
"The Fighting Kind"
Season 1 Episode 9 | 17m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
A man with a dark past returns home to make his sister an unwelcome offer.
A man with a dark past returns home to make his sister an unwelcome offer. A short film by Nils Taylor. Made at Dodge College at Chapman University.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Film School Shorts is made possible by a grant from Maurice Kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of KQED.

"The Fighting Kind"
Season 1 Episode 9 | 17m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
A man with a dark past returns home to make his sister an unwelcome offer. A short film by Nils Taylor. Made at Dodge College at Chapman University.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[ Ringing ] Davin: HEY, HEY.
YEAH, SORRY.
CELLPHONES DON'T REALLY WORK OUT HERE.
[ SNIFFS ] YOU WHAT?
YOU'RE NOT...WITH ME, ARE YOU?
YOU SERIOUS, THOUGH?
[ GROANS ] NO, NO, NO, NO.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY END.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY END.
YEAH, I WILL, I WILL.
[ VEHICLE PASSES ] UGH.
THINGS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO HAPPEN.
[ SIGHS ] UH, YEAH.
I'LL GET THE SIGNATURES, AND I'LL BE BACK BEFORE THE WEEKEND.
ALL RIGHT.
LATER.
[ ENGINE SHUTS OFF ] [ WATER RUNNING IN DISTANCE ] [ BIRDS CHIRPING ] [ LOCK CLICKS ] [ DOOR CREAKS ] [ SIGHS ] COME HERE.
Madison: HERE.
THESE ARE FOR YOU.
UM, YOU CAN PUT YOUR STUFF IN THE DRAWERS IF YOU WANT.
Davin: THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I'LL PROBABLY JUST KEEP EVERYTHING RIGHT IN THE BAG.
MM.
Madison: OKAY, WELL, UM, I'LL LET YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
Davin: THANK YOU.
HEY.
Madison: OH, HI.
Davin: I WAS -- I WAS GONNA CALL.
Madison: YEAH, I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THIS MESS.
I'M JUST -- Davin: DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
PLEASE, DON'T, DON'T.
I'M ONLY GONNA STAY A COUPLE OF DAYS ANYWAY.
I DON'T WANT TO BE IN YOUR HAIR, YOU KNOW.
ARE THINGS GOOD?
Madison: THINGS ARE...OKAY.
I, UM -- I ACTUALLY JUST... LEFT TEACHING.
IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU.
Davin: SAME HERE.
Madison: [ CHUCKLES ] Davin: THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
Madison: [ CHUCKLES ] Davin: WHAT?
Madison: MY ANSWER'S STILL THE SAME.
Davin: I KNOW, MADDIE, AND I'M SORRY.
BUT I'VE LOOKED INTO EVERY OPTION THERE IS.
EVERY OPTION, AND YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN CO-SIGN.
Madison: I CAN'T DO IT.
Davin: NO.
YOU WON'T.
Madison: IF I DO THIS FOR YOU, OKAY -- IF I DO THIS AND IT FALLS THROUGH, I LOSE EVERYTHING.
I'M SORRY, BUT I JUST CAN RISK IT.
Davin: WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?
NATE IS GOOD FOR HIS HALF.
HE REALLY IS.
I'VE TOLD YOU THAT BEFORE, AND I CAN PROVE IT TO YOU.
THE PAPERWORK IS IN MY BINDER, IN MY BAG, IN MY ROOM.
BRING IT DOWN, LOOK AT IT.
YOU'LL SEE IT'S ALL -- -Madison: JUST STOP IT, OKAY?
-Davin: JUST LOOK AT IT!
-Madison: JUST STOP.
STOP IT!
Davin: JUST LOOK AT IT!
THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
[ GLASS CLINKS ] Madison: IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
Davin: YOU TAKE A LOOK AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, AND YOU'D THINK YOU COULD SEE THAT DAD GAVE YOU...EVERYTHING Madison: I'M NOT -- Davin: LOOK, I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE MY WAY HERE.
THAT'S ALL I'M DOING.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU FOR HALF.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU FOR HELP.
Madison: [ SCOFFS ] Davin: YOU ARE LITERALLY ALL THAT I HAVE.
Madison: AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?
Davin: I'M GONNA TRY THE BAR.
YOU WANT TO GO?
Come on.
COME ON.
YEAH, JUST A LITTLE -- JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT.
Madison: I'M FINE.
BUT GO.
HAVE FUN.
IT'S FINE.
Davin: ALL RIGHT.
[ COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING ] Sarah: DON'T WORRY ABOUT JACK.
I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM.
JUST -- JUST STAY RIGHT HERE.
ALL RIGHT.
Jack: COME ON, SARAH.
Sarah: I'LL MAKE SURE HE'S ON HIS BEST BEHAVIOR.
Jack: NO.
Sarah: COME ON.
WE'LL DRINK TOP SHELF.
JACK, STOP BEING SUCH AN ASS.
Jack: HE'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I DON'T WANT HIM ANYWHERE NEAR ME.
THERE'S A TABLE IN THE BACK.
I'LL SEND SOMEONE OVER.
Sarah: THANK YOU.
COME ON.
I TOLD YOU IT'D WORK.
Davin: ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Sarah: WE HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK.
LET'S GO.
SO, WHAT'S THIS PLAN YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT?
Davin: MY FRIEND, NATE, AND I, UH, WE'RE STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO BUY THIS REALLY HUGE HOUSE IN PORTLAND, AND WE'RE GONNA FIX IT UP, CONVERT IT INTO APARTMENTS, WAIT A FEW YEARS, FLIP IT, AND THEN DO ANOTHER ONE.
-Sarah: JUST YOU TWO?
-Davin: JUST US TWO.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE ENJOY IT, SO... Sarah: WOW.
IT'S LIKE NIGHT AND DAY RIGHT NOW.
Davin: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Sarah: YOU'RE JUST...DIFFERENT.
YOU FIND GOD OR SOMETHING?
Davin: AS A MATTER OF FACT... NO.
NO, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I GUESS I'VE JUST BEEN DRIVING AROUND A LOT ON MY OWN SO MUCH THAT...YOU KIND OF FORGET A LOT OF THINGS.
PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS OF YOU, WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE -- JUST YOU DROP ALL THAT STUFF, AND IT FEELS GOOD.
Sarah: IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN CHANGE.
Davin: ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING.
Sarah: [ CHUCKLES ] OKAY.
WHAT'S UP?
Davin: WELL, I NEED MADDIE TO CO-SIGN SOME PAPERWORK FOR ME AND NATE, AND SHE REALLY... WELL, SHE WON'T -- SHE WON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT.
Sarah: AND?
Davin: AND I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IF YOU SAID SOMETHING TO HER... 'CAUSE COMING FROM ME IS ONE THING.
COMING FROM YOU -- Sarah: ARE YOU SERIOUS?
YOU REALLY HAVE NO CLUE, DO YOU?
Davin: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Sarah: YOUR SISTER HAS BEEN THROUGH HELL THIS PAST YEAR.
HOW FAST EVERYTHING HAPPENED -- FIRST HER FATHER, THEN HER JOB.
Davin: "HER FATHER"?
Sarah: SHE GOT FIRED FROM THAT JOB.
DID SHE TELL YOU THAT?
Davin: NO.
Sarah: YEAH, AND YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T ASK.
CAN'T YOU SEE THAT SHE'S COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN?
SHE HAS SPENT HER ENTIRE LIFE COVERING YOUR ASS, AND WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU, YOU WEREN'T AROUND.
AND NOW YOU JUST BLOW INTO TOWN, WHAT, DEMANDING A FAVOR?
Davin: IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, SARAH.
Sarah: I THINK I'M GONNA GO.
OKAY.
[ WASHING MACHINE RUNNING ] [ INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ] Sarah: [ SCOFFS ] MM.
WELL, I BETTER GET GOING, OR ELSE I'M GONNA BE LATE.
Madison: BYE.
THANK YOU FOR THE COFFEE.
Sarah: OF COURSE.
Be nice.
[ DOOR SHUTS ] Davin: [ SNIFFS ] Madison: I HEARD JACK STILL HATES YOU.
Davin: [ INHALES SHARPLY ] YEAH, I FIGURED.
IT'S LIKE A CAVE IN HERE, MADDIE.
Madison: STOP.
IT'S TOO BRIGHT.
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.
[ SIGHS ] Davin: WANT TO TALK?
Madison: IT'S NOT REALLY THE BEST TIME RIGHT NOW.
Davin: PLEASE?
Madison: IS THERE REALLY A POINT?
I MEAN, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE GONE TOMORROW.
[ WATER RUNNING ] WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
Davin: I WAS OUT.
YOU GET MUCH WRITING DONE TODAY?
Madison: I WAS A LITTLE DISTRACTED.
YOU KNOW THAT DAD WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE FOR THIS.
Davin: PROBABLY NOT.
Madison: THE TWO OF YOU WERE UNBEARABLE.
NEEDING EACH OTHER, HATING EACH OTHER, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
[ SNIFFLES ] IT'S FUNNY, THE THINGS YOU MISS WHEN THEY'RE GONE.
I WAS SITTING IN THE KITCHEN.
I HAD JUST GIVEN HIM BREAKFAST, LIKE I ALWAYS DO.
AND I -- I REALIZED HE WASN'T JUST SICK ANYMORE.
HE STOPPED MAKING SENSE.
AND THEN HE JUST STOPPED TALKING ALTOGETHER, LIKE HE WAS JUST SITTING THERE, WAITING -- WAITING FOR SOMETHING, ANYTHING, TO HAPPEN.
[ Voice breaking ] AND I WAS...
I JUST WANTED IT TO HAPPEN, TOO.
[ SNIFFLES ] Davin: HE CALLED ME, UH, THREE YEARS AGO.
I WAS IN RALEIGH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT MY NUMBER.
BUT HE DID.
WE DIDN'T TALK FOR VERY LONG.
HE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A ROOF OVER MY HEAD AND I... WAS HEALTHY.
I SAID I WAS FINE.
AND THEN HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO COME BACK, THAT WE WERE FINISHED.
HE TELL YOU THAT?
Madison: NO.
Davin: I'M SORRY I WASN'T HERE.
Madison: WOULD YOU HAVE COME BACK IF YOU HAD KNOWN?
YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING, RIGHT?
LOOK AT ME.
YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS, RIGHT?
Davin: YEAH.
Madison: ALL RIGHT.
I'LL SIGN IT.
I'LL SIGN ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT ME TO.
[ SNIFFLES ] OKAY.
I TRUST YOU.
Davin: [ SIGHS ] HEY.
IT'S ME.
LOOK, UM...
I'VE GOT SOME...BAD NEWS.
IT FELL THROUGH.
NO, NO, NO.
I TRIED.
I-I TRIED EVERYTHING.
IT IS A DEAD END OUT HERE.
NO.
I'M SORRY.
LOOK, I'M -- I'M -- I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO PULL OUT.
I'M SORRY.
[ BIRD CHIRPING ] BUT THERE'S MORE GOING ON HERE THAN I THOUGHT AND...
I NEED TO STAY.
LOOK, I GOT TO GO.
I-I'M REALLY SORRY.
I AM REALLY SORRY.
I GOT TO GO.
[ SIGHS ] MADDIE.
Madison: HMM?
"The Fighting Kind" | Behind-the-Scenes
Preview: S1 Ep9 | 1m 37s | Director Nils Taylor offers commentary on a key dramatic scene in The Fighting Kind. (1m 37s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Film School Shorts is made possible by a grant from Maurice Kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of KQED.