PURPLE HEARTS

US, 2022, 122 minutes, Colour.

Sofia Carson, Nicholas Galitzine, Chosen Jacobs, Linden Ashby, Anthony Ippolito.

Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum.

Purple Hearts is a romance of the 2020s. It was particularly successful, large audiences, when the truth is released to streaming on Netflix.

What makes it distinctive is that the love story starts with quite some hostility, the romance between Luke, Nicholas Galitzine (Mary and George, Idea of You), from a military tradition family, letting loose, stealing and smashing cars, drug addiction, in debt, deciding to join the Marines but not telling his father, and Cassie, alienated from her mother, very independent, playing the piano and singing, composing songs, leading a successful group, suffering from type I diabetes.

Plenty of complications for the relationship.

While there has been overt hostility between Luke and Cassie, they come together with a plan, she having no insurance and incurring debt for her rent and diabetes medications, he having to pay back the thug from whom you borrowed the money. The plan is that they should marry, receive insurance benefits, he came back his loan. They marry, he goes off to war, there are communications, Cassie composing songs (with significant lyrics throughout the film, songs are true composed and sung by the star, Sofia Carson).

Action, an explosion, a friend killed, Luke’s leg injured, the return, his father discovering the truth, recuperation. And Cassie having more success with her group and songs and performance the Hollywood bowl.

Then, the arrest, the judgement, Luke exhilarating Cassie, is going to prison and the emitting their love for each other. And, something of an idyllic happy ending hopes for the future.

1. Themes of the wall? Action? Heroism? Love?
2. The California settings, the boot camp, apartments, musical beings, the Hollywood bowl…?
3. The musical score, composed by Sofia Carson, performance? The lyrics echoing the themes?
4. Cassie’s story, growing up, her relationship with the mother, her mother’s boyfriends? Rebelling against her mother? Her music, piano, composition, performance? Her friends in her band, The Loyal? Performances, response? Fans, agents, further opportunities? Significance of her diabetes, lack of money, no insurance, the medication and bills, not able to pay the rent, refusing help from her mother? The pharmacies, her pleas?
5. Luke, his story, the marine tradition, his father, stern, letter of the law, his mother’s death, his brother, going to pieces, drugs, rebellion, taking his father’s car, smashing it, the loan to repay, joining the Marines, not telling his father? The training? His friendship with Frankie? Relationship with the other men? Going to the bar, the initial counter with Cassie? Hostility? The encounters with Johnny, the violent threats?
6. The plane, tentative, the meetings between Luke and Cassie, the proposition, the marriage, the insurance, paying for the diabetes medication, and his money to pay off the debt? Against the law, the risks? The meetings, the agreement? Difficult in view of Cassie’s clashes with commando and the other men?
7. The ceremony, Frankie, going to Cassie’s apartment, the night together, wanting to ignore it? Luke and his straight up-and-down attitudes? Cassie and her independence, female assertion, critiques of men? Luke having to move out, the farewell, keeping up appearances?
8. The letters, the video links, Cassie and her compositions, playing for the men, their response? Luke, the interactions?
9. Action, with the children, on parole, stepping on the mine, Frankie’s death, funeral, Riley and her grief, his parents, the rituals, Cassie giving Riley the ring?
10. Luke, wounded, his leg, his career in running, hospital? Cassie, performance, success, phone call, her searching for Luke’s brothers number, going to the house, father and son having same name, the father’s reaction? Receiving the Purple Heart?
11. Hospital, the revelation of the truth? The father, his reactions? Jake and his wife, the support? Is father offering to take Luke for rehabilitation twice a week?
12. The return home, keeping up the appearances? Luke is trying to run? Cassie and her further success, the Hollywood bowl? The attack on Cassie’s mother’s house, John and his sending a message to Luke, Luke confronting him?
13. Luke, the arrest, the case, Luke’s speech, accepting responsibility, exonerating Cassie? His going to prison, Cassie and her performance, driving fast, the family’s relief at her turning up, the farewell, admission of love?
14. The aftermath, the two together, romantic, on the beach? The future?
15. A story of initial hostility, friendship, gradual falling in love, mutual understanding?