Katie Says Goodbye movie storyline. Living in a struggling desert town in Arizona composed of little more than a trailer park and a small diner, Katie (Olivia Cooke: Me, Earl and The Dying Girl, Ready Player One) dreams of a new life in San Francisco. In order to best save the necessary funds to leave her desolate town and start anew, Katie prostitutes herself to a handful of regulars that frequent the diner she waitresses at.
As Katie draws near to saving the funds she believes her new life requires, she encounters a young ex-convict named Bruno (Christopher Abbott: Girls, It Comes at Night). Katie quickly falls in love, much to the dismay of Bruno’s coworkers at the local auto body shop. As a relationship with Bruno begins to form, the delicate harmony of their small town slowly begins to fall into disarray.
Katie Says Goodbye is a 2016 drama film written and directed by Wayne Roberts in his directorial debut. The film stars Olivia Cooke, Mireille Enos, Christopher Abbott, Mary Steenburgen, Jim Belushi, Keir Gilchrist and Chris Lowell. In August 2016, the first image of Cooke was released. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released on June 7, 2019, by Vertical Entertainment.
About the Story
Katie is a kindhearted seventeen-year-old waitress who lives in a hamlet in rural Arizona with her mother Tracey. Tracey doesn’t work and depends on Katie to keep up with bills. To overcome poverty, escape her boring life, and fulfill her plan to move to San Francisco, Katie makes extra money having sex with truckers, including another kindhearted soul and older man, Bear.
Katie befriends and begins a relationship with local mechanic and ex-convict Bruno. When he discovers she is prostituting herself, Katie agrees to stop. But Katie has a reputation in town, and soon another man forces himself on Katie. The man’s daughter, Katie’s coworker, comes upon the pair and later accuses Katie of being the seducer.
Katie is picked up by two of Bruno’s coworkers under the guise of a ride home but is taken to a rural area where they beat and rape her. After his coworkers brag about having sex with her, Bruno, in a rage, assaults them, grievously wounding one.
Katie, bruised and despondent, returns to the restaurant, where Bear accuses Bruno of causing Katie’s bruises. After a brief fight between the two men, Bruno drives Katie to another rural area where he blames her for having sex with his coworkers and ends their relationship. He is later arrested.
Meanwhile, Tracey leaves town with a married neighbor and Katie’s money, without paying the rent. Katie is forced to abandon the trailer she shared with her mother. Back at work, another waitress accuses Katie of stealing money from the restaurant. As grief, shock and despair wash across her face, Katie tells her boss the accusation is true. She refuses the restaurant owner’s apparent offer to let Katie make amends to keep her job.
As she walks out the door, Katie quietly warns the accusing waitress to “never do that again.” Outside the restaurant, Katie staggers across the parking lot, and falls to her knees in heaving sobs. As the sobs taper off, a smile comes over her face, she picks herself up and shuffles out to the highway where she begins a new journey by holding her thumb out and hitchhiking down the road.
Katie Says Goodbye (2016)
Directed by: Wayne Roberts
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Mary Steenburgen, Mireille Enos, Sage Bell, Jim Belushi, Christopher Abbott, Keir Gilchrist, Nate Corddry, Natasha Bassett, Gene Jones, Bernardo Saracino, James Cady
Screenplay by: Wayne Roberts
Production Design by: Tania Bijlani
Cinematography by: Paula Huidobro
Film Editing by: Sabine Emiliani, Carlo Sirtori, David Steiner
Costume Design by: Amit Gajwani
Set Decoration by: Scott Christopher Clark
Art Direction by: Raphael Sorcio
Music by: Raphael Sorcio
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Vertical Entertainment
Release Date: September 11, 2016
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