Genre: Drama
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast: Julia Roberts, Ashton Sanders, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, Mikey Madison, Harley Quinn Smith, Maude Apatow, Rory Kinnear
Plot: The film opens with a young woman (Mikey Madison) in Boston on her phone walking in the street while a man named Malik (Ashton Sanders) punches her and drags her into an alley. He punches her until she’s bloody but she eventually punches back and frees herself and runs away bloody and screaming. Malik also flees.
The woman calls the cops and the man is apprehended.
We then cut to a conference about women in business. A woman named Kate Benson (Julia Roberts) is asked what advice would you give to a young woman wanting to start her own business. She says that you have to work hard and not expect any handouts but that if you work hard then you can work yourself out of your current situation. She gets a standing ovation.
Kate Benson is driven home by her husband Peter (Stanley Tucci). Peter congratulated her on the speech and says that we should go out for drinks tonight. They both arrive at their house in The Hamptons
While at the house Kate gets a call from the Boston Police Department that Malik was arrested for assault, battery and attempted kidnapping. Kate has a disturbed look in her eyes and immediately calls a lawyer in Boston who is Sam Martin (Billy Crudup).
Kate immediately gets her private jet to Boston to see Malik and she bails him out and she has coffee with Malik and he says that he didn’t do it and that he was out drinking with his friends that night.
In the coffee shop we see the bloody woman her name is Janie. Her friend Lia (Harley Quinn Smith) comes to their table and says that Kate is a disgrace for having coffee with an assaulter. Malik looks like he wants to beat her up but Kate stops him.
Kate drops him off at his apartment and goes to Sam Martin who is the attorney and Kate explains the situation and says that Malik suffers from bipolar. Sam says that there’s a narrow chance of victory but it can be done and there are holes.
Kate goes home to her mansion in The Hamptons on her private jet. She goes home to Peter who is reading the paper. Kate tells all the news to Peter and Peter is not surprised at all. Peter remembers the fact that he came from a deadbeat mom and he had a DUI. Kate then responds that he was student body president and he is a likable and caring guy then goes to the bedroom.
We then cut to Malik’s speech in the election for student council. He mentions that he wants to have a haunted house and to make sure it’s a scary one and a really good prom. He gets a standing ovation.
After school he goes with his girlfriend Juliette (Maude Apatow) to his party at his house. There are drinks everywhere and drugs too. One of the kids asks Malik how his parents let him have these and Malik says his parents are just really liberal on partying unless I drink and drive. Malik is offered ecstasy but turns it down. Juliette then interjects that she will be staying sober so she can drive home.
After the party the next day Malik goes to church and discusses how he went from the hood and a crazy mother to success with the help of his adopted parents who always believed in him and God. We see Kate in the audience. Kate congratulates him on the great speech he made.
After church the priest, Father O'Neill (Rory Kinnear), thanks Kate for all the generous contributions to the church and to various Catholic charities.
Kate sees Janie in the coffee shop and asks to talk to her. Kate begs Janie to drop the charges and says that Malik did not do it and that he is a promising young man who has a fancy job in the insurance industry and that he’s been through a lot. Janie says that she knows who assaulted her.
Kate races to Malik’s apartment and Kate yells at Malik and Malik admits to assaulting Janie.
Kate drives to The Hamptons where she goes into confession and she confesses that Malik assaulted a woman and admitted to it. Father O’Neill tries to comfort her by saying you did the best you could. Father O Neill reminds her that he came from a broken family. Father O Neill also suggests that Kate receive counseling from a therapist.
Kate is heading back up to Boston for a meeting with Malik and the lawyer. Since Malik is guilty there is now a new option on the table which is guilty by insanity.
We cut to the judge’s office. His name is Judge Danson and Judge Danson talks to Sam Martin about Malik being unfit for trial and pleading insane. Judge Danson says that most people who commit violent crime are mentally ill.
We then cut to Malik being the student body president making a speech at his graduation. He is talking about the power of the human spirit and the power of people to with the right support make something out of themselves. Malik talks about the change that members of his class made. He mentions for instance in the crowd named Josh who was a stoner and didn’t care about school but then became a top student and is going to Colgate University.
He then thanks his step parents which as we know are Kate and Peter Benson. Kate and Peter both clap.
We then cut to Kate crying hard in a therapy session. She grabs some tissues. She says that Malik came from a broken home and that we felt as wealthy people a responsibility to help this kid out.
She mentions the fact that she grew up in poverty and that her parents were killed when she was 14. So when she met Malik she felt he had a great personality and she felt maternal towards him.
The therapist brings up the idea that maybe this is genetic. The mother was crazy so it seems appropriate for the son to be a little crazy too.
We cut to Malik in college at Tufts getting a DUI and being arrested. After being bailed out by Kate. Kate meets Malik at the same coffee shop that they met in the beginning of the movie. Kate asks Malik why he did what he did and Malik just said he was at a party and he was so intoxicated and the night was crazy.
Kate and Peter have an argument about this. Kate says that he made a mistake and he’s going to do his time doing community service. Peter argues that we should cut him off and we should stop paying for tuition. Peter says that neither of them got a DUI in college. Kate says that he is troubled and he’s probably overwhelmed in college.
Back to present day Kate is with Sam Martin and Kate is told that the chances are not great for him. The psychologist did a psychological exam and he has bipolar and that’s it and that’s not going to convince the jury that he’s not guilty for reason of insanity and the trial is about to end.
Back to the past Malik puts on a suit and tie and does a job interview at an insurance company in Boston Massachusetts. He impresses the interviewer with his charisma.
Malik is in his apartment and he is drinking a beer and he is watching the sun go down and he looks sad. He doesn’t look at peace with his new world.
We cut back to the present day and we hear the verdict. We hear that Malik is guilty of assault and battery. As we hear the verdict we cross cut to the opening scene where Malik goes to the bar and we are now in the first scene again where he beats the victim up until she fights back and he runs away.
Kate then goes back to The Hamptons where she hugs Peter and Peter comforts her. Kate says it’s her fault. Peter says it’s not and that bipolar is a mental illness that doesn’t usually have symptoms until adulthood. Peter says you can’t save everyone.
Malik shares a moment in the visiting room with Kate where Malik apologizes for what he did but blames Kate for all the expectations she put on him like forcing him to get a college education and to work for a fancy startup. He says his only ambition was to be a security guard to provide for his deadbeat mom. Kate leaves without saying another word.
The film ends with Kate driving in The Hamptons in her convertible while Malik is being booked into prison.
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