If you know how to paint, or even if you have no idea about painting, come paint with Carl Nargle. Do you know how we often talk about turning passion into a profession? We say that’s the best thing that can happen to someone, right? But here is the little secret: no profession can provide you with as much peace as your passion does. In your profession, whether you want it or not, you will have to satisfy ten other people, while in your passion, your satisfaction speaks the ultimate words. Furthermore, passion is fueled by a muse; in a profession, you will never have a scarcity of muses, but they are all momentary. Before we tell you why we are bombarding you with such philosophies, you might want to take some time out and thank or bless director Brit McAdams. He both wrote and directed Paint, a beautiful film that will trigger all your emotions at once. Since the trailer for Paint was dropped, it created a buzz, and the film did not disappoint us. Paint is an uncomfortable film that will provide you comfort. It is like your best friend being your hardest fitness trainer and yet bringing you a tub of ice cream at your lowest moment. Also, we have an undeniable love for John Denver’s songs, especially “Annie’s Song.” So, be prepared to fall in love with the beautiful song all over again. Finally, bring out your tissues and your snacks, for we are going to talk about Paint.
Spoilers Ahead
Carl Nargle: The Living Vermont State Treasure
PDS Burlington’s show “Paint with Carl Nargle” was a painting show where Nargle took his audience into places where they had never been before through his paintings. He was a great painter with a charming personality. He had been doing the show for almost thirty years. Carl was a great artist with dreamy eyes and a dewy voice. He had big curly hair and was popular among women. He had an orange-painted truck in which he roamed around the city and fornicated. He had an undying love for Mountain Mansfield and kept drawing it for over nineteen years. But, like any good thing, Carl was getting monotonous and boring. The TRP of the show was dropping. Carl refused to continue the show for two hours, so the producer of the show decided to bring in the young and talented Ambrosia. This pissed off Nargle, and he was intimidated by her. At the same moment, Jenna, a young girl who worked in the company and was drawn towards Nargle, knew it was her chance to finally have Nargle for herself. Carl took her out on a terrible date, where he fed her cheese and vale, although Jenna had been vegan since she was seven. In the studio, we also met a woman named Katherine, and it was clear that Carl and Katherine had a history.
Katherine was out with Ambrosia in the same café, and Carl was eyeing her from a distance. It seemed that Ambrosia was interested in Katherine. Jenna seemed to be a bit insecure but confessed that since Katherine cheated on Carl before he did, they were all bones now. Jenna and Carl went back home, where Jenna tried to seduce Carl, but he seemed unmoved. Unfortunately, Jenna had to puke after eating something she probably never had in her life, and that was how their night ended.
Rivalry And Downfall
As Ambrosia joined the show and brought new and raw talent, the TRP of the show was getting higher. Unable to adjust and acknowledge Ambrosia, Carl thought of buying presents for the crew members. It is where we find out that Carl had slept with all the women in the department and had broken up with them in the most unfair ways. Ambrosia, too, had painted pictures for everyone in the department. Jenna, who thought she would support Carl and not move, was excited the moment Carl asked her to collect her gift. The producer and several meetings with Carl tried to ease him into the process and told him that having Ambrosia was good for the channel. But Carl was adamant. He had the producer set up a bidding show and let the audience come forward and get their portrait done either by Carl or Ambrosia. Carl had the highest bidding amount from the audience, and Ambrosia had just one bidder. Both members of the audience came, and while Ambrosia painted a portrait with a light sword, Carl painted a similar image of Mountain Mansfield instead of the old lady’s portrait. This infuriated her, and she reminded him that he had painted similar landscapes before.
The words of the old lady gave Katherine an idea that might save the station. She watched the old tapes and understood that if they replayed the old tapes, no one would understand, for Carl has been repeating his paintings. As she was watching, Carl approached her. The conversation between Katherine and Carl is of enormous importance. Katherine told Carl exactly why she cheated. Carl was slowly reaching the pinnacle of his success, but he was blurring Katherine’s vision. He did not mistreat her but took her for granted and never noticed her. Katherine had made significant sacrifices to help Carl reach the zenith. Thus, she was enjoying attention from somewhere else when, in a lapse of judgment for a moment, she made a mistake. But as she confessed to Carl, instead of fixing it, he cheated on her as well. Thus, their relationship came to an end.
However, the next day, the producer asked Carl to visit him and told him that he had a wonderful job offer for him. He would be teaching at the University of Vermont. Carl was confused about how he would manage to host a show and teach. To this, the producer replies that they would play his old tapes, and no one would know the difference. Carl agreed unhappily, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He returned home with Jenna and all his paintings. Jenna was confused as to why Carl did not paint the portrait. Carl could not answer her at first and then confessed that Dr. Lenihan, an art curator and the director of the museum, told him about nineteen years ago that no one had painted an accurate image of Mountain Mansfield, so he had been trying to paint it ever since. But he was too scared to show him one of his paintings. Jenna was upset, but Carl told her that they would be happy as the university would pay him well. Jenna was furious, and for the first time, she raised her voice and told him what someone should have told him earlier. She said that he always wanted to play it safe, and today when he has lost everything, he wants to hold Jenna close. Jenna leaves, and Carl stays silent and horrified.
He goes to the university, and in his first class, his pupils are interested in Ambrosia. Carl failed to teach, and the university asked him to leave as well, seeing that the number of students in his class was constantly decreasing. He finally summoned up the courage to visit the museum and talk to Dr. Lenihan. But Dr. Lenihan refused to put up his painting in the museum and told him to paint something that “aches his heart and crushes his soul”—something that will show who Carl truly is. Unable to process the grief, Carl returned to his barn and began to throw paint on the wall where he had his paintings of Mountain Mansfield on display. The colors merged to create a beautiful painting, and Carl used his hair as a brush to create the art. As he sat down for the spa, he heard that his show was officially taken over by Ambrosia. He called the station only to find out that a protocol prohibits on-screen smoking, and Carl had a pipe between his lips in every episode.
Creation Of The Masterpiece
It is undeniable that creativity needs a sense of sadness and pain. It is hard to name a writer, poet, or painter whose masterpiece was created out of uninterrupted happiness. Pain has mastered the art of teaching people to appreciate the real beauty and joys of life. Also, pain and happiness are two sides of the same coin. We both tuck away the happiest and saddest moments of our lives in the farthest corner of our brains, knowing that they will ache our hearts and make our souls want to burst. Both love and pain are powerful emotions. Creating anything with such high emotion brings out the truth about any artist. Carl understood that in his pursuit to paint the perfect Mountain Mansfield, he had forgotten to paint from his heart. It was more of a rush toward perfection without a purpose. As soon as he realized what he had done, he drove back to where he knew he would find Katherine. He saw Ambrosia’s car there and thought Katherine was in it with her. He began telling her what he truly felt. But Ambrosia comes out to inform him that they are no longer together. She also mentioned that Kathrine never fell out of love with Carl. Carl headed back to the station and was preparing to go on living with an episode of “Paint with Carl Nargle.” Katherine was puzzled not to see Ambrosia in the studio. She confessed to Carl that she was responsible for Carl not having his show any longer. However, Carl said that he was never good with words; he could only express himself through his paintings. And for the first time in nineteen years, he drew from his heart, and his audience was overwhelmed; several people called the station to talk about how the show was marvelous again. Katherine did not wait to see what Carl had painted, and Carl left the show within 37 minutes because he had already painted his masterpiece and carried it away with him.
A Transformed Carl Nargles
He went ahead to his barbershop and got haircut number four, which was letting go of his unmanageable locks, which were his signature. Well, we must comment on one interesting thing here. Women are believed to chop off their hair before they start over after a really bad setback. The hair of a woman is considered to be a source of all her strength (go back to literary classics like “Rape of the Lock” or just think about how folktales preach that witches have their power source in their locks of hair). Carl, who was believed to be sexist, did the same thing. He even carried back the hair. The barber gave him some medicinal marijuana to cope with the loss and some gummy bears. He came back, sat on his barn, and began smoking, unaware that his floor mattress was on fire. As he was high on the drug, he sat in the foreground of his burning canvas. He looked like some conqueror who was sitting on his throne while he just won a war, and everything was burning behind him. This is the textbook’s perfect imagery to establish someone moving from his past. In the meantime, Katherine reached him and saw that the house was on fire. She went inside to find Carl and save him. Carl was high and was calling her insane and brave for coming to find him and save his life. Katherine ran back into Carl’s truck to find the painting from the day’s show. When she finally saw it, it was her portrait from the day they were intimate in Carl’s van.
‘Paint’ Ending
Katherine took Carl to her home, where Carl woke up with crumbles of crisps all over him. He came out and saw on the local news (much to his disappointment at not making it to CNN) that after the fatal fire, people thought he was dead. The reason was that the locks of his hair were discovered in the ashes. Soon, the entire town was suddenly a fan of his, and they wanted to have his paintings. The director’s subtle satire of human behavior is remarkable. Also, he paid homage to every artist who received posthumous fame but was neglected throughout their lives. Finally, Katherine and Carl moved back to a happy place where Carl had “Arthur the Evergreen” and “Miss Mercy,” the blackberry bush with juicy blackberries. The duo lived happily, hiding from the world. While Carl took care of the farm, Katherine was finishing up college. But a painter always remains a painter, for passion never dies. But this time Katherine made Carl promise that he would not be famous again. To this, Carl happily says that he would never sign it, Carl Nargle, as he died in the barn. The duo comes up with funny pseudonyms that Carl can use. The film ends with all correctness and teaches us how important passion is. Also, for passion, you need to never let go of your muse, the one true love of your life. The film ends by painting a perfect ending to an immortal love story. Besides being a love story, the film highlights how people often get carried away by fame and lose sight of important things. Also, there are certain deep satires and comic relief. In a nutshell, the film will capture your attention from the beginning until the end. There are times when you will laugh and times when you will wipe your eyes. But if the post-credit scene brings tears to your eyes and you find your tissue box emptied, you know who to blame.