Fresh-faced recent Harvard student Erwin (Rudy Pankow) flames out of his first professional acting job when he forgets to turn off his phone and triggers an explosive nightmare on set.  His career and cell phone in tatters, he flees the New Orleans set, only to have his car break down deep in the heart of Texas oil country.  Seeking refuge and some possible phone service  in a local diner, he meets Faye (Carrie-Anne Moss), a kind waitress who takes pity on him and offers up the local phone book to find a mechanic. Without enough funds to fix his car, Erwin accepts an offer from Merle, a local oil driller (Thomas Haden Church) only to find out he too is nearly bankrupt and cannot pay his bills. With both men in desperate straits, Merle realizes their only hope may be Erwin’s acting skills and a little help from Faye’s shotgun. 

Directed by Mark Bristol
Written by Julie B. Denny
Based on the Novel “Chocolate Lizards” by Cole Thompson
Produced by Mark Bristol, Julie B. Denny, Melissa Kirkendall, Koen Wooten
Starring Thomas Haden Church, Rudy Pankow, Carrie-Anne Moss, Bruce Dern