The following is inspired by a real company. Not Amway. A totally different company.
Dad, all of grandma and grandpa's food is the same brand, but I've never heard of it.
Is this the Michigan thing?
Those are Dreamstar products. Toss them with the rest of the trash.
They don't say Dreamstar.
They never do.
Wow, your parents must have been pretty hardcore. This is like Amway, right?
Dreamstar is similar to Amway, but different enough. It started right here in Grand Rapids.
But anyone too smart to join in, they move to Denver.
Actually, I'm going to bed.
Me too. What's the point of staying up without WiFi.
I don't know you, or do I?
Hard worker, good person, but you don't have the life, you know, you deserve.
We better get started, because you are rapidly running out of time.
And, Peter, to the matter of your parents will,
now, the Buick was totaled, and this house belongs to the bank.
So, in lack of earthly possessions, Ruth and Marty elected to will you their downline.
Wait, I'm sorry, what?
Your parents supervised a sizable network of independent business operators.
Sign here and it's all yours.
Wait, I'm inheriting their fucking Dreamstar network.
I don't think you quite grasp the opportunity that this represents.
Dreamstar is not a pyramid scheme, it's a multi-level marketing system
A participant, or independent business operators sells Dreamstar products.
that's their personal volume, PV. This is not a pyramid scheme.
An IBO finds his great success recruiting other people to become IBOs, that's their downline.
A percentage goes to the IBO that recruited them, that's their upline.
You know, in Britain, scheme just means plan.
Your parents were gold. Do you know what gold is?
The best?
Yes, the second best.
Double gold is the best
I read about this. Double gold is like moving in a Millionaire city.
I have to admit, I was a little bit jealous, I mean, if I'd started, that was a primo downline, like this,
I assure you I would have burned my law office to the ground years ago .
Maybe, you should go do that.
Hang on a second, hon, it's not the plague, it's just people seeking financial independence.
Hon, I work 60 hours a week, seeking financial independence, and we don't need to join a cult to get it.
Hard working people with an innovative way to build better lives for their families?
That's not a cult, Peter, that's America.
And it certainly beats breaking your back to buy your boss's wife a fur coat
when your own wife is walking around in knock-off Chinese Chanel.
My parents quit their jobs to hock energy bars and died with nothing.
Does that sound like the picture of financial success to you Mr. Van Vleck
I'm bronze we don't question the upline.
The Internet should have killed Dreamstar a long time ago.
Cannot kill what is in the hearts of all freeborn men.
Asshole.
Relax. At least you got something.
I never asked my parents for a dime.
The fact that they use their final breath to express, exactly where I stand with them, well,
that's where I take offence.
Dreamstar gave them purpose, they wanted to include you in that. Are you too good for a little purpose?
Mel, these people skipped out on seeing me wrestle for the state championship,
so they could go to a seminar about the amazing Jimmy Schofield.
Jimmy Schofield? He's a legend.
You used to wrestle, dad? Like, you?
Yes, I wasn't always a...
You know what, the Dreamstar talk ends now.
Hi, Peter, we're the Bathersons, we were in your parents' downline.
Which, kind of, makes you our new father.
We brought you a casserole, a hundred percent approved ingredients, of course.
We just want you to know we're all here for you.
We all?
Ok.
We are the Bathersons.
Yeah, I got that.
Great, I'm starving.
No, starts with a casserole, next thing you know, you're in their living room listening to a three hour presentation
on achieving your fucking, stupid ass dreams.
Well, what are we gonna eat, Peter? Are you gonna hunt something for us?
And the Ruth and Marty were called too soon.
I think we were all touched by their faith, their faith in the ability of human beings to achieve wondrous things
things like financial independence.
We will always owe them for their passion both in the eyes of the Lord and our upline.
Let us remember the words of Jesus.
That's Jimmy, fucking, Schofield.
He hasn't aged.
Go ahead, Peter, use my office, this can wait.
I go by myself.
Peter. Ruth and Marty spoke well of you. Too bad we finally meet like this.
Please.
Well, sometimes I feel like the last person in Grand Rapids not selling Dreamstar.
Oh, no, you're the first.
Well, you couldn't pay me to join, so...
Of course no, not with money, at least. World's filled with assholes who pay champs money for bullshit.
Why am I telling you this? You have a dead end job, you get it.
I happen to have a great job.
If you have a job - it's dead end. But what is that roll of paper? What does it mean?
That is the manifestation of time, it's a piece of our lives.
Think of what you could do, if I gave you more time.
I can give you the chance, to be a real father, a real husband, a real man for once in your life.
For once in your life you're speaking to someone outside of your circle of influence, Jimmy.
How I pity your non-Dreamstar mind. You would have to fly to fucking Mars to get out of my circle.
I have the power of God coursing through his veins, cut me and I bleed golden fire.
I'm not offering you an opportunity, I'm showing you your destiny.
Now, I command you to sigh that form.
When your parents car skidded off the road, do you think they call 911?
No, they called me to apologize for being late and to ask permission for an ambulance.
Now, as fortunate as I was to have such dedicated people in my network, they were clearly past their prime.
I wasn't allowing them a prophylaxis, the act of the benevolent king.
You're insane.
How is this for insane? Three days later, their son shows up in town,
a messiah with a downline from heaven. Don't tell me God's not a Dreamstar man.
So, Peter, anything to tell us?
Get the car around, keep in running.
You want me to drive?
Ok.
We need to go, now.
But, we're at the crossroads of forever.
It's like you don't even want a better life for your family.
Stop him.
You shouldn't have done that, Peter.
We're the Bathers...
Drive! Drive!
Where's mom?
Fuck! Pull over here.
Hi, officer.
My daughter just got her permit, and we're in a hurry, so...
Step out of the car, please, sir.
Ok.
Look, if there's the fine, I'm happy to pay it, but we need to...
What are you running from, Peter? When I see a man with such a potential, paralyzed by his own fear.
And I see him refusing a glorious gift that good people sweated their whole life to create.
Well, sir, takes more a paralyzed hip, for real...
Run!
Dad, what about mom?
That is not your mother anymore, do you understand? Mom is gone.
We have to hide.
Wow, this is all grandma and grandpa's?
Yeah, people have to buy the products from themselves to get their sales up.
They're customers, they are not employees.
How long do we have to stay in here?
You see anything come through that door talking about great opportunity,
I want you to shoot it, right between the eyes. Do you understand?
Cathy, do you undertand?
Good.
I'm gonna check on the inventory and see what we've got.
It looks like we have water, and vitamins and granola bars to last us, maybe, three months.
I hope that's enough.
You know, dad, this stuff at wholesale is almost ten thousand PV.
And we're brave enough to bring it to Denver, where there's a fraction of the awareness,
we could make double gold overnight.
Doesn't that sound like a great opportunity.