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

Sam buries his dog in his former backyard; Mary tells him their son survived the market turmoil and lets him finish digging.

Scene 76 of 76 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Last scene of act three

Save the Cat: Final Image
Mary Rogers
Sam Rogers

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:34 into a 1:36 film

The story so farBefore scene 76

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.

Scenes 1–12
The bank’s surviving employees return to familiar routines after firing Eric; Sam manages the floor while his dog is dying.
Scenes 13–23
Peter uncovers a threat to the firm’s survival and forces Will and Sam to respond.
Scenes 24–33
Peter’s work travels upstairs; Sam and the juniors enter Jared’s executive world and expose the scale of the risk.
Scenes 34–44
Management checks the model, debates its implications and brings Tuld into the emergency.
Scenes 45–46
Tuld offers a way for the bank to survive: sell before everyone else understands the risk; Sam names the price in broken trust.
Scenes 47–68
The solution consumes Sarah’s job, Eric’s freedom to leave, Seth’s prospects and Sam’s claim to refuse.
Scenes 69–74
The bankers return to the trading floor, complete the sale and repeat the layoffs that opened the day.
Just before
Scene 73
After the market closes, Jared congratulates Sam and tells him more layoffs are starting, but Sam will stay.
Scene 74
Sam passes the HR staff returning with boxes to dismiss more employees.
Scene 75
Sam asks to leave, then accepts Tuld’s demand that he stay for the money; Peter arrives as a newly promoted survivor.
Scene 76
This scene

76EXT. VERY UPSCALE OLD GROWTH SUBURBAN NYC BACKYARD- 11:00 PM

Fade up on SAM ROGERS standing in a hole in the backyard digging. Next to him is a large black medical-looking bag.

He continues to dig. Eventually the flood lights from the house come on and the whole back yard lights up. Then the door opens and a woman in her fifties wearing a bath robe and slippers comes out onto the deck. It is SAM’S EX-WIFE. MARY ROGERS. She squints towards the back of the yard.

MARY ROGERS

Hello! ... I’ve called the police.

SAM stops digging and looks up and leans on the shovel handle.

SAM ROGERS

Mary.

MARY ROGERS

Sam?

SAM ROGERS

Yup.

MARY ROGERS

What are you doing?

She comes down off the deck and walks across the lawn up next to the hole.

MARY ROGERS (cont’d)

What are you doing?

SAM ROGERS

Ella died.

MARY looks down and sees the large canine body bag.

MARY ROGERS

Oh God.

SAM ROGERS

Tumor on her liver. It was horrible.

MARY ROGERS

Well I’m very sorry.

SAM ROGERS

Yeah... I really loved that dog

MARY ROGERS

I know, but Sam you don’t live here

anymore.

SAM ROGERS

I was driving home from the vet and this

is the only place I could think to bury

her. This is where she belongs...

She looks at him deeply.

MARY ROGERS

Well. You should have called.

SAM ROGERS

I know.

MARY ROGERS

Are you alright? You look terrible.