Very funny.We're the Millers · 2013 — Chapter 19 of 21 · 3'51" · B1
The Fake Family Falls Apart, Explained: dead in a ditch
The Millers' arrangement cracks when David lets slip that he stands to make half a million dollars. Casey walks out, Kenny follows, and the family splinters over money: "You leave, you get nothing."
What happens
Back at the motel, Kenny returns with a minor injury, but David only cares about the deadline and reveals he is making half a million dollars. Casey and Kenny decide to leave, and Rose is caught between them as the group splits.
Listen for
worried sickdead in a ditchout of your minda total joke
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Phrase of the scene
dead in a ditch
死在水沟里；横尸荒野
假父母责备凯西不报平安，说都不知道她是不是死沟里了。
We thought you might be dead in a ditch somewhere.
Also in this scene
- worried sick
担心死了、急坏了
- out of your mind
疯了、脑子不清醒
- a total joke
从头到尾就是个笑话；完全不可信
- deserve each other
彼此真配（多指都不怎么样）
Everything marked in this scene
28 notes across 75 lines
liaison
You have a hair...Whoa. What's going on in here?- We've been worried sick. - That's right.present perfect
- We've been worried sick. - That's right.We didn't know if you were dead in a ditch! Huh?noun clause with if
We didn't know if you were dead in a ditch! Huh?flap
We didn't know if you were dead in a ditch! Huh?You couldn't have called? Something?Fine! Whatever!- Was that so hard? - Appreciate that.Un-fucking-believable.- Doesn't he? - Like a thousand bucks. Let's go.- Come on, we gotta hurry. Come on! - Take it easy!liaison
- Come on, we gotta hurry. Come on! - Take it easy!Look what happens when you run around like a crazy person.when clause
Look what happens when you run around like a crazy person.What do mean? He's fine. Come on, Ken-doll, hop up. Here we go....then you're out of your mind. - Whoa. Wait a second.liaison
...then you're out of your mind. - Whoa. Wait a second.I believe we are, right now, because you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for us.subjunctive if it wasn't for
I believe we are, right now, because you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for us.I'd be in Denver now if it wasn't for you slowing me down.Casey, come back. We have to stay together.You want to spend Christmas together? Help me with my homework?Please. This whole thing has been a total joke.What? Are you kidding me? She left! Screw her, okay?You all deserve each other.The Fake Family Falls Apart, explained
What's really going on
The scene is where the business arrangement finally gets said out loud. Until now the fake family has been a running joke, but the moment money appears, the affection they have built starts to look like a con. David's line, "You leave, you get nothing," shows what he thinks a family is: a contract with a payout. Casey's decision to walk out anyway is the first time someone chooses loyalty over cash. One of them pins it down: "We can't leave her." The group that spent the movie pretending to be a family has to decide whether any of it was real.
Theme
MoneyThe moment a half-million payout is mentioned, the fake family's loyalty turns into a negotiation.
BetrayalCasey and Kenny walk out on David over the lie, while Rose stays, and the group fractures.
Listen for
- have a hair — liaison
- dead in a ditch — flap
- Take it easy — liaison
- out of your mind — liaison
We didn't know if you were dead in a ditch! Huh?A melodramatic scolding that treats a late arrival as a family emergency, played for comedy.
You couldn't have called? Something?The complaint underneath the act: a real family would at least get a text.
You know what? You leave, you get nothing.David's threat to anyone who walks away, revealing that the whole arrangement runs on payment.
I'd be in Denver now if it wasn't for you slowing me down.David blaming the others for his delay, dismissing everything they have done for him.
We can't leave her, David. It's not right.The moral objection that stops the group from abandoning one of their own.
Questions about this scene
Why does Casey decide to leave?
She learns David is making a fortune while keeping the others in the dark. To her the whole trip was a lie dressed up as a family.
Why does David refuse to renegotiate?
He already made a deal with Brad and does not want to share more of the payout. He treats the others as hired help, not partners.
Why does Kenny want to go back for Casey?
He has come to see them as a real family and thinks leaving her behind is wrong. His loyalty is the opposite of David's attitude.
What does dead in a ditch mean?
It is a dramatic way of saying someone has gone missing and might be hurt. The speaker uses it to scold someone for not checking in.
We're the Millers · 21 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 20get one's hands off someoneCasey Punches Scottie P.
Chapter 1what I wouldn't giveDavid Runs Into Little Ricky
Chapter 2a real Sophie's choiceDavid Fights for Casey
Chapter 3out of my leagueBrad Offers David a Job
Chapter 4a huge red flagDavid Recruits Rose for the Trip
Chapter 5in my sleepThe Millers Fly to Mexico
Chapter 6blend inThe Millers Cross into Mexico
Chapter 7as we speakDavid Picks Up the Wrong Load
Chapter 8be a team playerA Cop Demands a Bribe
Chapter 9look the partFake Family at the Border Checkpoint
Chapter 10save your baconThe RV Breaks Down in the Desert
Chapter 11a bit of a hiatusHow David and Rose Met
Chapter 12pass the batonThe Millers Perform at the Jamboree
Chapter 13the birds and the beesKenny's Bad Drawing
Chapter 14spice things upThe Couple Walks In on Them
Chapter 15Mum's the wordCasey Teaches Kenny to Kiss
Chapter 16worth way more alive than I am deadPablo Chacon Confronts the Millers
Chapter 17make a good caseKenny Gets Bitten by a Spider
Chapter 18a cheap shotInterrogating Casey's Boyfriend
Watching · Chapter 19dead in a ditchThe Fake Family Falls Apart
Chapter 20get one's hands off someoneCasey Punches Scottie P.
Chapter 21a huge paydayDavid Begs the Group to Come BackChapter 19 of 21 · about 8 min to go