Margin Call · written by J.C. Chandor · 2011

Outside the bank, Eric confronts Sarah about his disconnected phone and leaves it on the ground.

Scene 11 of 76 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Eric
Sarah Robertson

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 10 min into a 1:36 film

The story so farBefore scene 11

When a junior analyst discovers exposure that could wipe out his investment bank, its executives race to unload the danger on their customers while a veteran executive confronts the price of helping them survive.

Scene 1
Peter watches HR collect his colleagues while the surviving traders try to keep their heads down.
Scene 7
The fired Eric hands Peter his unfinished model and a warning to be careful.
Just before
Scene 8
After the layoffs, Sam tells Will his dog is dying and asks him to gather the surviving traders.
Scene 9
Sam tells the surviving traders to forget their dismissed colleagues and seize the opportunity to advance.
Scene 10
Back inside his office, Sam collapses onto the couch, visibly drained by his own rallying speech.
Scene 11
This scene

11EXT. INVESTMENT BANK BUILDING PLAZA/STREET LEVEL - EVENING

ERIC DALE walks out the front door carrying the file boxes. There are other people streaming out the door doing the same thing. ERIC stops, turns, and looks up at the building then tries to make a phone call but his phone does not work as it has been shut off by the firm. He looks up to the sky and can’t believe his fate. As he looks down he sees a woman, SARAH ROBERTSON, serious, classically beautiful and dressed in a well tailored power suit with her head down walking into the building. He can’t help himself.

ERIC

Robertson!

SARAH does not respond.

ERIC (cont’d)

Sarah Robertson!

This time she looks up. When she sees him she debates if she should stop. She does. He slowly moves a little closer to her, still carrying the slightly tattered box with his personal belongings in it.

ERIC (cont’d)

You shut off my phone???

SARAH ROBERTSON

Eric... I didn’t do anything.

They stare at each other.

ERIC

Fuck you.

They look at each other for a longer beat, both a little shocked that ERIC was so openly confrontational. She turns and heads back inside quickly. ERIC drops the phone to the ground and walks away.