The Tenants

In an abandoned tenement, a militant African-American writer Willie (Snoop Dogg) and a Hebrew novelist Harry (Dylan McDermott) develop a friendship while struggling to complete their novels. Harry has been working on his novel for 10 years. The tenement is decrepit and nobody lives there, but it works for Harry as he can hardly afford to pay any rent and the apartment costs $72/month. While the building is completely trashed, Harry maintains a decent apartment and a working space. He has a working kitchen and a nice typewriter for his work. Levenspiel (Seymour Cassel) is the landlord of the building and even he cannot understand how a human being can stay in this dump. Levenspiel wants Harry to move out so he can break up the building and sell off the land. Harry says that he cannot leave in the middle of his book as it will take him 6 months to get the threads back together. Levenspiel offers him $1000 to evacuate the apartment. Harry says that his last book was a bomb and so he needs to redeem himself with his current novel. One day, Harry finds that Willie has moved into an apartment on the other side of the top floor of the building. Willie is also a writer. Harry learns that Willie has moved into the building without the permission of Levenspiel. Initially Willie is almost hostile to Harry and is not interested in making friends with him. Willie keeps his typewriter with Harry at night, while he goes for his job. But Willie keeps the manuscript with himself. Willie is a natural writer and has only been writing for a few months. He is very confident that his book will be a blockbuster sellout. Before long, Willie brings a few friends over to Harry's including Irene (Rose Byrne), Sam (Aldis Hodge) and Mary (Niki J. Crawford) as he was impressed with Harry's record collection. Mary is attracted to Harry, but he is into Irene. But it is clear that Irene is into Willie. Willie asks Harry to read his manuscript and to give him feedback. Harry tells Willie that he is a gifted writer and says that the book is good. Willie wants Harry to tell him where he went off track, but Harry is not able to give him any concrete suggestions. He only says that the form of the book shifting between autobiography and fiction is not sitting right. Willie is offended by Harry's inputs and says that he hasn't understood his book at all. Willie says that the book is his 4th draft and does not have the energy to do one more. Harry asks Willie to find a publisher and to get them to read his book, but Willie says that no publisher would give a colored writer a chance, as they are scared. Willie meets Harry later and says that he read both of his novels that were published earlier. He says that the first novel was good, but the second one not so much. Willie wants Harry to collaborate with him on a new novel, where Willi will give the idea and Harry will put it in a flow, and a form that appeals to readers. Harry refuses as he believes Willie does not take criticism well. Levenspiel finds Willie's typewriter in his room and asks Harry about it. Harry says that he doesn't know, and after Levenspiel leaves, he takes Willie's typewriter and pages and keeps them in his apartment. Harry tells Willie that Levenspiel will return with a cop as Willie is trespassing. Levenspiel brings a cop and completely trashes Willie's apartment. Harry allows Willie to move into his apartment. Harry runs into Irene at an art gallery and has coffee with her. Irene says that she identified with the girl character in Harry's first novel. Irene says that she doubts that Willie loves her else they would have been married by now. Willie invites Harry to a party at Mary's house. Mary invites Harry to have sex with her, but hides it from Sam, whom she knows will get jealous. After Harry has sex with Mary, Willie engages him in a game of insults. But Harry refuses to racially insult Willie, despite his extreme provocations. Willie throws Harry out of the party. The next day Willie says that he did what he did to save Harry, as Sam and his friends wanted to beat Harry for sleeping with Mary. Harry watches Irene's play and later meets her and tells her that he is in love with her. Harry says that he wants to marry her after he finishes his book. Irene takes Harry to her apartment and has sex with him, even though she is afraid of Willie's reaction. They make plans to leave the city in a few months after Harry finishes his book. Harry says that she and Willie are just ending an affair and not to be afraid. With Irene in his life, Harry's book starts coming along at a good pace. Willie says that he hasn't been with Irene for a month and won't do so until his book is in a good shape. Harry reads Willie's new chapters and gives him notes on rework, so that Willie doesn't meet Irene. Willie realizes that Harry is trying to confuse him by giving him conflicting advise. Harry tells Willie that after he finishes his book, he and Irene will get married as they are in love now. Willie is livid and starts beating Harry until Levenspiel intervenes and throws Willie out. Harry goes to warn Irene, who is distraught that Harry told the truth to Willie. Harry returns to his apartment to find it trashed and his manuscript gone. Harry gets an ax and trashes Willie's room. Harry then restarts his book and tells Irene that he can get it done in 6 months as he remembers most of what he wrote. Irene leaves Harry as she says that she has already waited long enough and decides to move to San Francisco to explore her acting career. Levenspiel offers Harry $10,000 to vacate the apartment. Harry gets paranoid when he sees Willie coming back into the building and again typing away in his room. Harry destroys Willie's typewriter. As Willie is enraged, he starts looking for Harry in the building. Harry stabs Willie with an ax.