The Arbors (2020)

Drew Matthews: Ethan Daunes

Photos 

Quotes 

• Ethan Daunes : [Recording voice message for his brother, Shane]  You know the worst part about living in that tiny apartment after Dad left was that our old house was always just up the road. And every time we'd be driving back from anywhere, it felt like we were going home, back to that house, and we'd just keep driving. And it just sat there for so long. It was empty, and we didn't have like a real reason to not go back, we just never did. Then... after a few years, those people moved in and it felt a little further away. Then they left and more new people moved in. And all this time, it's just been up the road. You never left, either! You've always been around and... things just never went back the way they were before, right? And I know you stopped looking up to me, at some point. But for a long time, I thought, like, eventually, we're gonna get older and things would go back to how they used to be, and we'd be close like we used to be. Then you met Lynn, and you pulled or she pulled you away. Then you had Robin. I know they didn't take you away from me, but they're just always there. And that's keeping things from getting back to the way they were. I'm sorry. But I can't help but hate them for that.

• Ethan Daunes : Hey, uh... I know this is stupid, but... remember when we were kids, we used to try to catch snakes and lizards and stuff like that? Sometimes, I think about the time I caught this really weird snake thing. We tried looking up what kind it was in that snake book that you used to have, and, uh, it turns out it was an Eastern glass lizard or something. We didn't know that at the time, so you thought that you'd found this whole new kind of snake.

  Shane Daunes : What are you saying?

  Ethan Daunes : I just remember you were, like, really impressed with it, like, you thought it was cool.

  [pause. Shane goes out of the car] 

  Ethan Daunes : I just want you to know that I had the simplest intentions.

• Connie Tern : Can I ask you something? Did you ever regret not leaving with me?

  Ethan Daunes : Yeah, I think I did, back then.

  Connie Tern : I always kinda thought you'd make it outta here, eventually. But you never left?

  Ethan Daunes : Uh... no.

  Connie Tern : What's been keeping you here all this time?

  Ethan Daunes : I don't know. I got a lot of good memories here.

  Connie Tern : I think you stay in one place too long and you'll get yourself mixed up with it, then you have no choice but to just... get out. Some problems can't follow you. They're rooted in a place.

  Ethan Daunes : I don't think I can outrun my problems.

  Connie Tern : But you haven't tried?

• Connie Tern : Ethan, I want to help you.

  Ethan Daunes : What?

  Connie Tern : Most of the people I haven't seen in ten years, I just forget they exist entirely, but you've always sort of stayed on my mind, and being back here, seeing you like this, I, uh, I feel bad for leaving you here. I leave tomorrow at two. Just come with me. Just for a bit, to see what's out there for you and to forget about this place for a while.

  Ethan Daunes : What do... where?

  Connie Tern : Wherever. Outta here. I think if you stay here one more day, you'll never get out.