Other People

Other People is a novel by British writer Martin Amis, published in 1981.

Plot

Mary, an amnesiac young woman, wakes in a hospital and cannot remember who she is, what has happened to her, or even simple things such as how to blow her nose or what clouds are. She leaves the hospital and takes the name "Mary Lamb" after overhearing a nursery rhyme. Mary befriends a woman named Sharon, an alcoholic who seems well-meaning to the naïve Mary until she prostitutes her for money. After enduring painful sex, Mary smashes the man's mouth in once he passes out. She flees, coming into contact with a policeman named Prince, who knows about Mary's past. Mary lives for a while with Sharon's parents, also alcoholics, but eventually she moves into a shelter for "fallen women." She receives a letter from Prince that includes a newspaper clipping concerning her before she lost her memory. Mary learns that her real name is Amy Hide and that her past was quite dark, a fact which causes Mary a great deal of distress. During her stay at the shelter, she gets a job as a waitress in a seedy café. With one exception, all of the male employees sexually harass her, but she does not understand the significance of their actions. The exception is Alan, a meek and highly insecure man who is deeply infatuated with Mary but does nothing to ward off the attentions of others. Mary meets Prince again, and she learns that Amy had asked someone to kill her. According to Prince, the failed killing was what had caused her amnesia. The man who did it is behind bars but due to be released.

Other People (film)

Other People is a 2016 American dramedy film written and directed by Chris Kelly and stars Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford, and Maude Apatow. The film was produced by Adam Scott, Naomi Scott, and Sam Bisbee. The executive producers were Lance Acord, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Cathleen Ihasz, Nicole Ihasz, David Ryan, Hunter Ryan, Richard J. Bosner, and Stephanie Apt.

The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2016.

Plot

The film is a dramedy about a 29-year-old gay man who moves home to Sacramento to take care of his mother, who’s in the advanced stages of leiomyosarcoma. Being home is further complicated by his conservatively religious family and his Dad's refusal to accept his sexuality (ten years after he came out). Shannon's character struggles through chemo, decides to quit treatment and starts to decline, each of the family members deal with the inevitable loss in their own way.

Cast