Morvern Callar (film)

2002 film directed by Lynne Ramsay

Morvern Callar is a 2002 psychological drama film directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Samantha Morton as the titular character. The screenplay, cowritten by Ramsay and Liana Dognini, was based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alan Warner. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Morvern Callar is a young woman in a small port town in Scotland who works at a supermarket. She wakes on Christmas morning to discover that her boyfriend has killed himself, leaving her a suicide note, a mixtape, Christmas presents, money for a funeral and the manuscript of his unpublished novel. His novel is dedicated to Morvern, and she replaces his name with hers in the manuscript before sending it to the publisher recommended in his suicide note. Morvern does not contact authorities and leaves the dead body in place. She tells her best friend and coworker Lanna that her boyfriend has left her and moved abroad. After several days, Morvern dismembers the body and buries it in the mountains. She cleans the flat to remove all of the blood and invites Lanna to live with her. Morvern receives a letter of interest from the book publisher and calls to tell them that they may reach her while she is on holiday in Spain. Lanna discloses to Morvern that she had slept with her boyfriend. Morvern is upset with Lanna but brings her to Spain, where they enjoy the nightlife. At the hotel, Morvern meets a man whose mother has recently died, and she has sex with him. The next day, Morvern abruptly tells Lanna that they must leave the hotel. They travel to another town but become lost and must spend the night on a rural road. Lanna becomes exasperated with Morvern's bizarre behaviour, and in the morning, they part ways. Morvern meets with the publishers, who have travelled to Spain hoping to acquire the rights to the manuscript. Morvern continues to pretend that she has written the novel and accepts a £100,000 advance. Back in Scotland with her £100,000 cheque, Morvern invites Lanna to accompany her back to Spain, but Lanna refuses because her life is in Scotland. Morvern collects her suitcase and proceeds to the railway station. In a nightclub, she listens to "Dedicated to the One I Love" from the mixtape that her boyfriend had left for her.