Inheritance

Synopsis: When Mara returns to her childhood home of Belize for her father's 70th birthday, she brings her new lover Aaron and hopes to reconnect with her estranged father and brother Ben who both live there. She is surprised when Linda, her father's protégée, picks them up; Linda tells Mara that her father has just died. Mara is upset but lies about calling Ben. Linda brings them to a gathering in honor of her father and Mara and Aaron sleep alone at his house. Furious he wasn't informed, Ben barges in on Aaron and Mara there, and tensions build between the three of them. Mara runs off for a tryst with Aaron, and Ben overdoses on their father's medications, forcing Mara to care for him. The wake starts, an all-night affair, and Mara, drunk, reveals buried secrets about her father, changing irrevocably the relationships of those closest to him.
Genre: Drama
Production: This is Just a Test Productions
  2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
4.4
Year:
2017
75 min
Website
460 Views


(music)

(shattering)

(waves crashing)

(laughing)

(gentle music)

- You gonna help me?

- [Aaron] Of course.

Do I need to know

anything about your dad

before we start?

- No.

Okay.

Dear Dad,

I love you

and thank you so

much for everything.

Happy 70th.

- It's great. It's short.

It's sweet.

- It's perfect.

- Yeah, I know, it's perfect.

Yeah, no, I love it.

(Mara laughing)

I love it.

(dramatic music)

- We're surrounded by pirates.

(bells ringing)

(knocking on door)

- [Aaron] Who is that?

- [Mara] It must be my dad.

(knocking on door)

One minute.

- [Linda] He died in his sleep.

I'm sorry.

(dramatic music)

- Hey, hi.

- Hey.

- I'm Linda.

- I'm Aaron.

(crying)

(dramatic music)

- Hey.

I'm sorry.

- Okay.

- About your dad, I'm sorry.

It wasn't supposed

to happen like this.

And I know we've only been

together for a few months,

but

I'm here for you.

- Okay.

Thank you.

- Yeah. Anything.

- We should go inside.

- Yeah, yeah.

- How are you?

- Well, I'm okay.

You're all grown up, huh?

- This is Aaron.

- Hello.

- Oh, hi, Aaron. How are you?

Welcome to Belize.

- Nice to meet you.

- What about Ben?

- Uh, I don't know.

- You haven't reach him?

- No.

I will call him right now.

- [Aaron] So Mara says you're

like a second mother to her.

- [Grace] Yeah, she was just

a tiny little thing, yes.

But I'm glad that

you're here for her.

- [Aaron] Yeah, me too.

(dramatic music)

- So, Ben is

coming in from Placencia?

- Yeah.

- Ben's her brother, right?

- Yes, he is.

- Yes.

- Have you two

been together long?

- Almost a year.

- [Linda] A year?

That's nice.

- Yeah.

(phone buzzing)

(chuckling)

- Sh*t.

You got sosa beans

in the kitchen?

He's a vegan.

- I can fix him a plate.

- Sorry, thank you very much.

- Thanks.

- You're a vegan? Why?

- That's not a good story.

But,

the fact that I am a

vegan is a good thing.

And--

- You're kind of

strange, aren't you?

- Here you go.

- Thanks.

No.

Well, maybe, but

I know myself, and I know

that I need rules, and

I know that with structure,

I can stay away from

all the bad stuff, so,

it's easier.

- I understand.

- Thank you.

- When they first came here,

she was just a little thing.

- Yeah.

- She was small for her age,

her and her little brother.

They were so troublemakers.

- Still a troublemaker.

- [Grace] Used to give

her dad a hard time.

There were many stories for her.

- Didn't you two had a playhouse

somewhere on the tea farm?

- Mm-hm.

- [Grace] Ah, it used

to drive him crazy.

- (clears throat) Mara.

Maybe we can work

out the arrangements

later, like when Ben reaches.

- Sure.

- Yes, but I already made

arrangements with the neighbor

for his wake.

You know what a wake's--

- I don't think Mara and Ben

would wanna, you know,

stay up all night.

I mean, it might be

too much for them, Ma.

But that's how you

can honor your father.

- He's not from Belize.

- Well, he made his life here.

We've got to have a wake.

Remember my uncle?

- Uncle Clarence?

- Yes, Uncle Clarence.

You know, when I was a

little girl and he died,

I didn't go to his wake.

- [Linda] Wakes

here last all night.

It's the way that we take

watch, so the spirits

don't bother us.

- He did not let me rest.

Every day.

At dusk he would come

and knock at the window.

(dramatic music)

- [Mara] I can't believe we're

going to his birthday party.

(somber music)

- My condolences.

- Thank you.

- [Man] Your dad

was a great man.

We worked many years together.

- The hospital?

- [Man] Yeah.

- Okay.

- Nice to see you.

- Nice to see you.

(somber music)

- [Driver] You need any help?

- [Aaron] No,

we're good, thanks.

Come here.

- You okay?

- Yeah.

(Mara giggling)

- Okay.

Hang on.

- I wonder if he

died in that bed.

- We could sleep

in the other room.

Come here.

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait.

I don't think this,

this is hard.

- Why?

- You're wasted.

I think I'm just gonna

put you to bed, yeah?

- Is this

just AA stuff?

- Maybe.

Why do you lie?

Hmm?

Why do you lie about us for?

You lied about me.

Lying doesn't work.

You know that.

- We just lie here?

- Yes.

We just lie here.

Till we fall asleep.

(dramatic music)

- Whoa, whoa, whoa!

- Dad's bed, huh?

- What?

- Get out!

- You could have

f***ing told me, Mara.

- You should get dressed.

- Why?

- People coming to set up, but

I think you already knew that.

- Sorry Ben.

I was gonna tell you.

- Yeah.

When, today?

The day of his wake?

I have to find out

in the middle

of the night at a f***ing bar

through the f***ing

Belizean grapevine.

Can you imagine that, Mara?

"Hey, mon, I'm really

sorry about your dad."

- Well, I don't know why

it's such a big deal.

It's not like you've

spoken in years.

- Who's this?

- Aaron.

This is my brother Ben.

Ben, this is Aaron.

- Hi.

- Would you like a coffee,

or a tea, or anything?

- I'd love some tea.

She didn't tell you about me?

- Not everything's

about you, Ben.

- Ouch.

So, you know how he died?

- Grace wouldn't tell me.

- No?

- [Mara] Said he died in

his sleep, or something?

- Mm-hmm. Alone.

- I don't know, I

would assume so.

- When's the last

time you saw him?

- How are you possibly

gonna use that on me?

- You know, you probably

shouldn't start this right now.

- You f***ing live here.

- [Ben] Yeah, and?

- I've been busy.

- Yeah.

I can see that.

Sorry.

Tell me your name again, man.

- Aaron.

- Aaron.

Great to meet you, man.

What's your deal?

Where you from, what do

you do, what do you love?

Tell me everything.

- I'm sorry about

your loss, man.

- It's alright.

- Aaron.

- Yeah.

- I wanna show you something.

- F***ing paradise.

- Wanna come?

(dramatic music)

- [Ben] Whoo!

(water splashes)

Yeah.

C'mon, man, get in the water.

Get in.

In the water.

- Stop it.

Stop!

- [Ben] F*** you stop.

- Stop it!

Stop it!

Stop it!

(water splashing)

F***ing stop it!

Stop!

F***ing stop!

(screaming) No!

Stop it!

- Mara!

- Hey Aaron!

You gotta come here, man,

check out these bats.

Come on, don't be scared.

Got your rabies shot, right?

Cool man, just messing around.

Pretty sure that's why

my dad bought this place.

- [Aaron] Because of the bats?

- Swimming hole, this cave.

It's primordial.

A return to the essential self

and the healing

powers of nature.

You know, that kind of thing.

- What kind of healing powers?

- You don't know, huh?

- I don't know much.

- Mom died when Mara was

11, and my dad lost it.

He moved us down here.

- [Aaron] Sounds like

an interesting guy.

- [Ben] Yeah.

- What's this all about, man?

- Just trying to understand.

(dramatic music)

- Where were you?

- Your brother

showed me the cave.

- [Mara] Did you like it?

- Yeah.

I like bats.

- (giggling) You do?

(Ben knocking on door)

- Mara.

Mara.

Linda's here with the will.

So, let's speed up whatever

it is you're doing.

- He's right here?

- Yeah.

Mara's busy.

- Well, I guess I can leave

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Laura E. Davis

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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