Everything You Want 2005

Abby Morrison has lived a sheltered life, tucked away from the rough edges of growing up. She clings to her art as a lifeline, painting vivid visions of her imaginary boyfriend named Sy since she was five years old, and she often captures not just his look but the feel of his presence in her sketches and canvases. Her world is quiet and creative, a place where fantasy feels safer than reality, and her devotion to this imagined partner shapes the way she sees friendships, romance, and the world around her.

When Abby agrees to tutor her roommate’s cynical cousin Quinn Andrews, she discovers a real-and-present tension that hasn’t existed in her life before. Quinn is sharp, skeptical, and quick to question the line between truth and illusion, and his electricity draws Abby in even as she tries to keep her distance. As they spend more time together, Abby finds herself increasingly attracted to him, a feeling that unsettles her stable routine and complicates her relationship with Sy. Quinn, for his part, starts to feel a jealous tug whenever he suspects Abby might be keeping a secret, though he doesn’t yet grasp that Sy is not real.

Abby tries to manage the blossoming feelings for Quinn by throwing her energy into the world she knows best—her art and her fantasy—while continuing to invest in the imaginary companion who has long stood beside her. The tension between reality and imagination deepens, and the pair navigates a delicate balance between what they want and what Abby believes she must hold onto to stay true to herself.

The family dynamics come into sharper focus during Thanksgiving at Abby’s home. Abby’s mother, Mary Louise Morrison, hints at Abby’s long-standing imaginary friend, a moment that lands with surprising weight for both Abby and Quinn. The revelation unsettles Quinn and leads him to wonder whether Abby has been inventing an obstacle to their relationship all along. He withdraws, the ache of distance growing as his own confusion and disappointment take hold.

As the holiday passes, Abby faces a turning point. She realizes that she must confront reality and let Sy go, a difficult choice that pushes her to join her parents in a place that feels oddly ceremonial—their own work of decorating tombstones they have made for themselves. It is a gesture of stepping out of a cocoon and into a world where she must decide who she is without the comforting myth she has cherished for so long.

Meanwhile, Quinn goes on a quiet pursuit to understand what Abby wants and what she might be hiding. He seeks guidance from his roommate and his cousin before venturing back into the places they used to go together. His search leads him to a club once shared by them, a space that holds memories and hints about Abby’s inner life. There, he encounters a portrait Abby has painted that features him, and in the background, a glimpse of Abby at the rink—an image that crystallizes the reality of their connection. The moment culminates as he finally finds Abby in that familiar place, and a kiss seals a renewed, if fragile, connection between them.