Weetzie Bat - Plot Summary

Plot Summary

Weetzie is growing up in L.A. with her mother while her father has moved to New York. She does not like school and tends to avoid making friends until she meets Dirk, the “best-looking guy” in her school, who soon admits that he is gay. They become best friends and often visit Fifi, Dirk’s grandmother. The two friends enjoy "duck-hunting," their term for hunting for boyfriends.

Fifi presents Weetzie with a lamp, which contains a genie who promises her three wishes. Weetzie wishes "for a Duck for Dirk, and My Secret Agent Lover Man for me, and a beautiful little house for us to live in happily ever after." She quickly receives a call from Dirk, informing her of Fifi's sudden death, and that Fifi left them her cottage in her will. Dirk soon meets his own "duck", Duck, who moves in with them.

Weetzie meets a film director, who introduces himself as "My Secret Agent Lover Man," and requests that she be in one of his films. He comes to see her at work every day, until she finally agrees to his requests. He, too, moves into the house.

Things go smoothly until Weetzie announces her desire for a baby. My Secret Agent Lover Man refuses, declaring that the world is too evil to bring more people into it. Dirk and Duck secretly make a pact to get Weetzie pregnant. When My Secret Agent Lover Man learns of their plot and discovers that Weetzie is indeed pregnant, he walks out on them, infuriated by the deception.

Weetzie gives birth to a tiny baby girl, Cherokee. My Secret Agent Lover Man returns. Although they are still unsure of the baby's true father, he treats the baby as his own, and he is welcomed back into the family.

This peace does not last for long. A strange woman (whom we learn to be a witch) comes to their door, demanding to see "Max" (My Secret Agent Lover Man). He explains that they had been sexual partners during his separation from Weetzie, and that the witch now bears his child. The witch demands money from him for an abortion. The witch does not follow through with this, and leaves her baby on their doorstep, along with voodoo dolls of Weetzie and My Secret Agent Lover Man. While he does not want to keep the child, Weetzie insists that they do so, naming her Witch Baby to settle the matter.

While on a night out, the little party notices Christmas decorations set up for a film. Weetzie remarks that it looks like "Shangri-L.A.", providing My Secret Agent Lover Man with his next film. As they progress through the filming (taking place in a surreal alternate reality), they realize that they do not yet have an ending for it. They convince Weetzie to ask her father's opinion, and so she flies to New York with her daughter for a visit. The three tour the city, all the while discussing Charlie's failing health, and the estranged relationship he has with his ex-wife. Weetzie pleads with him to return but he refuses and dies a few days later. They dedicate Shangri-L.A., with his ending, to his memory.

One day, Duck comes home crying, locking himself in his room, and refusing to confide even in Dirk. They discover him missing the next morning. He has left a note saying that his friend Bam-Bam is dying (most likely of AIDS), implying that he will never return. The devastated Dirk leaves on a search for his lover, which leads him to San Francisco. Upon meeting once again, they become fully aware of how much they truly mean to one another. They return home the next morning to find their family waiting for them with open arms. Weetzie reflects on their life together, and decides that while "happily ever after" may be the ideal, she is perfectly contented with "happily."