It Gets Better (2012) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

Three intertwined stories examine identity, suffering, family estrangement, and the difficult choices surrounding belonging and inheritance.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

An Inheritance in Doubt

Tonmai returns to Thailand and meets the performers who are trying to keep The Fountain alive. Their appeals and the discovery that the venue was intended for him leave him unsure what to do.

Key Events

• Tonmai Returns to Thailand — Tonmai returns from the United States to Thailand. Characters: Tonmai Location: Thailand
• A Chaotic Welcome — Performers from The Fountain greet Tonmai with a lively, chaotic welcome. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• The Performers' Commitment — Tonmai sees that the people around him are determined to keep the venue running. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• Dokmai Introduces Herself — Dokmai tells Tonmai she is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Characters: Tonmai, Dokmai Location: The Fountain
• A Pitch to Preserve the Show — Dokmai and the performers try to convince Tonmai that the show is worth preserving. Characters: Tonmai, Dokmai Location: The Fountain
• A Business Offer — A colleague offers to manage the business and says it can be profitable. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• Doubt About the Inheritance — Tonmai doubts his expertise and wonders what his father would have wanted. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• The Venue Was Meant for Tonmai — Tonmai learns the venue was meant to pass to him, not simply be sold. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain

Suffering and Ordination

Din struggles with his relationship to his father while living as a novice and receives an explanation of ordination as a way to examine suffering. He begins opening up, including to Dokmai.

Key Events

• The Venue Was Meant for Tonmai — Tonmai learns the venue was meant to pass to him, not simply be sold. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• Din Lives as a Novice — Din is living as a novice and struggling with his relationship to his father. Characters: Din Location: Monastic setting
• Din's Belief About His Father — Din believes his father sent him away because he hates him. Characters: Din, Din Location: Monastic setting
• A Monk Explains Ordination — A monk describes ordination as a way to examine suffering and relinquish desires. Characters: Din Location: Monastic setting
• Din Opens Up — Din gradually opens up to others, including Dokmai, amid complicated feelings and expectations. Characters: Din, Dokmai Location: Monastic setting

Fai's Request and Refusal

Fai seeks permission to be ordained and recounts a crisis following a breakup. The abbot refuses his request because of his surgery and breasts, leaving Fai distressed but determined to confront his past.

Key Events

• Din Opens Up — Din gradually opens up to others, including Dokmai, amid complicated feelings and expectations. Characters: Din, Dokmai Location: Monastic setting
• Fai Seeks Ordination — Fai comes seeking permission to be ordained after a painful personal history. Characters: Fai Location: Monastic setting
• Fai Describes His Crisis — Fai says that after a man dumped him, he tried to take his own life. Characters: Fai Location: Monastic setting
• Fai Is Refused Ordination — The abbot refuses Fai's request because he has undergone surgery and has breasts. Characters: Fai Location: Monastic setting
• Fai Faces His Past — Distressed by the refusal, Fai remains determined to confront his past. Characters: Fai Location: Monastic setting

The Fountain's Final Show

Time with the performers helps Tonmai recognize that The Fountain means more than business. He nevertheless announces its closure, and the performers prepare for a final show.

Key Events

• Fai Faces His Past — Distressed by the refusal, Fai remains determined to confront his past. Characters: Fai Location: Monastic setting
• Tonmai Reconsiders the Venue — Spending time with the performers helps Tonmai see The Fountain as more than a business. Characters: Tonmai, Dokmai Location: The Fountain
• Tonmai Announces Closure — Tonmai announces that he has decided to close The Fountain. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain
• The Final Show Is Prepared — The performers prepare for what will be their final show. Characters: Tonmai, Dokmai Location: The Fountain

A Last Connection

As Tonmai prepares to leave for the United States, he is urged to visit his father's room. Learning that his father left something for him points toward a connection he had not believed possible.

Key Events

• The Final Show Is Prepared — The performers prepare for what will be their final show. Characters: Tonmai, Dokmai Location: The Fountain
• A Direction to His Father's Room — Before Tonmai leaves for the United States, he is urged to visit his father's room and told something was left there for him. Characters: Tonmai Location: The Fountain

Story Breakdown

• Return to Thailand — Tonmai returns from the United States and faces decisions about the venue his father left behind.
  • Chaotic Welcome — Performers from The Fountain greet Tonmai and show their determination to keep it running.
  • Inherited Venue — Tonmai learns the venue was meant to pass to him rather than simply be sold.
• Dokmai's Appeal — Dokmai and the performers try to make Tonmai understand the value of preserving the show.
  • Personal Introduction — Dokmai tells Tonmai she is a woman who was assigned male at birth.
  • Preserve the Show — Dokmai and the others argue that The Fountain is worth keeping.
• Business Uncertainty — Tonmai weighs practical management against his doubts about his expertise and his father's wishes.
  • Management Offer — A colleague offers to manage the business and says it can be profitable.
  • Doubtful Decision — Tonmai remains uncertain about what he can manage and what his father wanted.
• Din's Monastic Struggle — Din's life as a novice brings his difficult relationship with his father and his own expectations into focus.
  • Fear of Rejection — Din believes his father sent him away because he hates him.
  • Examining Suffering — A monk describes ordination as a way to examine suffering and relinquish desires.
• Fai's Painful Request — Fai seeks ordination while confronting painful experiences and the abbot's refusal.
  • Past Crisis — Fai says he tried to take his own life after a man dumped him.
  • Refused Permission — The abbot refuses his request because Fai has undergone surgery and has breasts.
• Closure and Farewell — Tonmai's time with the performers changes his understanding of The Fountain, but he decides to close it.
  • More Than Business — Tonmai comes to see that The Fountain means more than a business.
  • Final Performance — The performers prepare for what will be their last show.
• A Father's Last Connection — Before leaving Thailand, Tonmai is directed toward a final connection with the father he never knew.
  • Visit His Room — Someone urges Tonmai to visit his father's room before he leaves.
  • Something Left Behind — Tonmai is told that his father knew him better than he thinks and left something for him.

Directed by

Tanwarin Sukkhapisit

Key Cast

• Penpak Sirikul — Saitarn
• Prama Imanothai — Fai
• Nuntita Khampiranon — Tonlew
• Panupong Waraakesiri — Tonmai
• Kisthachapon Tananara — Saeng