Less Than Zero

Synopsis: Clay, an eighteen-year-old freshman, comes back from his first term at Princeton to spend his Christmas vacation with his broken-up wealthy family in Los Angeles. His former girlfriend, Blair, is now involved with his ex-best-friend, Julian. She warns Clay that Julian needs help: he is using a lot of cocaine and has huge debts. What follows is a look at the youth culture of wealthy post adolescents in Beverly Hills with a strong anti-drug message. Apart from the setting and the names, the film has very little to do with Bret Easton Ellis's book by the same title on which it was based.
Genre: Crime, Drama
Director(s): Marek Kanievska
Production: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.4
Metacritic:
49
Rotten Tomatoes:
54%
R
Year:
1987
98 min
2,029 Views


One last thought before

the bright halls of high school

fade into memory--

Good luck, good life.

I wish you all

the health, prosperity...

We want money!

and happiness you desire.

Congratulations,

class of'87.

Here, that's yours.

See you later.

Thank you.

This is too great.

Consider it

a graduation gift.

The fact is,

I never thought

we'd get this far.

Um, I'm speechless.

That's another surprise!

All right,

I'll be home much later.

OK.

Thanks, man.

Keep on your toes.

Nobody likes a complacent parent.

Hi, Miss Simpson,

how are you?

You have plans

for tonight?

After dinner,

a few parties.

How's your father,

Blair?

He was supposed to be here,

but I guess his plane was delayed.

Graduates.

Mom Easton,

you must be very proud.

Extremely.

Where's

the ex-Mr. Easton?

He's bringing the car around.

Ready?

I'll see you at dinner?

Yeah. Dad coming?

Yes, but don't worry.

Amnesty for a special occasion.

All right, bye.

Hey, congratulations!

Catch this!

Good catch!

Wait a minute!

Hold up!

I have a brief announcement.

I want you to know

that I, Julian Wells,

have just become

a fully-financed record producer.

Where did you

get the dough?

Mr. Benjamin Wells,

the greatest dad in dad history.

Tone Deaf Records

is a reality.

If you quit college,

we could work together.

No.

Why don't you

try college?

I barely survived

high school.

I can't believe

we won't be together.

We have the summer together.

Markie, a photo

for posterity.

Ready?

Yes.

Ha ha ha!

Ready?

Aim...

Hello.

Hi, it's me. It's early, huh?

It's late for me.

Are you coming home

for Christmas?

Yeah.

Great.

Why are you calling?

I'm sorry.

This is stupid.

I just want to

see you.

Call me when you

get back.

I need to

see you, Clay.

What's the matter,

Blair?

Nothing.

Blair.

I'm not going to college.

I'm staying here.

Why?

I can't leave now.

I'm starting to get

all the great jobs.

I worked really hard

for all this.

Modeling? Why don't you try

something more challenging,

like a game show host?

What happened

to our plans--

You and me,

the apartment together?

I can't go.

Clay...

because I don't want to.

Because I'm afraid to, OK?

This is

where I live.

Because I'm afraid, OK?

I am.

I'm sorry.

Take care of Blair

for me.

Forget about her

and go east, young man.

Hot cocoa, girls

with woolen knee socks.

Huh?

Bye.

Don't forget

the high-IQ p*ssy,

''On leaf he walks, ''

girls in flannel nightgowns,

L.L. Bean.

Take care of Blair

for me.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Julian.

Needed time, Blair?

It didn't take much time

to f*** my best friend.

#Time, time, time #

# See what's become of me #

#Time, time, time #

# See what's become of me #

#While I looked around #

# For my possibilities #

# I was so hard to please #

# Look around #

# Leaves are brown #

#And the sky #

# Is a hazy shade of winter #

# Hear the Salvation Army band #

# Down by the riverside #

# It's bound to be a better ride #

#Than what you got planned #

# Carry a cup in your hand #

# Look around #

# Leaves are brown #

#And the sky #

# Is a hazy shade of winter #

# Hang onto your hopes, my friend #

#That's an easy thing to say #

# But if your hopes will pass away #

# Simply pretend #

#That you can build them again #

# Look around #

# Grass is high #

# Fields are ripe #

# It's the springtime of my life #

#Ahhh #

# Seasons change with the scenery #

#Weaving time in a tapestry #

#Won't you stop and remember me? #

Hello.

Mom. Anybody home?

#Time, time, time #

# See what's become of me #

#While I looked around #

# For my possibilities #

# I was so hard to please #

# Look around #

# Leaves are brown #

#And the sky #

# Is a hazy shade of winter #

# Hear the Salvation Army band #

# Down by the riverside #

# It's bound to be a better ride #

#Than what you've got planned #

# Carry a cup in your hand #

# Look around #

# Leaves are brown #

#And the sky #

# Is a hazy shade of winter #

# Hang onto your hopes, my friend #

#That's an easy thing to say #

# But if your hopes will pass away #

# Simply pretend #

#That you can build them again #

# Look around #

# Grass is high #

# Fields are ripe #

# It's the springtime of my life ##

Hi, Clay, it's me.

Are you home yet?

I'll see you

at Alana's party.

Hope so.

#Whoa #

# Come on, boys #

Thanks.

#You show us

everything you've got #

# Keep on dancin',

and the room gets so hot #

#You drive us wild #

#We'll drive you crazy #

#And you say you want to

go for a spin #

#The party's startin',

babe, I'll let you in #

#You drive us wild #

#We'll drive you crazy #

Hey, Trent.

Hey, nice tan.

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite #

#And party every day #

Hi, Clay.

Hey, Eddie.

#And party every day #

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite #

#And party every day #

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite #

#And party every day... #

When did you

get back?

Yesterday.

How's M.I.T.?

It's weird

and stimulating.

Did you know you have television sets

between your legs?

I'll see you later.

#You show us

everything you g-g-g-got #

# Baby, baby,

that's quite a lot #

#You drive us wild #

#We'll drive you crazy #

#You keep on shoutin' #

#You keep on shoutin'... #

Happy holidays, sport.

Nothing like a small,

intimate gathering among friends.

I'm hoping for a little

seasonal caroling myself.

When did you

get back?

This morning.

Are you gonna stay

a while?

Yeah.

How are you doing?

Working for a living.

Working?

Well, my fingers

to the bone, friend.

Are you staying

in school?

Yeah.

Don't f*** off.

Don't be a bum.

Like you?

Just like me.

You look like you could use

a little Christmas cheer.

No.

Come on, Clay.

Old habits never die.

They just hibernate.

Old dealers?

They go to jail, right?

Play handball

with the Wall Street guys.

You don't belong here.

These people are a**holes.

Who gives a f***

about these people?

I don't know, Rip.

Good customers though, huh?

Bread and butter.

Blair's upstairs.

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite #

#And party every day #

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite #

Ahh!

#And party every day #

# I wanna rock and roll

all nite ##

Sammy!

...Keep right

on the floor.

They really belong

to the company.

Hello, Clay.

Bye, Blair.

Hi, Clay.

Hi.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

You look pale.

Santa's gonna put

a suntan in my stocking.

So how's school?

Great.

You know, school.

Well, you--

you look great.

I thought

I looked pale.

Well, you look

pale and great.

Have you seen Julian?

No.

He misses you--

The three of us--

like high school.

Why did you call?

I wanted to.

Good reason.

Well, there's more.

I'm here.

I think Julians

in a lot of trouble.

Julian?

I didn't know

who else to call.

- I can think of 500 people downstairs.

- No, he's in trouble.

Old trouble

or new trouble?

He disappears and comes back

like nothing happened.

He's wasted

all the time.

Julian's been doing that

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Harley Peyton

Harley Peyton is an American television producer and writer. He worked in both capacities on Twin Peaks and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his writing on the series. He went to Harvard and Stanford. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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