Jeppe and Cecilie meet on Cecilie’s first day at her new school and are instantly attracted. When Cecilie’s unwillingness to risk losing Jeppe’s love by revealing her life to him leads her to push him away, a combination of persistence, luck, and reflection is necessary for her to find the courage to take that risk.
The film serves as an audiovisual novel, allowing the viewer to explore how the characters deal with serious life challenges, including the effect of teenagers’ transitions to adulthood on themselves and their concerned parents; and in that sense it offers a great deal to viewers without a great deal of life experience. Admittedly, its gloss over some practical realities in the cause of a good story will give viewers with more life experience pause; but this is a film less about solving life’s tougher problems than about appreciating its moments, living with and learning to accept the senseless, appreciating others, recognising their realities, and recognising opportunities to live well.
This film’s clear target market is older teenagers and young adults, but in many senses it deserves a wider audience, not least because of the profound decency of its seven chief characters: basketball hopeful Jeppe and new student Cecilie, their respective parents, and Jeppe’s best friend, Jack, all honourable and likeable. As well, the soundtrack includes some beautiful songs; the cinematography is simply gorgeous; and the acting was very well executed. It amply repays viewing.
