- After his business partner cheats a dangerous client, financial adviser Marty must devise a radical plan to save the lives of himself and his family.
- When his partner cheats a Mexican drug cartel, Chicago financial planner Marty Byrde is forced to flee to the Ozarks, after promising the cartel he can successfully launder money better there because of the many cash businesses out of the eye of federal agencies.
- Late at night, a man rolls two large ice chests to a lake shore. He places some fish carcasses in each, and fills the gaps with ice from a bag. He loads the chests onto a motor boat and proceeds to the other side of the lake. He then rolls the chests to his car, and drives to an outdoor hiding place, where he unloads the chests, removing the fish and ice first and then placing large plastic wrapped bundles of cash into a large hollow tube that already has some bundles inside. In a voice over, he muses that people have a fundamentally flawed view of money. He says money is a measuring device of the American work ethic. He says money is not piece of mind or happiness, but is a choice between patience, frugality, and sacrifice.
TITLE CARD - A man on his knees holding up his hands which are tied together, the Willis Tower, a handgun, a man flailing as he is falling.
The man, Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), is in his office as a young couple interviews him about becoming their financial advisor. He is receptive to their questions but is distracted when he receives an email with a video attachment showing two people having sex in a bedroom. Marty's business partner, Bruce Liddell (Josh Randall), comes in, reminds Marty of an appointment, and tells the couple that unfortunately their firm is over-extended and aren't taking on new clients, but they could -- if the couple opened a $5000 account right now. The couple eagerly agrees.
A Realtor shows Bruce and Marty an empty office space in a high rise in downtown Chicago. Bruce is enthusiastic about the setting, already fantasizing about where their offices will be, and how many employees they will have under them. Marty notes how the southern facing floor-to-ceiling windows will give them a huge cooling bill. Bruce excuses the Realtor, his fiancé Liz, and notes Marty's distraction, including the porn video he was watching earlier. He points out that Marty's wife of twenty-two years, Wendy, would not appreciate him watching porn at work. Bruce also points out that even though they are partners and best friends, he has a much better home, car, and sex life than Marty. Marty defends his car and says he has a good sex-life. Bruce gives him a pamphlet from his recent weekend away with Liz - Lake of the Ozarks, the "Redneck Riviera" - and recommends Marty buy some land there as a means of escaping the city and improving his mood and maybe his marriage. Liz returns and while Bruce is eager to take the space, Marty says they'll consider it.
Marty and Wendy (Laura Linney) are having dinner with their fifteen year old daughter, Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz), and younger son Jonah (Skylar Gaertner). Wendy plays peacemaker as Jonah has issues with going to the school dance. Charlotte and Jonah call each other "retards." Marty tells them not to use that word. Marty rejects giving Charlotte ten dollars for a fundraiser for a classmate with psoriasis, and later tells Wendy that he's given Charlotte money over the past weeks, and that Charlotte needs to know the value of money. Later, Marty and Wendy are sitting in front of the TV, but, behind her back, he's watching the porn video on his laptop.
Marty tucks Charlotte in, and drives off and picks up a prostitute. She reads him as the hard-working father, supporting his family, while his wife stays at home, but doesn't do everything he would like in the bedroom. As she gives him oral sex, Marty is broken from his reverie by a prostitute knocking on his car window - it was a fantasy. Bruce calls and says he is at Hanson's Trucking and that he needs Marty there. When Marty declines, Bruce tells him Del is also there.
Marty drives to the Hanson's, a lot in an industrial area, and enters a second floor office while four men stand in front of the closed entrance door. Bruce, Liz, and the two Hansons, father and son, are there. Del (Esai Morales) comes out of the restroom, greets Marty warmly, and asks for his $5 million. Marty does not know what he is referring to. Hanson Jr. says he and his father are not involved as they run a clean shop. Del disputes that they are clean, as they have collected $100 million in drug money and passed it on to Marty and Bruce to launder. Del says $5 million has been stolen from him, but Hanson Sr. says Del can check their logs, as they've weighed and recorded everything they've received. Liz asks to be excused to go to the restroom. Del relates a story of when a loyal cashier at his family's grocery store stole five dollars worth of pesos from the till. Del's father confronted her and asked her why she didn't just ask him for the money. The cashier, a single mother of five, claimed she needed to buy asthma medicine for her youngest. Del asks Hanson Sr and Bruce what his father should have done. Both answer that she should be given a second chance and watched carefully as if on probation. Del scoffs. Marty tells Del that Del is doing an intimidation audit, that he is fishing for an admission of skimming, but Del has a long distribution chain that ends downstream with meth heads and drug dealers, and that is where he should be looking. Marty says they've been laundering money for Mr. Navarro for ten years. Marty, nodding toward Liz in the restroom, tells Del he has now involved a civilian, and that is the mistake in his ruse. Del calls in his men, and in the meantime, takes out his pistol and shoots through the restroom door. Liz's body thuds on the floor. Hanson Jr starts yelling that his father is not involved and that it was all Bruce's idea.
They are taken outside; Liz's body is dropped into a barrel of acid. Del says he likes Chicago because of all the Mexicans, but dislikes Chicago because of all the Mexicans who attract all the Federal law enforcement agencies like the DEA and FBI. Yet, he points out, the drama comes from these four white guys. As Hanson Sr begs for his son's life, Del shoots Sr, and then Jr. Del asks Bruce how he did it. Bruce says the truckers weighed and recorded their loads of air conditioners, etc. along with the shipment of cash, but Bruce had them fill the gas tank short five gallons and took the cash equal to that weight. Bruce says they've skimmed $8 million over the years, and tells Del that Marty was not involved. Del shoots Bruce. Marty fumbles his phone out of his pocket and begs to be able to leave a message for his kids. Del knocks the phone out of Marty's hands and asks where Wendy is. Marty assures Del that Wendy does not know anything about what he does. Marty then produces the Ozark pamphlet and tells Del that every summer, the place is swarming with rich people with lots of cash to spend. Marty says he had investigated the Ozarks so they could do there what they've been doing in Chicago. He says Del was right about Chicago, that there was too much heat there, and that they need a new hub. Away from the scrutiny of the Feds, Marty assures Del he can launder $500 million in five years.
Del shoots. But this is another of Marty's reveries. In fact, Del has asked Marty to return what was stolen from him within 48 hours, then leave for the Ozarks with his family in another 48 hours, and then set up shop in a week.
At home, Wendy actually knows what Marty does, and says they should go to the police. Marty suggests she think about what would happen with the police, if they even get that far, as the people he's been working with have no code of ethics. Wendy realizes Marty is acting this way because she and the kids are also in danger. Marty says he will try to gather the $8 million, while Wendy will prepare the move and the sale of the house. In the morning, Charlotte refuses to move; Jonah worries the Ozarks are basically the woods. As he makes breakfast, Marty tells them families move to follow work opportunities every day. Charlotte storms off; Wendy goes to talk to her.
At the office, Marty calls his bankers and puts off their hesitations that they cannot get that much in physical cash in such a short time without raising flags, adding early-withdrawal penalties and taxes, etc. Marty then tells his secretary that the firm has been dissolved.
At a high-rise apartment, Wendy is telling an older man that Marty is in business with some bad people and the family has to leave. The man is incredulous, mostly because it's Marty. Elsewhere, a private investigator tells Marty that the older man's name is Gary Silverberg, a partner with a downtown law firm. Wendy has been seeing him twice a week. She calls him "Sugarwood." Silverberg advises Wendy to take as much money as she can before the Feds freeze it. Marty asks the investigator, hypothetically, what it would take for a family of four to disappear. He tells Marty that it may last a while but sooner or later they would run out of money, one of the kids would get sloppy on-line, or the wife might have too many drinks with friends and get loose-lipped. Marty gets a call from his bank saying that Wendy just liquidated their accounts. The investigator asks if Marty has a gun and then tells him where Silverberg lives.
Marty drives away, calling Wendy. She doesn't answer. He yells to himself that he's been faithful to her over the twenty-two years, although he's had opportunities. Wendy has returned to Silverberg's apartment and finds Del and a henchman there, glowering at Silverberg. As Marty walks toward the apartment high-rise, a body falls from above onto the street - Silverberg. Marty drives away and Del calls him and asks why Wendy has a $30k check in her possession. Del now knows Marty lied to him about Wendy not knowing about their business arrangement. Del wonders what Marty will do now - go through an ugly divorce, where Wendy will certainly bring up Marty's criminal enterprise, or let Del take care of their Wendy problem. Del reminds Marty he never answered his question about the grocery store cashier. Marty says to fire the cashier as it is not the first time she stole from the father, but the first time he's caught her.
Marty is at home. Wendy comes home and he says, You're welcome.
Marty goes to the bank with a rolling suitcase and two duffel bags. The banker leads him to the vault where another banker and three federal agents are waiting for him. They hold up a sign asking if he is under duress, if he is a victim of a kidnapping, and scan him with a metal detector wand. He assures them he is not, he is not wired, and that the money is for a business opportunity. He says what he does with his money is his own business. He threatens to go back to the lobby and yell that he can't get his money out, causing a panic. He leaves with almost $8 million and meets with Del.
At a quiet picnic area, Del's henchmen count the cash and it is $7k short. Marty says he knew that explaining he was planning on selling his remaining mini-van to cover the deficit. Del offers to buy the car from Marty, making up for the deficit and leaving Marty $20k over. Del then tells Marty to take the $8 million to the Ozarks and clean it. Marty doesn't understand - the money is already clean, and Del would lose up to 25% in taxes. But Del tells him that's not the point of the exercise - he has to see that Marty is willing to do it and that he CAN do it. He thinks Marty has a gift. Del muses that he is stuck between thinking about how intriguing this all is, and that maybe Marty is conning him. He assures Marty that if it's the latter, he will kill him and his family. Marty asks Del about the other night, when Del asked the men about the missing $5 million, when it turned out to be $8 million. Del admits he was on a fishing expedition, but that he's been working with Marty and Bruce for a long time, and was suspicious when Bruce was not running his mouth as usual.
At home, Wendy and Charlotte are loading up their car. Charlotte sees Wendy is stressed and asks her what is really going on. Wendy hugs her and asks Charlotte to support her over the next few days and to trust them.
The FBI is swarming over the office space Bruce and Marty and Liz were looking at. Agent Evans (McKinley Belcher III) suggests to Agent Petty (Jason Butler Harner) that Bruce must have left the country with Liz. Another agent tells Petty that they've collected the bugs that they had planted. The first agent wonders why Petty isn't more upset as Bruce was their "in" and that he would have made a fantastic government witness. Petty thinks the Feds are overestimating Mexicans, the Mafia, and Muslims -- that they are made out to be criminal masterminds, but in reality they are like Bruce -- entertaining, pathological liars. Petty asks where Martin Byrde is.
The family is driving through a forested area. Marty pulls over, telling Wendy he has to take a leak. Instead he walks a few yards into the forest, leans against a tree, and quietly says, I'm so sorry. He walks ahead a few more yards and looks over the expanse of Ozark Lake. The family comes up behind him to take in the view of their new home.
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