First comes love, then comes college? In Max’s new film Sweethearts, college freshmen (and BFFs) Jamie and Ben feel bound by their high school sweethearts and want to take full advantage of their college experience. Before leaving school for Thanksgiving break, Jamie and Ben decide to end it with their respective partners, Claire (Ava DeMary) and Simon (Charlie Hall), as soon as they return home — but it’s not as simple as they thought. Spoiler warning: Spoilers for Sweethearts follow.
Starring Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga, Sweethearts offers a refreshing perspective: the complexities and joys of platonic friendships — a theme director Jordan Weiss pulled from her IRL relationship with her longtime friend and co-writer, Dan Brier. “We are a real life pair of guy and girl best friends. We spent a lot of time having heart-to-hearts about our friendship,” Weiss says. “Everyone thought we were running away together romantically. No one believed that we were just friends filling each other in on who we were dating and how it was going.”
Like Weiss and Brier, Jamie and Ben deeply care for each other and are super close. But a romantic relationship was never in the cards for them. “I definitely know people who were like, ‘Oh, we were friends for years before we even remotely did anything romantic,’” Shipka says. “I want to hold space for that, but I also feel like they’ve been friends for such a long time and nothing has ever happened for a reason.” Hiraga agrees. “How it leaves it off, it seems like I’m your guy,” he says. “I’ll continue to be your guy. I got your back. [Ben and Jamie are] just kind of linked at the waist.”
According to Weiss, Ben and Jamie’s story was always meant to end on a happy note, which included them not exploring anything romantic. “Having them end up being single and staying friends felt like a happier ending for where they’re at in their lives,” she says. “So for us, that’s why we were very attached to them not ending up together.”
Even if Jamie and Ben were to find themselves in new relationships with other people, Shipka believes there wouldn’t be any weird feelings. “I genuinely feel like Jamie would be very happy if [Ben] found someone that was completely right for him and likewise,” she says. “I don’t feel like there was ever jealousy throughout the movie over significant others.”
At its center, Sweethearts is all about growing up and making adult decisions — especially as a first-year college student. “Something that I touched on with Ben and Jamie’s friendship is that letting go when you’re in a place of co-dependence — whether it’s in a platonic friendship or in a romantic relationship — brings you closer to someone,” Weiss says. “Allowing yourself the space to evolve as an individual doesn’t mean you have to abandon your friendships or your relationships. If there are any college kids feeling a little miserable in long-distance relationships, just know that college is a really fun, really fleeting four years and they should take full advantage of it while they can.”
Even though Shipka didn’t attend college, she believes starting over is a must for first-year students. “If I was going to college and I was leaving my hometown, for maybe the first time in my life, I romanticize a clean slate more than anyone. I love the idea of just starting over, starting fresh,” she says. “There’s something about me that I think would want to go in single and ready to mingle, but if you love someone, you love someone. And I know people who have met in high school who stayed together through college and are getting married. Literally, just try some stuff.”
Ultimately, Sweethearts is a reminder of the beauty in platonic connections and personal growth. Whether you’re navigating a new city, heartbreak, or just life itself, Sweethearts reminds us that sometimes, the best love stories are the ones without romance.