Sweethearts (2024 film)

Last updated

Sweethearts
Sweethearts 2024 film poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Jordan Weiss
Written by
  • Dan Brier
  • Jordan Weiss
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAndrew Wehde
Edited by
  • Kayla M. Emter
  • Mark Sadlek
Music byJonathan Sadoff
Production
companies
Distributed by Max
Release date
  • November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sweethearts is a 2024 American romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jordan Weiss in her feature directorial debut. Produced by New Line Cinema and Picturestart, it stars Kiernan Shipka, Nico Hiraga, Caleb Hearon, Tramell Tillman, Charlie Hall, and Ava DeMary. The film was released on Max on November 28, 2024.

Contents

Plot

Ben and Jamie are college freshmen and best friends since eighth grade. They are both in long-distance relationships with their high school sweethearts. Ben's girlfriend Claire is controlling, and Jamie pushes him to set boundaries. Jamie is bored of her boyfriend, Simon, and struggles to develop friendships due to childhood bullying. Ben pushes Jamie let her guard down and make friends. Unbeknownst to Jamie, Ben is planning to study abroad in Copenhagen next semester. He is afraid to tell her because he does not want her to feel abandoned.

At their first college party, Ben rebuffs the sexual advances of a drunken woman while Jamie sneaks into a bedroom to sext with Simon. Jamie is forced to leave her clothes in the room when two partygoers enter to have sex. Ben attempts to sneak into the room to retrieve Jamie's clothes but is caught. They are ejected from the party. Their friend Palmer reveals he is returning to their hometown in Ohio and will be hosting a coming out party the night before Thanksgiving. Ben and Jamie decide they are going to end their relationships that night.

When Ben's roommate takes his car without permission, the duo's trip is delayed and they are forced to take the bus. Later at Palmer's, Claire and Simon drink an entire bottle of absinthe and drunkenly leave. With help from Reese, a local school football coach, Claire and Simon are safely returned. Palmer, realizing Reese is also gay, confides in him. Reese brings Palmer to a bowling alley and introduces his bowling team consisting of all gay men. Palmer finds newfound comfort and confidence.

Meanwhile, Ben and Jamie search for Claire and Simon at a bar. They are forced to sneak in, and Jamie is confronted by her childhood bully who asks for forgiveness which Jamie begrudgingly accepts. The bouncer catches them and they are thrown out. Frustrated, Ben and Jamie argue about their circumstances and become upset with one another. They learn Claire and Simon are at another party and head there. At the party, Palmer accidentally reveals to Jamie about Ben's plans to study abroad. Jamie realizes that she is the only one who did not know. Angry, she leaves to find Simon.

Claire attempts to seduce Ben in an outdoor tree fort, unbeknownst to Jamie, who is breaking up with Simon below. Ben and Claire overhear the conversation, and Claire becomes angry after learning Ben and Jamie planned the breakups together. Claire and Simon leave, believing Ben and Jamie are co-dependent and carrying out a secret romance. Ben and Jamie discuss their relationship, sharing a passionate kiss. As the party ends, the friends all return home.

On Thanksgiving, Ben watches When Harry Met Sally... , appearing to have an epiphany about Jamie. He confronts Jamie, revealing he regrets the kiss and does not hold romantic feelings toward her, and instead wants to remain friends. Jamie expresses relief; she reciprocates and wishes him well on his upcoming trip. Jamie meets with Simon and properly breaks up with him before returning to school. Ben does the same with Claire before leaving for Europe. Palmer begins a relationship with a local man named Lukas.

Six months later, Ben returns and surprises Jamie at her sorority's party. While dancing, they share loving glances.

Cast

Production

Weiss co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Brier. Erik Feig and Jessica Switch serve as producers, with Picturestart producing for New Line Cinema. [1]

Casting

The cast was revealed to include Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga in July 2022. [2] In August 2022, Charlie Hall was added to the cast. [3]

Filming

Principal photography on the project was reportedly completed August 2022. [4] Filming locations reportedly included Jersey City and Cranford and at Ramapo College in Mahwah, all located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. [5] [6] [7]

Release

Sweethearts was streamed on Max on November 28, 2024. [8]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 64% of 25 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [10]

Related Research Articles

The year 1999 in film included Stanley Kubrick's posthumous final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, the science-fiction film The Matrix, the animated works The Iron Giant, Toy Story 2, Tarzan, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the Best Picture-winner American Beauty, and the well-received The Green Mile. Other noteworthy releases include M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, David Fincher's Fight Club, Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's Being John Malkovich. The year also featured George Lucas' top-grossing Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer celebrated their 75th anniversaries in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abi Branning</span> Fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders

Abi Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max, mother Tanya Branning and older sister Lauren Branning. Her storylines involve her friendships and relationships with Ben Mitchell and Jay Brown, her toxic friendship with Babe Smith, faking a pregnancy so that Ben would not leave her for Paul Coker, being a suspect in the murder of Lucy Beale, her affair with Lauren's fiancé, Steven Beale, and falling pregnant by him.

<i>The Saint Takes Over</i> 1940 American film

The Saint Takes Over, released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth of eight films in RKO's film series about Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris. George Sanders played Templar for the fourth time. Sanders made one more Saint picture the following year. Wendy Barrie played his latest romantic interest, in her second of three appearances in the Saint film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cunningham</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Tom Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 December 1999. With Tom being a young child for most of his tenure, his early years featured minimal storylines, including the numerous death of his family, being abused by Clare Devine and having various guardians including Steph Cunningham and Jack and Frankie Osborne. However, a turning point came for Tom when it was announced that his girlfriend, Peri Lomax would fall pregnant, and deal with Peri's subsequent decision to give their baby away for adoption. Other storylines have also included his friendships with Nico Blake and Dylan Jenkins and his relationships with Peri and his foster sister Jade Albright. Tom departed the village with Half Sister Cindy Cunningham in the episode aired on 4 September 2024, in an unannounced departure.

<i>Rags</i> (2012 film) 2012 Bille Woodruff film

Rags is a Nickelodeon Original Movie. It is a musical, gender-switched inversion and modernization of the Cinderella fairy tale, starring Keke Palmer, Max Schneider, Drake Bell, Avan Jogia, and Nick Cannon. The film premiered on Nickelodeon on May 28, 2012.

<i>Outlander</i> (TV series) British-American drama television series (2014–present)

Outlander is a historical drama television series based on the Outlander novel series by Diana Gabaldon. Developed by Ronald D. Moore, the show premiered on August 9, 2014, on Starz. It stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall, a former World War II military nurse in Scotland who, in 1945, finds herself transported back in time to 1743. There, she encounters, falls in love with, and marries a dashing Highland warrior named Jamie Fraser, a tacksman of Gabaldon's fictionalized version of Clan Fraser of Lovat. Here, Claire becomes embroiled in the Jacobite rising.

<i>Fan Girl</i> (2015 film) Film by Paul Jarrett

Fan Girl is a 2015 American teen comedy film directed by Paul Jarrett. It had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival on June 15, 2015, before airing on ABC Family on October 3, 2015. The film stars Kiernan Shipka as Telulah Farrow, Meg Ryan as Telulah's mother, Mary Farrow, and the pop punk band All Time Low as themselves.

<i>Max 2: White House Hero</i> 2017 American film

Max 2: White House Hero is a 2017 American adventure film produced by Warner Bros. and Sunswept Entertainment. The film was released by Orion Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures on May 5, 2017. It is a sequel to the 2015 film Max. The movie was filmed on location in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. Principal photography on the film began in June 2016 and wrapped on July 13, 2016.

Jordan Weiss is an American writer, director and producer. She created and produced the Hulu series Dollface starring Kat Dennings, which premiered in November 2019. Weiss wrote the script for Dollface shortly after graduating from USC School of Cinematic Arts.

<i>Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between</i> 2022 film by Michael Lewen

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is a 2022 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Lewen, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Amy Reed and Ben York Jones, based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith. It stars Jordan Fisher, Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, and Nico Hiraga. The film was released on July 6, 2022, by Netflix.

Caleb Hearon is an American comedian, writer and actor. He performed stand-up regularly in Chicago and also performed at iO Theater until relocating to Los Angeles in 2020. Hearon was a writer for the series Human Resources.

<i>A Sacrifice</i> (film) 2024 thriller drama film by Jordan Scott

A Sacrifice is a 2024 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Jordan Scott, and starring Eric Bana, Sadie Sink, and Sylvia Hoeks. A co-production between Germany and United States, the film is an adaptation of Nicholas Hogg's 2015 novel Tokyo.

<i>Totally Killer</i> 2023 film by Nahnatchka Khan

Totally Killer is a 2023 American slasher comedy film directed by Nahnatchka Khan from a screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D'Angelo, and a screen story by Matalon and Perl-Raver. Produced by Jason Blum, under his Blumhouse Television banner, and Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath under their Divide/Conquer banner, it stars Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, and Julie Bowen. The story follows Jamie (Shipka) who, after her mother is murdered by the same Sweet 16 Killer who went on a murder spree over 30 years earlier, travels back in time to 1987, where she pairs up with her mother to catch the killer during his original spree and return to her timeline before she is trapped in the past forever.

<i>Wildflower</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Matt Smukler and Jana Savage

Wildflower is a 2022 American coming of age comedy-drama film directed by Matt Smukler and written by Jana Savage, from a story by Smukler and Savage. It stars Kiernan Shipka, Dash Mihok, Charlie Plummer, Jean Smart, Alexandra Daddario, Reid Scott, Erika Alexander, Samantha Hyde, Brad Garrett, and Jacki Weaver.

Charlie Hall is an American television and film actor.

Jacob Hurley Bongiovi is an American model and actor. He is the son of musician Jon Bon Jovi.

<i>Love in Taipei</i> American film directed by Arvin Chen

Love in Taipei is a 2023 American romantic comedy film directed by Arvin Chen, starring Ross Butler, Ashley Liao and Nico Hiraga. The film is based on Abigail Hing Wen's 2020 novel Loveboat, Taipei, and was released by Paramount+ on August 10, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Humphrey, Julia (July 15, 2022). "Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga to Star in 'Sweethearts' Rom-Com". Collider. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 14, 2022). "Kiernan Shipka And Nico Hiraga To Star In New Line and Picturestart's 'Sweethearts', 'Dollface' Creator Jordan Weiss Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (August 15, 2022). "Charlie Hall Books Trio Of TV & Film Roles Including 'Sex Lives of College Girls' Spot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Jordan, Chris (February 20, 2023). "Jake Bongiovi, son of Jon Bon Jovi, joining cast for movie about fictional hair metal band". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy (February 21, 2023). "He's halfway there. Jake Bongiovi, Bon Jovi's son, starring in '80s hair metal movie". NJ.com. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  6. ↑ Williamson, Logan (February 24, 2023). "'Mad Men' Actress To Star In Rom-Com Filmed On Mahwah Campus". Patch.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ Samuels, Remy (August 3, 2023). "French Pastry Shop In Cranford Will Be Featured In Upcoming Film". Patch.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 27, 2024). "Max Unveils Premiere Date, First-Look Photos For Romantic Comedy 'Sweethearts' Starring Kiernan Shipka & Nico Hiraga". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Sweethearts". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sweethearts". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.