Message behind this?

very well said. i agree the movie is about the failure of the American Dream as well. you end up admiring Mark to some degree, but every step of the way the futility of the exercise is always present, and impossible to shake off. it's depressing for aspiring film-makers, script-writers etc etc, but it also the cold, harsh reality of the situation. And Mark's insurmountable odds, combined with his obvious lack of real talent, thwart even the most noble creative attempts. in a way the scenario is somewhat reminiscent of Ed Wood; artist harbours incredibly disproportionate self-belief in own skill, and vision, which is constantly underminded by the reality principle, yet ventures on, while remaining completely oblivious. they believe that because they want it bad enough, it will come, in due time. everything will eventually fall into place. they refuses to acknowledge the sword of damocles that is presiding heavily over their tragic fate. Ed Wood, however, was fortunate enough to be born and raised in a less sophisticated era; no way in today's age would somebody that inept be given so many chances.(And yes, i'm aware of the existence of Uwe Boll). Mark will not be given such a chance. And even if he was given a break, and failed, i doubt his work would be appreciated on any level; even posthumous love seems out of reach. it would be treated as novelty and then quickly discarded. if Ed Wood hadn't miraculously assembled such a great(relatively speaking) body of work, nobody would have remembered him either. he was a rare, spectacular failure of the likes that will probably never be repeated in our lifetime.

Mark seems absolutely predestined to fail. But the complex relationship between talent, self-belief, external perception and reality is just to goddamn hard to ignore. so many artists today have made it despite being surrounded by a wealth of negativity. i.e tarantino, etc etc. Obviously they had more talent than Mark, but we cannot underestimate how easy it would be, as a unique artist with a different vision of the world, to be discouraged by negative feedback so early on in the process. image if they believed all the criticism that was directed towards them in the early years? they wouldn't be anywhere now. there really is a fine line; an overdose of confidence has delusional side-effects, yet is a necessary ingredient for any artistic or life endeavor. But in this industry, with such fierce competition, and limited opportunity, half-hearted self-belief will never get anyone anywhere. you have to be a dedicated almost to the point of obsession. you have to be a little crazy. it drives, motivates, and sustains; it provides the engine for real growth and development.

Mark IS sufficiently driven and motivated. that is beyond question. what isn't beyond question, however, is his lack of talent.