Arka Mukhopadhyay
There has been an explosion of so-called sex comedies in recent times, and while there are undoubtedly more than a few bad (forbidden) apples in the genre segment, ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ sets itself apart owing to compelling character portrayals by a brilliant cast and the comic radiance of comedian-director Kevin Smith. There is enough raunchy sex, hysterical pop culture references, and nerdy puns to keep the genre fans content.
Apart from Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in lead roles, there is Craig Robinson of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ fame, which only adds to the charm. The ending of the film is seemingly conclusive, but some aspects need to be further illustrated. If the ending of the film has left you looking for answers, we shall try and explain the ending of the film to you. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno Plot Synopsis
Well, the title gives away the premise all right. The film centers on Pittsburgh-based dynamic duo lazy dud Zack Brown (Seth Rogen) and his long-time roommate and best friend Miriam “Miri” Linky (Elizabeth Banks) as they embark upon a venture to create steamy porno flicks on their own. Zack works as a barista at the local Bean ‘N’ Gone café, and Miri works at a shopping mall nearby, but they find it hard to make ends meet.
Zack spends his last few bucks on an eclectic sex toy called Fleshlight, and on the night before thanksgiving, their electricity is cut since they failed to pay the bills. They go to a school reunion, where Miri hits on her former classmate Bobby Long, while Zack speaks to Bobby’s boyfriend Brandon, who happens to be a gay porn actor and producer. They get to know from Brandon that a video of Miri in her “granny panties” has gone viral.
As Brandon and Bobby have an intimate, emotional moment, Miri and Zack take their leave and end up at a nearby bar. Fascinated by Brandon’s affluence and encouraged by the viral breakthrough, Zack comes up with an idea to shoot pornos to earn some dough. Miri is not sold on the idea, but seeing Zack’s enthusiasm, she decides to play along. After considering a series of hilarious parody names like ‘Edward Penishands’ and ‘Fuckback Mountains,’ they stick to ‘Star Whores’, which is supposed to be a parody of ‘Star Wars.’
The motley cast ensemble includes Lester “The Molester” Cockinshtuff, pole dancer Stacy, submissive Barry, and talented Bubbles, apart from the duo themselves. A guy named Deacon Anderson takes the responsibility of filming, while Zack’s co-worker Delaney takes up the role of the showrunner. However, the ambitious set gets demolished, and the crew has to resort to something more ad-hoc. They continue filming after hours at the café, thanks to the camera of Zack and Delaney’s cynical boss.
Zack updates the story and names it ‘Swallow My Cockuccino.’ Following the filming of a passionate and heartfelt sex scene, childhood buddies Zack and Miri develop romantic feelings for each other, and things get awkward. In a good samaritan act, the crew gets the electricity back. Stacy tries to get along with Zack before their planned sex scene, which puts Miri off.
Miri is also supposed to act a scene with Lester, which is opposed by Zack, and a fallout between the two ensues. Three months later, Zack is scraping by, working as a paintball target till he meets Delaney, who divulges that the scene between Miri and Lester never happened. Zack returns to Miri’s place to express his love for her, and Miri bursts into happy tears. The ending is unassumingly comic, but that is not the end of it.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno Ending: Do Zack and Miri Make it Big?
From the beginning of the film, Zack and Miri wanted to get breakthrough success with their porn production venture. However, following the fissure in Zack and Miri’s friendship brought on by their kindled romantic feeling for each other, Zack exits the production. The last day of filming is when we last see Zack, before his return as the grumpy mascot being shot by punk teens in the balls. Delaney literally rescues him from the nightmare, and they go to Delaney’s humble abode to see the edited film.
But following Delaney’s suggestion that the film needs an ending and Zack should pursue Miri, Zack rushes to their old apartment. They catch up with their feelings, and the film seemingly ends there. However, in a post-credit segment, we see Zack and Miri flying high as they change their business model to an extent. The old crew has returned to the venture, now rebranded under the “Nigga Rich Productions” as “Zack and Miri Make Your Porno,” where the duo provides personalized solutions to couples wanting to make erotic films.
In little snippets, we get to hear the success story of clients, including Brandon and Bobby. We are told that Zack and Miri are not only the bosses but also the clients of the organizations. As the camera voyeurs over the couple going wild over each other, we sense that Zack and Miri have finally found their calling in the love industry.
Can The Pair Express Their Love To Each Other? Is Miri Sleeping With Lester?
Towards the end of the film, Zack finally gathers the courage and goes over to Miri’s to express his love for her. But Miri’s relentless silent love for Zack is perceived in major instances since the beginning of the film, and the audience cannot doubt her commitment to the seemingly apathetic and romantically challenged Zack. Moreover, as Delaney previously disclosed that Miri and Lester did not have sex on the final day of the shoot, Zack is taken by surprise when he meets a naked Lester at Miri’s place.
Well, if Zack went over to Miri’s place to find Miri and Lester screwing, wouldn’t that be a bummer? Especially since it would directly violate Delaney’s idealistic hypothesis that love is grand. But the screenwriters seem to have thought against it, and thankfully, Miri has not slept with Lester. After giving Zack a full-blown demonstration of the “Dutch Rudder,” Lester divulges that Miri expressively sleeps in Zack’s room now as she misses Zack’s smell. Neither has Zack slept with Stacey on the night before the final shoot, to Miri’s astonishment. The duo has an undeniably strong connection, and the moved audiences are left to “ship” them.
How Does Delaney Become “Oprah Rich”?
When Delaney meets Zack at the Mellon Arena, Zack is barely keeping it together with minimum wage and a pair of wounded nuts, while Delaney has seemingly made it big. At the beginning of the film, when the café owner throws rampant racist comments at Delaney (something about the café’s leave policy regarding Black Friday), Delaney passingly says that he is going to be “Oprah Rich” since his disability suit is coming along.
While neither Zack nor the audience trusts him at the moment, the post office has seemed to settle Delaney’s disability suit by the end of the film, earning him a hundred and sixty grand. While his wife (she is a piece of work) is allegedly spending most of Delaney’s money, he manages to keep some aside to assemble the old crew and establish the “Nigga Rich Productions” for advancing their pornographic venture.
Read More: Is Zack and Miri Make a Porno Based on a True Story?
