Chemical Hearts 2020

As we embark on a journey through the mind of high school senior Henry Page (Austin Abrams), we are introduced to a young man with a passion for writing and a desire to lead by example as editor-in-chief of the school paper. In a poignant voice-over, Henry shares his story of a life that is both familiar and ordinary, yet punctuated by moments of introspection and self-discovery. The narrative takes a turn when Henry is summoned to the principal’s office, where he meets Grace Town (Lili Reinhart), a transfer student with a mysterious aura and a penchant for words.

Initially, Grace seems reluctant to commit to the school paper, but Henry’s persistence eventually wins her over, and she agrees to join forces as his partner. As they navigate their newfound responsibilities, Henry finds himself drawn to Grace’s enigmatic nature, and she begins to open up about her past, sharing fragments of a story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

The dynamic duo faces their first challenge when Mr. Sharma (Adhir Kalyan) tasks them with conceiving a theme for the paper’s final issue. As they brainstorm ideas, Henry and Grace grow closer, bonding over their shared love of words and literature. Their conversations flow effortlessly, like the gentle ripples on the surface of a pond, revealing hidden depths and unspoken emotions.

As the days pass, Henry finds himself lost in thought, his mind wandering back to the Neruda poems that Grace had given him, their lines echoing through his thoughts like whispers from a distant past. His family, comprising his adult sister Suds (Sarah Jones), father Toby (Bruce Altman), and mother Gloria (Meg Gibson), are overjoyed by Henry’s success, but he remains grounded, aware of the challenges ahead.

In the midst of these changes, Henry and Grace find themselves drawn together once more, their connection strengthened by shared experiences and late-night conversations. As they walk through the winding woodland path, the rustling leaves and creaking trees serving as a backdrop to their whispers, we begin to glimpse the depths of their relationship, one that is built on trust, empathy, and a shared passion for storytelling.

The old cotton mill, once a symbol of decay and neglect, has become a sanctuary for Grace, a place where she can let her guard down and reveal the scars that lie beneath. As Henry wades into the pond beside her, the fish swimming lazily in the water, we sense that he is poised on the cusp of a new journey, one that will take him to uncharted territories and force him to confront his own insecurities.

As the evening draws to a close, Grace departs, leaving Henry to navigate the darkness alone. Yet even as she disappears into the shadows, her presence lingers, like the faint glow of embers in a dying fire, illuminating the path ahead.

As Henry tends to his delicate pottery pieces at home, a soothing ritual that brings him solace, Suds (her nickname) returns, her eyes red from a heart-wrenching breakup with her hospital boss. Her tears draw Henry in, and he offers the comfort of a trusted friend. Meanwhile, Henry’s friends prod him to investigate Grace’s daily routine, piquing his curiosity about the enigmatic student who has captured his attention. He follows her discreetly, observing as she visits a cemetery, where she tenderly leaves flowers on Dominic Sawyer’s grave, speaking softly as if sharing secrets with the departed. Henry’s online sleuthing reveals the tragic circumstances of Dominic’s passing, which had left an indelible mark on Grace.

Henry’s friend Muz alerts him to unusual behavior from Grace, prompting him to stake out her usual haunt - the high school track. There, he witnesses a poignant moment as she struggles to run, her limping gait revealing the lingering effects of her own accident. The next day, over coffee, Henry implores the newspaper staff to delve deeper into authentic stories for their final issue’s theme: “Teenage Limbo.” Grace, intrigued by the concept, asks Henry to start digging up real-life tales, and he shares a personal story about a friend who took his own life. The gravity of this topic prompts Henry to ask Grace why she has stopped writing; her explanation - that she was asked to pen a eulogy but couldn’t find the right words - resonates deeply.

As Henry and Grace grow closer, they bond over shared moments and common interests. He invites her to a Halloween party, and although she initially declines, eventually agrees to attend. When she shows up, he’s surprised by her decision not to visit the cemetery that night, a small victory for their budding connection. Their mutual affection is palpable as they share a kiss, but it’s short-lived, as the song playing in Henry’s room triggers an avalanche of emotions in Grace. She confesses her lingering attachment to Dominic and the pain his memory still evokes. With tears streaming down her face, she kisses Henry again, then vanishes into the night, leaving him to ponder the complexities of their relationship and the fragility of her heart.

As Henry reluctantly yields to his friends’ pleas, he finds himself at the Halloween party, where he stumbles upon an unexpected surprise in the form of Grace. His curiosity piqued, Henry takes a chance and offers her a drink, sparking a connection that transcends the evening’s revelry. Meanwhile, La finally finds solace with Cora, the girl who had once left her reeling. As the night wears on, Henry and Grace surrender to their desires, sharing a romantic interlude in Henry’s quarters. The tender moment is marked by a poignant revelation: as Grace removes her costume, Henry is struck by the scars that adorn her legs, and he musters the courage to confess his own innocence in the realm of intimacy. Their shared vulnerability forges an unbreakable bond between them.

The following morning, Grace awakens with tears streaming down her face, leaving Henry in a state of panic as she responds to his frantic voicemail with a gentle reassurance that her emotions are not a reflection on their budding relationship. As the days unfold, she begins to find solace in the company of her peers at school and starts to open up to Henry, sharing stories about Dominic, whose memorial site becomes a poignant reminder of her lingering grief. As she slowly rebuilds her life, she finally allows herself to be seen with Henry, their love growing stronger with each passing day.

However, the tranquility is shattered when a stranger emerges from Grace’s driveway, hastily departing in a car that leaves behind a trail of destruction. Henry’s curiosity gets the better of him as he presses Grace for answers, but she deflects his concerns, her emotions still raw and vulnerable. When she fails to appear at school, Henry senses something amiss and rushes to her side, only to find himself face-to-face with the reality of Dominic’s enduring presence in her life. As the rain pours down outside, Henry is met by Martin, who grants him access to Grace’s room – a sacred space that holds secrets and memories tied to Dominic’s legacy.

As the truth slowly unravels, Grace discloses a pivotal fact: she has been residing with Dominic’s family for a month, seeking refuge from her troubled mother who struggled with addiction and personal demons. Her departure had been motivated by a desire to escape the toxic environment and find solace among people who genuinely cared about her well-being. Henry is devastated upon learning this revelation, realizing that Grace’s lingering presence in his life is not just a product of nostalgia but an actual extension of her daily existence. He becomes increasingly disheartened as he contemplates the photographs and mementos scattered throughout Dominic’s memorial, which serves as a poignant reminder of the profound bond between Grace and his deceased friend.

As Henry grapples with these conflicting emotions, he turns to Suds for guidance, pouring out his anguish and sense of betrayal. Suds offers words of wisdom, likening the process of emotional readjustment following a breakup to withdrawal from a physical substance. She reassures him that it’s a natural response, but one that will eventually subside as his body chemistry normalizes. Henry is torn between regret over past events and the knowledge that he can’t turn back time; instead, he must come to terms with the fact that Grace has become an integral part of his being.

In a poignant moment, Henry visits Dominic’s grave, where he burns the poem that had been given to him by Grace. This symbolic act serves as a cathartic release, allowing him to confront the pain and uncertainty head-on. Meanwhile, back at school, Henry receives a cryptic text from Martin indicating that Grace is missing. His instincts tell him to seek her out, leading him to the secluded pond where he finds her lost in thought.

As Henry approaches, he’s met with a torrent of sorrow as Grace repeatedly refers to Dominic, imploring fate to have taken her instead. Her words are laced with regret and self-doubt, but Henry’s empathetic ear and reassuring presence help calm her turmoil. In a moment of clarity, she confesses that her final thought during the accident was not about Dominic but rather a profane expression of frustration. Henry gently assuages her fears, reminding her that it doesn’t define her as a person. The conversation then turns to the topic of Dominic’s last thoughts, with Henry revealing that his friend’s final moment was spent thinking of Grace – a testament to the enduring power of their friendship.

As the curtain closes on the academic year, a poignant chapter unfolds as Grace (no actor name provided) lays bare her emotional turmoil by surrendering Dominic’s belongings to the pond’s serene surface. The symbolic act of release precedes a disrobing of sorts, as she strips away the dress that once held the promise of matrimony to Dominic. Henry, with gentle compassion, accompanies her home, bearing witness to the fragility and beauty of human vulnerability.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sharma, the paper’s sage mentor, announces that Grace will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the publication. When she eventually returns to school, he maintains a deliberate distance from her, acknowledging the gravity of her emotional scars. Henry, however, finds solace in his words, weaving together a nuanced tapestry of adolescent angst and existential longing for his final essay submission.

As the final bell tolls, signaling the end of the school year, Grace and Henry finally engage in a heartfelt conversation about their divergent paths ahead. He will be departing for Bennington, while she has opted to take a year-long sabbatical to continue her therapeutic journey. Her words, once silenced by trauma, must now be rediscovered, and he reassures her that this quest is not only possible but also essential.

With tender sincerity, she acknowledges Henry’s extraordinary nature, bestowing upon him a gentle kiss on the cheek as they share a poignant farewell embrace. As their hands part, she slips something into his pocket – a poetic restitution of sorts, reassembling the very words he had once burned away. Upon discovering this tender gesture, he is struck by the uncanny resemblance between the restored poem and his own painstaking process of mending broken vases.

In a bittersweet coda, Henry misses the departing bus but finds solace in the companionship of his friends, who abandon their own transportation to share one last walk with him as the school year draws to a close.