At Any Price

At Any Price is a 2012 American drama film directed by Ramin Bahrani and written by Ramin Bahrani and Hallie Newton. The film, starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron, was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival, and later screened as an official selection at both the Telluride Film Festival and the 2012 Toronto Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics purchased the film and it was released in the United States on April 24, 2013. Plot An ambitious farmer Henry Whipple discusses with his 20-year-old son Dean about the art of sales. Dean is reluctant to be as ruthless as his father as they offer condolences and also unscrupulously attempt to purchase land during a family funeral. After returning home, Henry rolls out the red carpet for his eldest son Grant, who has left the farm and mentions returning via a postcard, but it appears that he's unlikely to return. As the story progresses, we see that Henry is having an affair with Meredith Crown, his ex-girlfriend from high school, and his ongoing selfish decisions will continue to derail his future. He has created enemies within the genetically modified (GMO) seed-selling business including Jim Johnson—his main competitor—and fails to help those that have helped him by buying cheaper illegal "cleaned" seeds in his search for more money and land. Dean desires to become a professional race car driver as a means to escape the generations of family farming and his father's neglect (and undesirable sales techniques). He spends much of his spare time training for races and hanging out with his 18-year-old girlfriend Cadence Farrow. She appears to be a typical country girl, but also displays sales savvy to help Henry, as well as being aware of the father and son attraction to pretty gals like Meredith. During yet another local racing competition which he wins, Dean's aggressive driving causes the crash of Jim Johnson's son, Brad. They fight after the race, further fueling the feud between Henry and Jim. Racing scouts give Dean an opportunity to race at a professional level. He needs $15,000 to compete and his mother Irene supplies it. This causes tension with Henry who is worried about his illegal dealings catching up with him. Dean falters during his NASCAR opportunity by slowing when pressured by aggressive drivers during the race.