An engrossing story of a dysfunctional family navigating the realities and delusions of life in modern day Los Angeles, Scrap also marks the impressive directorial debut of Vivian Kerr who also writes and stars in the film.
Scrap begins with what has increasingly become a reality in the ‘City of Angels’: a young woman homeless and sleeping in her car. Beth (Vivian Kerr) lost her job a year prior, a stark reality she hides from her successful novelist brother Ben (Anthony Rapp) who reluctantly agrees to babysit Beth’s daughter Birdy (Julianna Layne) for days at a time. Ben has his own problems with his career in a rut and his wife Stacy (Lana Parilla) struggling to conceive despite thousands spent on IVF treatments.
It all of course must come to a head, and the way Kerr does so in Scrap results in an engaging and emotionally intelligent drama that delves into how pride is the ultimate tool for self-destruction and communication the key to mend old wounds.
Kerr delivers a wonderfully nuanced and emotionally complex performance as an emotionally stunted and routinely frustrating character that we hope can let go of her ego and grow beyond her self-imposed limitations. Rapp compliments with a fine turn of his own as the younger brother and family man whose generous spirit applies to everyone but himself.
Perhaps the most surprising turn is from Lana Parilla. Known more for her villainous performances in the likes of Once Upon a Time and Why Women Kill, Parilla delivers a heartbreaking performance as a successful woman and loving wife whose desire to have children proves to be an impossibility. A scene where Parilla has an emotional breakdown in a parking lor is a standout moment.
Kerr’s depth filled writing, and on-point direction, is enhanced by the LA setting of Scrap. Kerr opts to stay away from the usual tourist sights and present a workaday Los Angeles where the spectre of poverty can sneak up on anyone at any time. Homelessness in Los Angeles (and California in general) has reached disturbing levels. Scrap is a reminder that behind every person living in the streets is a complex story.
