no more
♪ And love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ And love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ And love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ And love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again ♪
[Lyrics continue, obscured by instruments]
[Instruments subside]
[Voice becomes distinct]
♪ And love
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again
♪ Love ♪
[Instruments stop]
[A capella]
♪ Love will tear us apart
♪ Again ♪
[Silence]
[Delicate, melancholic music]
[Music continues]
[Music fades]
