Clear History is a 2013 HBO TV movie conceived by Larry David (the co-creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm) and starring David, Jon Hamm, and Danny McBride. It tells the story of Nathan Flomm, an eccentric marketing executive who impulsively quits his job and sells out his share of a car company that he helped found just days before the company releases its electric car model, because he thinks that the name of the car, the Howard, is stupid. Needless to say, it turns out to be a huge hit, and Flomm becomes a public laughingstock, to the point where he relocates to Martha's Vineyard and becomes local character Rolly DeVore. After ten years, his former boss moves to the Vineyard and starts renovating an old mansion, earning the ire of locals, and Flomm starts plotting his revenge.
This film contains examples of:
- The Atoner: Unbeknownst to Nathan, Will Haney has long regretted the way things ended between them, and has been trying to figure out ways to make amends.
- It Will Never Catch On: Flomm cashes out of his car company because he's convinced that people won't buy an electric car that's called the Howard.
- Jerkass: Flomm is a massive dick to almost everyone. Most of his problems stem from his inability to stop being a dick for more than five minutes.
- Mistaken for Racist: At Rolly's surprise party, a black man surprises him. Rolly punches the guy in the face. Thereafter, the guy accuses Rolly of being a racist, and keeps finding excuses to do so.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Rolly succeeds in blowing up Will Haney's mansion... unaware that Haney had intended to turn it into a home for terminally-ill kids. Worse, the bomb goes off just as the kids are driving up to the mansion.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: The premise of the movie is that main character Nathan Flomm never managed to live down being the guy who cashed in his share of a car company just days before its insanely popular electric car model went public, thus managing to lose out on over a billion dollars and becoming a laughingstock overnight.
- We Used to Be Friends: Will Haney and Nathan Flomm were once good friends who founded a car company together. They have a falling-out when Will decides to name their upcoming electric car after his son, which Flomm considers a stupid and arrogant decision.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The movie's plot is inspired by Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, and in fact, Rolly gets the idea to blow up Haney's house after watching the movie adaptation.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Rolly is convinced that he's in a romantic comedy where eventually Rhonda will leave Will for him. When he finally pushes the issue, Rhonda rejects him.
