An Everlasting Piece (2000) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A troubled friendship becomes a risky hairpiece business shaped by competition, political danger, ethics, and reconciliation.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Barber Meets A Poet

Colm starts barbering at a Belfast psychiatric hospital and meets George. Their uneasy conversation about poetry opens an unexpected personal and professional connection.

Key Events

• Colm Starts Hospital Barber Job — Colm begins work as a barber in a Belfast psychiatric hospital. Characters: Colm Location: Belfast psychiatric hospital
• Warning About George — Colm is warned not to discuss poetry with George, another barber. Characters: Colm, George Location: Hospital barber area
• Poetry Provokes George — Colm mentions poetry, and George responds by giving him deliberately poor barbering. Characters: Colm, George Location: Hospital barber area
• The Scalper Is Introduced — An orderly describes the new patient Scalper and his former hairpiece monopoly. Characters: Colm, George, Scalper Location: Psychiatric hospital
• The Customer List Deal — Colm and George meet Scalper and secure his former customer list. Characters: Colm, George, Scalper Location: Psychiatric hospital

The Piece People Rise

Colm and George obtain the Scalper's customer list and launch a hairpiece business with Bronagh's help. Their early efforts are weakened by limited sales and a rival company.

Key Events

• The Customer List Deal — Colm and George meet Scalper and secure his former customer list. Characters: Colm, George, Scalper Location: Psychiatric hospital
• The Piece People Launch — Colm and George adopt the name The Piece People and begin selling hairpieces. Characters: Colm, George, Bronagh Location: Belfast
• First Appointment Arranged — Bronagh arranges the first appointment after identifying a bald potential customer in a newspaper photograph. Characters: Colm, Bronagh Location: Belfast
• Early Sales Struggle — The Piece People's early sales effort produces little success. Characters: Colm, George, Bronagh Location: Northern Ireland
• A Rival Company Appears — Colm and George discover that Toupée or not Toupée also obtained the customer list. Characters: Colm, George Location: Northern Ireland
• Exclusive Rights Competition — Wigs Of Wimbledon announces that the top seller will receive exclusive Northern Ireland rights. Characters: Colm, George Location: Supplier meeting

Competition Turns Dangerous

The supplier creates a contest for exclusive Northern Ireland rights, forcing the partners into aggressive competition. A roadside encounter with the IRA unexpectedly turns into a sale.

Key Events

• Exclusive Rights Competition — Wigs Of Wimbledon announces that the top seller will receive exclusive Northern Ireland rights. Characters: Colm, George Location: Supplier meeting
• Farmer Rejects Their Offer — The partners lose a farmer's sale and learn their rivals are undercutting their prices. Characters: Colm, George Location: A farm
• Stopped By The IRA — IRA members stop Colm and George and demand an explanation of their activities. Characters: Colm, George, IRA Man Location: Remote road
• The Chewed Wig Is Sold — The confrontation becomes a sale, and the IRA man fails to notice the wig was chewed by dogs. Characters: Colm, George, IRA Man Location: Remote road
• The Wig Links Them To Bombing — The IRA man leaves the distinctive wig at a bombing scene, allowing authorities to trace it to the Piece People. Characters: Colm, George, IRA Man Location: Bombing scene

The Wig And The Fallout

The distinctive wig is left at a bombing scene and traced back to the Piece People. Police questioning, an IRA demand, and an ethical dispute push Colm and George apart.

Key Events

• The Wig Links Them To Bombing — The IRA man leaves the distinctive wig at a bombing scene, allowing authorities to trace it to the Piece People. Characters: Colm, George, IRA Man Location: Bombing scene
• Police Interrogate The Partners — Colm and George are interrogated after the wig is connected to the bombing. Characters: Colm, George Location: Police interrogation setting
• The Partnership Breaks — The pressure of the investigation causes Colm and George to fall out. Characters: Colm, George Location: Northern Ireland
• IRA Demand For Inventory — The IRA man tracks down Colm and demands the entire inventory because bald Catholics may become police suspects. Characters: Colm, IRA Man Location: Northern Ireland
• Colm Refuses The Demand — Colm refuses to protect the IRA through sales and considers the demand unethical. Characters: Colm, George, IRA Man Location: Northern Ireland

Poetry And A Winning Contract

Colm and George reconcile at the poetry reading. With Bronagh's help, they identify a large military market, secure a government contract, and win the Northern Ireland rights.

Key Events

• Poetry Restores The Partnership — Colm attends George's poetry reading, and the two reconcile. Characters: Colm, George Location: George's poetry reading
• The Army Contract Wins — The partners secure wigs for British Army soldiers with alopecia and win exclusive Northern Ireland rights. Characters: Colm, George, Bronagh Location: Northern Ireland

Story Breakdown

• Hospital Beginnings — Colm enters hospital barbering and meets George through an awkward encounter about poetry.
  • New Barber Job — Colm starts working as a barber in a Belfast psychiatric hospital.
  • Poetry Conflict — George reacts badly to Colm's poetry conversation but continues engaging with him.
• Scalper's Opportunity — The two barbers learn about the Scalper's former monopoly and seek access to his customers.
  • Former Monopoly — The Scalper is described as Northern Ireland's only hairpiece seller before his breakdown.
  • Customer List — Colm and George obtain the Scalper's list and prepare to enter the market.
• Piece People Launch — Colm and George create a business identity while Bronagh helps them find their first prospect.
  • Business Name — The partners call themselves The Piece People.
  • First Appointment — Bronagh arranges their first sales appointment using a newspaper photograph.
• Rivalry Intensifies — Weak sales and a competing company turn the venture into a high-stakes commercial contest.
  • Rival Client List — The partners discover that Toupée or not Toupée also acquired the customer list.
  • Exclusive Rights — Wigs Of Wimbledon offers Northern Ireland rights to the company with the strongest sales.
• Dangerous Roadside Sale — A failed farm sale is followed by a frightening roadside confrontation that becomes an accidental transaction.
  • Undercut Prices — The partners lose a farmer's sale after learning their rivals charge less.
  • Chewed Wig — The lead IRA man buys a wig without noticing that dogs chewed it.
• Bombing Consequences — The distinctive wig links the Piece People to a bombing and fractures their partnership.
  • Police Trace — Authorities trace the wig from the bombing scene back to the partners.
  • Partnership Breaks — Interrogation and pressure cause Colm and George to fall out.
• Ethical Confrontation — The IRA man demands the inventory, forcing Colm to choose between protection, profit, and ethics.
  • Inventory Demand — The IRA man asks Colm to sell the entire inventory because bald Catholics may become suspects.
  • Refusal On Principle — Colm refuses because the sales could protect the IRA and influence the business contest.
• Reconciliation And Victory — Poetry restores the friendship, and a military opportunity gives the partners their decisive commercial advantage.
  • Poetry Reconciliation — Colm attends George's poetry reading, and the partners make peace.
  • Army Contract — With Bronagh's help, they supply wigs to soldiers with alopecia and win exclusive rights.

Directed by

Barry Levinson

Key Cast

• Barry McEvoy — Colm
• Brían F. O'Byrne — George
• Anna Friel — Bronagh
• Pauline McLynn — Gerty
• Ruth McCabe — Mrs. O'Neill