The Man in the Moon 1991

In the summer of 1957, Dani Trant is a 14-year-old girl in rural Louisiana who feels the tug of adolescence as she helps care for her younger sister while their mother, Abigail, is pregnant. Dani would rather slip away to the neighbor’s creek to skinny dip than shoulder more chores, and she quickly encounters a new neighbor, the 17-year-old Court Foster, who claims the creek for himself and pushes her away when she tries to interact too casually. This moment seeds an initial clash of feelings between them that slowly gives way to a complicated, tender bond.

As the days pass, Dani learns that Abigail’s old friend Marie Foster has moved back into the area with her three sons—among them Court and his younger brothers—adding a new, bustling energy to the Trant household. A family dinner reveals the first deeper connections: Court and Dani are drawn to one another, and Dani finds herself quietly developing a crush. Meanwhile, Maureen, Dani’s college-bound sister, faces her own romantic crossroads when she ends things with her boyfriend Billy Sanders after he pressures her during a dance.

Dani seeks guidance from Maureen on navigating her budding feelings, and Maureen demonstrates for her how to kiss, a moment that underscores how innocence can blur into desire. The summer heat intensifies the pull between Dani and Court, and the two begin meeting after dark to swim, talk, and share moments of laughter. They grow closer, sharing a first kiss and a growing sense of trust, but Court’s first attempt at a shared moment with Dani hints at a deeper boundary between being friends and something more.

A sudden turn of events shifts the mood dramatically. Dani’s father, Matthew, returns from the hospital with news about Abigail, who goes into labor and is rushed to the hospital. Back home, Dani bears the psychological and physical consequences of her earlier fall, enduring a harsh punishment at the hands of her father. The family remains outwardly connected, yet the underlying tensions simmer beneath the surface. Court remains gentle and attentive, bringing food to the Trant house and apologizing for the night when things went too far, and he and Dani resume their tentative friendship.

Eventually, the summer romance between Court and Maureen blossoms into a secret, and Dani notices the change in the household atmosphere. Maureen’s relationship with Court enters a new, intimate phase, and Dani’s initial happiness for her sister is tempered by jealousy and confusion. The two sisters’ bond becomes strained as Court and Maureen’s relationship deepens, culminating in a tender, yet complicated moment in a field.

Tragically, Court’s life is cut short in a farming accident—while trying to grab his hat from a tree branch, he falls under the blades of a disc harrow and sustains fatal injuries. Dani discovers the aftermath, and her father drives toward the scene with grief and shock visible in his eyes, a moment that cements the gravity of the events for the entire family.

In the days following Court’s funeral, Dani and Maureen confront their shared pain and the fragility of their relationships. Maureen’s initial retreat into silence gives way to a necessary, aching reconciliation as Matthew reminds Dani that anger is not a path back from loss, and that Maureen will be her sister for life. The film closes with the sisters on the porch at night, the moon watching over them as the summer fades, and a quiet renewal of their bond hints at healing and a slower return to one another.

This story paints a close-knit family portrait set against a sultry Southern backdrop, exploring themes of adolescence, forbidden feelings, sibling rivalry, forgiveness, and the way tragedy can redefine love and loyalty. The emotional landscape is intimate and luminous, inviting viewers to reflect on how quickly a single season can alter a family’s course and how resilience can emerge from shared grief.