Scrap review

Scrap could have just been another film about a stunted adult breezing through life oblivious to the real consequences of their choices.

Director/writer/star Vivian Kerr takes the familiar subject and makes her debut full length film a far more engaging examination of pride, dashed dreams, family bonds and parenthood.

From the opening scene, Beth (Kerr) doesn’t make a great impression. She’s sleeping in her car, responding with not-so-subtle annoyance over a woman asking if she needs help and throws a man’s cell phone when he calls the police for loitering. Then there’s the lying bluffing her way through another job interview. There’s no sense in telling her potential employer that she got laid off and took a shower at a local gym, right?

Beth needs a job so she can actually take care of her daughter, Birdy (Julianna Layne). That stress intensifies when a concerned school administrator (Beth Dover) keeps reminding Beth that Birdy’s tuition check is overdue.

The catch is Beth’s life doesn’t have to be so bad. All she really has to do is lean on her immensely supportive brother Ben (Anthony Rapp, Star Trek: Discovery), a highly successful novelist acclaimed for his fantasy book series. Ben’s wife, Stacy (Lana Parrilla, 24), is going through her own crisis as she’s undergoing a second round of IVF treatments and losing hope of ever being a mother.

Stacy might not be Beth’s biggest fans, but her issues with her sister-in-law come from a perfectly reasonable place. Ben does enable Beth and lets her get away with everything with no trace of accountability as a sister or a mother.

After a complex series of lies, which to Beth somehow sound better than being honest, Ben allows Beth to stay at the house. Birdy’s already been there since Beth lost her job proving that for her discomfort, Beth doesn’t want Birdy’s quality of life to be impacted at all. And it doesn’t hurt that Ben and Stacy have a pool in the back yard.

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Beth’s storyline is interesting, but the Ben/Stacy one involving their desire to be parents is impressively full of layers to make it so much more than just a time-killing secondary plot. Rapp and Parrilla are fantastic in their roles as essentially surrogate parents for Birdy and unwilling enablers for Beth.

Kerr avoids the maybe too obvious blowup between Beth and Stacy. Instead, Kerr opts for a far more subtle moment where Stacy casts a look of both disgust and longing watching the carefree Beth waltz off with Birdy.

As is the case with most of the script, Kerr’s instincts prove correct here as she just puts the scene in Parrilla’s hands. Parilla doesn’t overact or lean in too hard on the emotional beat opting for a quiet reaction, which makes it one of the strongest scenes in the film. The script is very well done with relatable characters and just the right mix of natural humor without Kerr trying to make Scrap part drama/part comedy.

Beth is a womanchild who keeps shirking responsibility or accountability for her actions. Kerr probably belabors that point too often as it quickly is apparent Beth will need a major wakeup call to get her life together.

This proves a major stumbling block for the film. Beth absolutely needs that raw gaze in the mirror moment where she recognizes her state, takes action to fix it and right the wrongs she created along the way.

Ideally, Ben would throw that proverbial bucket of cold water to snap Beth out of her self-destructive path. Instead, Beth kind of, sort of realizes it’s time to swallow her pride and be an adult. If not for her, then for Birdy.

A romantic subplot with a guy at the local roller skate rink (Khleo Thomas) lacks enough development to warrant its inclusion. It’s likely intended to show how far Beth comes where she can choose a healthy relationship, but Kerr doesn’t give it enough time to allow audiences to make that assessment.

Kerr is terrific as the slacker who wants to be a good mother and sibling but isn’t really that interested in putting in the work to make it happen. As unsympathetic as Beth can be at times, Kerr shows just enough glimpses of potential to make Beth a character worth rooting for to eventually figure it all out.

Scrap shouldn’t be at the bottom of your 2023 films worth checking out. It offers more than enough fresh perspectives and a charming, talented cast to make it worth checking out.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: A Season of Rain