Goodbye Charlie

Charlie Sorrel is shot and killed by Sir Leopold Sartori when he is caught fooling around with Sartori's wife Rusty. The murder happens at Charlie's Malibu beach house, leaving a stunned circle of friends to mourn. The event sets the whole story in motion and foreshadows the chaos to come.

George Tracy, Charlie's best friend and a weary novelist, arrives in Malibu for the memorial service after an exhausting series of flights from Paris. The gathering is small and tense, underscoring Charlie's tumultuous social circle. George does his best to eulogize his friend, even as the estate's debts loom over him.

George discovers he is named executor of Charlie's estate, which is a mess of debts and unpaid taxes. He realizes the will offers little real value and that Charlie's finances are dire. The situation promises trouble for everyone involved as he tries to salvage what he can.

Bruce Minton III arrives with a petite blonde woman swathed in a huge brown overcoat, having found her wandering on the road in a daze. She remembers Charlie's house and feels safe there, though she cannot recall who she is. The revelation that she is somehow linked to Charlie foreshadows a karmic twist the story will explore.

The exhausted woman awakes the next morning and screams, then recalls that she is Charlie reincarnated as a woman. She confirms her identity by recounting a dirty trick she had recently played on George as a man. George realizes this must be a karmic retribution for Charlie's past betrayals toward the women in his life.

George helps the reincarnated Charlie establish herself as Charlie's widow and begins sorting out finances they are both broke about. They pool their limited resources and navigate a maze of debts and taxes. This uneasy partnership becomes the foundation for their efforts to survive.

Charlie's gender change brings a cascade of changes, with masculine mannerisms fading and new, deeper emotions surfacing. She experiences a torrent of feelings, including a surge of tears that George comforts, though he is unsettled by the tenderness he feels toward her.

Charlie decides to use her intimate knowledge to bolster herself financially through blackmail and considers marrying Bruce for money. Bruce, nearly collapsing, reveals depths of love for her, complicating his schemes and hers.

Charlie converts emotion into action by slipping the engagement ring into Bruce's hand, signaling a shift from cold calculation to something more personal. The moment underscores Bruce's vulnerability and the fragility of Charlie's plans.

Leopold, intoxicated with amorous bravado, chases Charlie around the house while Rusty arrives with a gun. The pursuit turns into a dangerous standoff that threatens everyone inside the estate.

Rusty shoots Charlie on the terrace, sending her plunging into the ocean below. George arrives in the midst of the melee and dives after Charlie, but there is no sign of a body in the water.

George admonishes the Sartoris and orders them to leave and never speak of what happened. The confrontation ends with the house unsettled but the immediate danger dissipated, reshaping who holds power among the survivors.

In the wake of the chaos, the Sartoris attempt to reconcile their relationship, while Leopold promises George eternal gratitude for handling the situation. The vow hints at a fragile, uneasy calm returning to the group.

George wakes to a voice calling 'Charlie' and a real woman, Virginia Mason, who arrives with her Great Dane. She orders Charlie to sit and stay, and the two exchange glances that suggest an immediate connection as she surveys the scene and asks for food.

In the kitchen, George and Virginia share a moment that looks like love at first sight. The Great Dane Charlie pads into the living room, toward Charlie's secret vodka cache behind War and Peace; a bottle breaks, and Charlie laps from the floor before howling heavenward. The scene closes on a surreal blend of memory and new beginnings.