There’s a quiet intensity to Scrap that sneaks up on you. At first glance, it might seem like another indie drama following a woman through a rough patch in Los Angeles, but this film is so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s a tender, often humorous meditation on family, pride, and the small yet profound victories that define our lives.
The story centers on Beth (Vivian Kerr), a recently laid-off single mother trying to keep up appearances in a city that’s as glamorous as it is unforgiving. She’s resourceful, determined, and fiercely protective of her young daughter, Birdy. But no matter how much she hustles, life keeps pushing her down a few steps, forcing her to live in her car and navigate the precarious balance between independence and the support she desperately needs. Beth’s older brother, Ben (Anthony Rapp), has found success as an author, living a life that seems secure on the surface. Alongside his wife Stacy (Lana Parrilla), a sharp and driven attorney, Ben contemplates expanding their family through IVF. The contrast between their lives and Beth’s struggles is stark, yet the film never feels judgmental or melodramatic—it simply observes, with empathy, the complexities of modern adulthood and parenthood.
At its core, Scrap is a character study. There are no sudden plot twists or flashy camera work; the beauty is in the minutiae of daily life—the awkward job applications, the endless text messages left unread, the delicate negotiations between pride and necessity. Beth’s journey is about more than finding financial stability; it’s about reclaiming a sense of agency, of showing up fully for her daughter while learning to lean on those she loves. The story’s rhythm mirrors real life in that way: messy, unpredictable, sometimes heartbreaking, but also quietly funny and full of small triumphs.
Vivian Kerr’s performance is nothing short of remarkable. She brings a lived-in authenticity to Beth, portraying her as resourceful and flawed, fiercely independent yet vulnerable. There’s a quiet humor in Beth’s day-to-day survival—a glance at her car-turned-apartment, the juggling act of lies and white lies to maintain a sense of normalcy, and the occasional indulgence in small personal joys despite everything stacked against her. Kerr inhabits her character fully, letting us see the layers beneath Beth’s determined exterior: fear, love, guilt, and hope. Opposite her, Anthony Rapp and Lana Parrilla deliver nuanced performances that make Ben and Stacy feel like real people grappling with their own pressures and disappointments. The chemistry among the trio underscores the film’s exploration of family—not just as blood relations but as the complicated, messy, and ultimately sustaining connections we make in life.
What sets Scrap apart is how it handles motherhood. Beth’s love for Birdy drives the narrative without ever feeling sentimentalized. Her struggles, from eviction threats to awkward encounters with exes and creditors, are grounded in reality, yet the film allows space for joy, humor, and resilience. Watching Beth navigate Los Angeles with Birdy by her side, clinging to her dignity while reinventing her life, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The film doesn’t present a tidy resolution; instead, it offers something more meaningful: an affirmation that courage often looks like the quiet decisions we make every day, the moments we choose honesty, connection, and love over pride or fear.
Scrap also feels like a love letter to Los Angeles itself. The city pulses with life, sometimes beautiful, sometimes harsh, and it mirrors the characters’ struggles and triumphs. It’s a backdrop that’s never just scenery—the streets, the apartments, the fleeting encounters with strangers all contribute to a sense of lived-in reality that makes Beth and her world feel authentic.
By the end, Scrap lingers with you not because of melodrama or spectacle but because of its humanity. It’s a film about resilience, the small victories that matter more than any headline success, and the messy, complicated ways people show up for each other. Vivian Kerr has crafted a debut that’s intimate, sharp, and emotionally honest—a story that doesn’t just tell us about struggle, but lets us feel it, and ultimately, hope alongside its characters.
In a time when so many stories about women lean on clichés or extreme dramatics, Scrap is refreshingly grounded. It’s about the kind of strength that doesn’t make the evening news, the kind that exists in kitchen-table conversations, in car rides across the city, in quiet acts of love and protection. And through it all, Beth reminds us that the bravest thing we can do is keep going, keep loving, and keep showing up for the people who depend on us—and for ourselves.
Director: Vivian Kerr
Cast: Lana Parrilla, Anthony Rapp, Khleo Thomas
Writer: Vivian Kerr
Producers: Marion Kerr, Vivian Kerr, Suresh Cedrick Pereira, Rachel Stander
Cinematographer: Markus Mentzer
Editor: Toby Yates
Screening or Streaming Availability:
