There's a fine line a storyteller must walk when it comes to complicated protagonists, especially when they are women. Give them too many flaws, have them make too many mistakes, and an unforgiving audience might instantly write them off as unlikable and unsympathetic. Beth, the woman at the center of Scrap, is deeply flawed and frustrating, and there are so many moments where I thought I wouldn't be able to empathize with her.
Scrap, directed by Vivian Kerr, follows young single mother Beth, who becomes homeless after losing her job. As she struggles to conceal her situation from her estranged brother Ben, the film explores themes of family, resilience, and the challenges of modern life.
Director Vivian Kerr
Release Date September 5, 2022
Cast Lana Parrilla , Vivian Kerr , Anthony Rapp , Beth Dover , Khleo Thomas , Saxon Trainor , Stephanie Drake , Christina Ferraro , Aric Garcia , Julianna Layne , Marion Kerr , JB Tadena , Brad Schmidt , Gabriel Oliva , Lisa Goodman , Benjamin Franczuszki , Rennie Cowan , Desiree Staples , Whitney St. Ours , Michael Elian , Melinda Bennett , John Burton, Jr. , Kim Nieva , Priscilla Davies , Steven Clark
Runtime 105 Minutes
And yet, writer and director Vivian Kerr (who also plays Beth), pulls off something remarkable with her lead character. When we first meet Beth, she's waking up in her car, which also serves as her home. The relative ease with which she goes about brushing her teeth and getting dressed in the cramped space tells us she's spent quite some time living there. However, she hasn't exactly told anyone, and therein lies the source of Scrap's thorniest and most compelling conflict.
Scrap Is Anchored By 3 Compelling Characters
All Played By Brilliant Performers
Beth is without a job and spends her days driving her car around Los Angeles searching for a new start. Her older brother Ben (Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp) watches over her daughter Birdy (Julianna Layne) with the help of his wife Stacy (Once Upon a Time's Lana Parrilla), though they're under the impression Beth is at a work conference. Lying comes easy to Beth, whether she's fibbing about her location to Ben or constructing the appearance of a busy professional when setting up a job interview. Kerr shares these details in subtle ways that aren't heavy-handed, enhancing Scrap's effectiveness.
The relationship between Ben and Beth is Scrap's heart, and Kerr has done a brilliant job depicting the nuances of a dysfunctional sibling dynamic.
Things get more complicated when Beth comes to stay with them; Ben is begrudgingly accepting of his sister's presence, while Stacy's more openly frustrated. Ben and Stacy have been trying for a baby via IVF, and Beth's apparent neglect of her daughter gets on the couple's nerves, a secondary conflict that gives Parrilla's character more depth. She could've become a one-note figure, but Parrilla portrays Stacy's heartbreak and resentment with striking, quiet intensity. A scene between Stacy and Beth later on gives both women the chance to get real with each other in a way that smartly strengthens each character.
The relationship between Ben and Beth is Scrap's heart, and Kerr does a brilliant job depicting the nuances of a dysfunctional sibling dynamic. Ben is eager to understand just what's going on with Beth, but Beth's pride won't let her confide in him. This makes for a rollercoaster of a relationship; one second, the two are teasing each other over Ben's best-selling fantasy book series and the next they're sitting in stony silence. This dynamic can be tricky to nail, but Kerr writes it with a heartfelt realism enhanced by her onscreen chemistry with Rapp, who portrays Ben's wariness beautifully.
Scrap Doesn't Hold Back With Beth's Trying Qualities
It's A Testament To Kerr's Work That We Still Care About Her
Though Beth clearly does care about her daughter and is actively looking for a new job, her reluctance to let go of certain comforts and her arrogant refusal to seek out something as simple as a retail job present a more detailed picture of the kind of woman she is, and the life she must've left behind when she lost her home. Her self-absorbed nature, especially when contrasted with Ben's generosity and Stacy's sinking hopes of motherhood, makes her someone we could easily grow to resent.
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Instead, I was fully invested in Beth's journey. Kerr effortlessly weaves in Beth's humanity and shows us how she's just as human as the rest of us. Her immature traits don't detract from her heart. Scrap is ultimately an unflinching and sensitive portrait of a woman faced with the terrifying uncertainty of rebuilding her life. Though some of the harsher realities of being homeless aren't explored in much depth, and the ending is a touch too neat, Kerr crafts a compelling journey for us to go on, one that should linger after it's over.
Scrap is now available for digital download. The film is 105 minutes long and currently unrated.
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8/10
Scrap
Pros
Vivian Kerr becomes a brilliant triple threat as writer, director, and lead star.
Beth's journey is easy to invest in, even when she frustrates those around her.
The relationship between Beth and her brother Ben is compelling and heartfelt.
Co-leads Anthony Rapp and Lana Parrilla give excellent performances.
Cons
Some of the harsher realities of Beth's situation are smoothed over.
English (US) ·