What Is First Love About?
The premise of First Love in 329 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the leafy expanses of a bustling university, the rhythm of class schedules, cafeteria chatter, and Saturday matches creates a world where ambition and yearning coexist. The campus feels both intimate and sprawling, a place where the pressure to perform on the field is matched by the pull of hidden desires. Against this backdrop, the film follows the inner life of a talented soccer player whose dedication to the sport is only rivaled by his fascination with a striking fellow student. Their encounters are flavored by the electric energy of youth, yet a lingering sense of uncertainty undercuts the surface charm.
Elgin is introduced as a disciplined athlete, confident in his abilities yet quietly searching for something beyond the applause of the stands. He finds himself drawn to Caroline, a beautiful and enigmatic girl whose presence seems to illuminate the campus corridors. Their connection is immediate, hinting at a deeper, more complicated bond that transcends the casual flirtations typical of college life. As the two navigate the delicate dance of attraction, the film subtly raises questions about what it truly means to love someone versus merely being drawn to their physical allure.
The story’s tone balances wistful nostalgia with a sharp, contemporary edge, capturing the bittersweet moments that accompany first infatuations. When Caroline reveals a secret involvement with an older, married attorney—John—the narrative pivots toward the tangled web of clandestine relationships. This revelation forces Elgin to confront a spectrum of emotions: jealousy, longing, and the unsettling realization that desire can be both a guiding force and a source of inner conflict.
Through atmospheric cinematography, lingering shots of dorm rooms, and the steady cadence of a soccer ball echoing across the quad, the film immerses viewers in a world where the lines between physical attraction and genuine love are constantly shifting. It invites the audience to ponder the fragile balance between youthful impulse and the deeper yearning for authentic connection, all before the story moves beyond the initial, tantalizing premise.
What Happens in First Love?
The complete story of First Love, from the first scene to the last, in 558 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
David Bonner, John Heard is a college student who is dating a girlfriend and is secretly sleeping with a woman named Shelly, Beverly D’Angelo. Shelly arrives in his dorm room wearing only a towel and declares she will stay only until he finishes with his girlfriend, but the encounter lasts much longer. Afterward, David quietly thanks his friend Elgin by setting him up with Shelly.
Elgin Smith, [William Katt] first encounters Caroline Hedges, [Susan Dey] during a campus meal. Working as a busboy in the cafeteria, he spills tea on her and her book, but she still leaves her dormitory name on a scrap of paper. He brings her a fresh copy of the book and later asks her to coffee. Caroline hints at another boyfriend, but Elgin is smitten and eventually joins a class she is taking, three weeks after it started. Caroline reveals that her father is dead, and they go on their first real date to the symphony.
Caroline, [Susan Dey] then introduces Elgin to John March, [Robert Loggia], who is already married. She is unsettled by the meeting and asks to spend a night with Elgin so she won’t be alone. They begin to have sex, but they are interrupted by David, who says that Elgin is late for work. Elgin hurries to his job, and David convinces Caroline to ride back to her dorm on his motorcycle. Elgin spots them together and fights David in a jealous rage. Caroline tells him she is not interested in David. Elgin feels relief but is later fired for being late to work.
David and Caroline watch Elgin play a game of soccer; Elgin and Caroline resume their affair, and he asks about John, who worked with her father as a lawyer and whom she has known all her life. He grows jealous when he learns she slept with John, but Caroline becomes angry at the jealousy. Elgin grows nervous when he cannot reach her, but finds a note inviting him to join her, alone, at her family’s estate. He goes, and Caroline leads him to the past, including a childhood playhouse where her father committed suicide. The phone rings, revealing that John wants her back, and they cannot continue seeing each other. Elgin leaves on his motorcycle, while Caroline tells him goodbye and he is left alone.
Back at school, Elgin returns to his dorm to find Shelly waiting at his door. Shelly declares her love for David, but he does not reciprocate. Elgin declines another chance for sex.
Elgin runs into Caroline as she says goodbye to John, confessing that she is with John and their affair is over. Drunk, Elgin again finds Shelly at his door and agrees to be with her, but accidentally calls her Caroline mid-tryst. He attends Caroline’s class, but leaves when she does not appear. He visits John at his office to ask if his intentions are honorable. John mentions his shaky marriage but emphasizes that his children matter and does not know if he can divorce. Caroline shows up in Elgin’s room in the middle of the night, they sleep together, and she brings him breakfast in the morning. John decides not to pursue a divorce, leaving Elgin feeling like second best. The relationship ends, and Caroline departs on a train, while Elgin returns to his solitary soccer habit.
First Love Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Shelly enters Elgin's dorm room” to “The breakup deepens and a farewell arrives”. 13 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Shelly enters Elgin's dorm room
Shelly, wearing only a towel, slips into the dorm room next door — Elgin's room — after David's girlfriend interrupts. She says she'll stay only until David finishes with his girlfriend, but the tryst lasts longer than planned. The awkward moment sets up ongoing tension and the possibility of future complications.
Where:Elgin's dorm room (next to David's)
- 2
David thanks Elgin by setting up Shelly
After the awkward arrangement, David thanks Elgin by arranging Shelly to be with him. The gesture introduces a foreshadowing of shifting loyalties and the campus's web of entanglements. This act plants the seed for future complications between the characters.
Where:Campus
- 3
Elgin meets Caroline in the cafeteria
Elgin, working as a busboy, first talks with Caroline in the school cafeteria. Their conversation is awkward, and he accidentally spills tea on her and her book, breaking the ice. She leaves her dormitory name on a sheet of paper, beginning a thread that will draw them closer.
Where:School cafeteria
- 4
Elgin pursues Caroline after she leaves her name
After their initial meeting, Elgin goes to see Caroline with a new copy of the book she spilled on him. She agrees to go for coffee, indicating she is open to seeing him again. This marks the move from a casual encounter to a budding relationship.
Where:Campus; coffee spot
- 5
First real date at the symphony
Elgin and Caroline go on their first real date to the symphony. During the evening, Caroline reveals that her father is dead, which deepens the emotional edge of their growing relationship. The date becomes a key turning point in Elgin's feelings.
Where:Symphony hall
- 6
Caroline introduces Elgin to John
Caroline introduces Elgin to John, a man who is married. The moment unsettles Elgin, and Caroline asks to spend a night with him because she does not want to be alone. This creates a complicated triangle from early on.
Where:Caroline's circle
- 7
Elgin and Caroline begin an intimate affair
Elgin and Caroline start an ongoing sexual relationship. Their affair is threatened when David and jealousy over Caroline's other connections come into play; David confronts them, but Caroline asserts she is not interested in David. Elgin struggles with the entanglement and its consequences.
Where:Campus and dorm spaces
- 8
Elgin is fired and jealousy grows
Elgin is fired for lateness, cutting his work at the cafeteria short. Around this time, he and Caroline grow closer, but jealousy simmers as he learns about John and Caroline's past. The instability of their relationships intensifies the emotional weight of the story.
Where:School cafeteria
- 9
Soccer game and revelations about John
David watches Elgin play a successful game of soccer, and Elgin and Caroline sleep together again. He asks about John, and jealousy spikes when he learns that Caroline slept with John. Caroline becomes mad about the discussion, and tensions escalate.
Where:Soccer field
- 10
A goodbye foreshadows a break
Caroline tells Elgin that John wants her back and that they cannot see each other any more. Elgin leaves, riding away on his motorcycle, and later encounters Shelly waiting at his dorm door. Shelly confesses her love for David, though she suspects he may not feel the same.
Where:En route; dorm doorway
Show the other 3 events of First Love Hide the last 3 events
- 11
Shelly's persistence and Elgin resists
Elgin meets Shelly again; she makes a third proposition for sex, but he turns her down in favor of focusing on Caroline. This moment underscores his emotional conflict and reluctance to pursue the former arrangement.
Where:Dorm room doorway
- 12
John and Caroline's affair confronts reality
Elgin visits John at his office and asks if his intentions with Caroline are honorable. John reveals a shaky marriage but emphasizes that his kids matter and cannot easily walk away. Caroline then shows up in Elgin's room at night, they have sex, and she brings him breakfast in the morning.
Where:John's office; Elgin's room
- 13
The breakup deepens and a farewell arrives
John decides that he will not get the divorce, which leaves Elgin feeling like a second choice. He takes Caroline back, but the emotional weight remains heavy, and he eventually tells her that his love is gone. They say goodbye as she leaves him on a train, and Elgin returns to his solitary soccer habit.
Where:Train station; campus
Who Are the Main Characters in First Love?
5 characters, among them Elgin Smith (William Katt), Caroline Hedges (Susan Dey) and David Bonner (John Heard): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- ES
Elgin Smith (William Katt)
Played by William Katt
A college student who falls hard for Caroline, joining her class and working as a busboy to be near her. He is hopeful, then increasingly insecure and jealous, a pattern that leads to impulsive decisions and emotional turmoil. His soccer-playing habit symbolizes a solitary outlet as he grapples with love, loyalty, and disappointment.
- 💫 Romantic
- 😟 Insecure
- ⚽️ Athlete
- CH
Caroline Hedges (Susan Dey)
Played by Susan Dey
Caroline is the object of Elgin's affection, conflicted by a past and by John’s marriage. She reveals her father's death, maintains complex loyalties, and resists Elgin's advances at times. Her choices drive the drama, balancing independence with vulnerability within a fragile love triangle.
- 💖 Complex
- 🧭 Complex relationships
- 🏛️ Wealth/estate
-
David Bonner (John Heard)
Played by John Heard
David is Elgin's friend whose girlfriend arrives during the dorm room confrontation, and who privately engineers the situation with Shelly. He acts as a catalyst for jealousy and conflict, complicating Elgin and Caroline's budding relationship. His actions reveal a casual, sometimes calculating approach to romance.
- 💬 Catalyst
- 🎭 Jealousy
- 🧩 Complication
-
Shelly (Beverly D'Angelo)
Played by Beverly D'Angelo
Shelly is the object of David's attention and later a recurring love interest for Elgin. Her motives are enigmatic, as she flits in and out of the dorm, declaring love and leaving mid-encounters. Her presence heightens tension and underscores the fleeting nature of some relationships.
- 💋 Affair
- 😮💨 Volatile
- 🗯️ Presence
-
John March (Robert Loggia)
Played by Robert Loggia
A married man known to Caroline, whose complicated relationship with his wife and children adds tension to the love triangle. He represents a different kind of commitment and the possibility of choosing responsibility over passion. His actions influence Caroline's choices and Elgin's heartbreak.
- 👨❤️💋👨 Complicated marriage
- 🧭 Influence
- 🗝️ Power dynamics
Where and When Is First Love Set?
First Love is set in College campus, dormitories, cafeteria, Caroline's family estate and childhood…. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
College campus, dormitories, cafeteria, Caroline's family estate, childhood playhouse
The story unfolds primarily on a US college campus, moving from dorm rooms to the bustling cafeteria where Elgin works as a busboy. Social spaces like the symphony and later Caroline's family estate provide backdrops for romance and confrontation. Key locations include a childhood playhouse on the estate, hinting at past traumas that influence present relationships.
- 🎓 College life
- 🏛️ Estate
- 🍽️ Cafeteria
- 🏠 Family home
What Are the Themes of First Love?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Love and Jealousy, Choice and Consequences and Illusion vs Reality.
-
01
Love and Jealousy
A central tension arises from competing attractions, as Elgin falls for Caroline while navigating her relationships with John and David. Jealousy fuels misunderstandings, late nights, and reckless decisions, driving the plot toward heartbreak. The film examines how desire can blur boundaries, leading to possessiveness and pain rather than lasting connection.
-
02
Choice and Consequences
Characters pursue intense longing, but choices carry consequences: Elgin risks work and stability, while Caroline faces complicated loyalties between John and Elgin. The story traces how decisions shape lives, sever friendships, and alter futures, often leaving characters alone with the aftermath of their actions. It contrasts youthful ardor with the weight of responsibility.
-
03
Illusion vs Reality
Romantic fantasies clash with the realities of commitment, marriage, and past traumas. Caroline's guarded past and John’s shaky marriage challenge the idea of a perfect match, forcing Elgin to confront the limits of idealized love. The narrative suggests that affection without honesty can fade, leaving emptiness.
What Kind of Film Is First Love?
Melancholic in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Sad
A steady, melancholic drama about the painful gap between youthful infatuation and complex reality, following a college student's heartbreak as he becomes the other man in a clandestine affair.
- melancholic
- introspective
- yearning
- lustful
- lonely
- romantic
- love triangle
- infidelity
- jealousy
- coming of age
Content notes: suicide (mentioned).
Quiz
How well do you remember First Love? Test yourself on the story.
