An Irish Rendezvous
Genre: Teen/Romance
Director: India Donaldson
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Sadie Sink, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Talia Ryder, Elsie Fisher, Brighton Sharbino, Uma Thurman, Shea Whigham
Plot: Out on the streets of Ireland, a middle-aged man named Arthur (Shea Wingman) steps out of the vehicle, his wife, Gretchen (Uma Thurman) following suit. Arthur asks Gretchen where Viana (Sadie Sink) is. Gretchen motions for the car, causing Arthur to gently coax her out.
Viana steps out of the car with a dejected expression. When asked what’s wrong, Viana exclaims that it’s not fair. She really wanted to visit Lurline (Brighton Sharbino). Arthur expresses sympathy, but levels with her. Viana is 18 now and has just graduated, he knows that she won’t be staying with them much longer and wants to spend one last summer with her. He asks Viana if she can make the most of this for him. Viana smiles, accepting Arthur’s wishes.
Hours later, the Medal family have finished packing and have fully prepared their apartment room, complete with a hilly overview of Ireland itself. Curious, Viana tells her parents that she’s going to go for a walk and heads off. As Viana walks down the streets, she takes in all the sights and sounds, gracefully dancing to the Celtic music a fiddler plays.
Viana then bumps into a red-haired man. He forgives her, about to say his name only to lock eyes and become entranced by her face. Viana checks on him, making sure he’s alright. He fumbles over his words, introducing himself as Aaron (Ferdia Walsh-Perro). Viana flashes a serene smile, hoping that they can get to know each other better and walks off. Aaron looks over at Viana, almost transfixed.
Early next morning, a green-haired girl named Matilda (Elsie Fisher) wakes up and checks her alarm clock. Feeling a need to wake the rest of the town up, Matilda picks up an airhorn and lets it blow. Matilda heads out to town on her skateboard, greeting people who are not amused by her prior stunt, before coming across Aaron and Chantal (Talia Ryan).
As they discuss their mornings, Matilda finds Aaron in a dreamlike state and snaps him back to reality. Aaron claims to have found the most beautiful girl in the world, describing her as a blonde woman full of life. Excited, Matilda asks if he knows her name, leaving Aaron crushed as he realizes he never got it. Matilda offers to help find her. Chantal wishes to tag along, wanting to see what all the fuss is.
The three friends scatter about town, looking high and low for this mysterious girl, un =able to find Viana. Aaron appears ready to head home when he spots the blonde figure inside a coffee shop. Aaron freezes up, unsure of what to say or do. Matilda tries to be his wingman, but Chantal steps in, telling Aaron to give it his best shot.
Aaron steps in the coffee shop, nervously greeting Viana. Viana smiles, revealing her name to him. Aaron admits that he couldn’t stop thinking about her, she’s very beautiful. From there, they hit it off with a spirited conversation about themselves before finally, Aaron asks Viana if she’d like to stop by his house tomorrow. Viana accepts, calling it an “honor” to know more of a “strapping man” like Aaron. Chantal meanwhile looks out from the window, a sad expression on her face.
That evening, Chantal sits on her bed, writing in her journal about the day. All seems normal until she touches on the subject of Aaron and Viana’s relationship, expressing remorse on herself for not saying—
The phone rings, it’s Matilda. Chantal puts her on speaker. Matilda excitedly gabs on about how Aaron is gonna host Viana tomorrow, eventually causing Chantal to ask her not to talk so fast, she has a bit of a headache. When asked how she feels about all this, Chantal is…fine, leaving Matilda relieved because—
Chantal tells Matilda not to remind her. Matilda apologizes before asking if Chantal wants to come over to Aaron’s house tomorrow. Chantal accepts, wishing Matilda a good night before throwing herself onto a pillow.
The next day, as Viana finishes putting on her wardrobe, Wolfgang barges in, explaining that here to give his sister some advice, like good siblings should. Unfortunately for Viana, his advice boils down to “don’t get cooties”.
Inside Aaron’s small, yet comfortable house, Matilda lets Aaron know he can do this when he hears a door knocking. Aaron opens the door, finding Viana. He steps aside, letting his friend Matilda and Chantel introduce themselves. After Viana shakes their hands, Aaron takes her on a tour around his house, blushing profusely whenever Viana holds his hand or makes a flattering comment.
When the tour finishes, Viana tells Aaron she has to go to the bathroom. Inside, she stares at the mirror, openly talking to herself. Does Aaron really like her? If so, is it really losing the chance to--
As Viana ponders this, she hears guitar music from outside. Viana tracks down the source, coming across Aaron while he’s singing a song.
Viana claps, moved by the performance. Flattered, Aaron thanks her approval, calling it a song his mother once taught him back when he was young. Seeing that it’s late, Viana opts to head home inviting Aaron to her apartment tomorrow, saying she can get permission from her parents.
As Viana leaves, Chantal comes in, almost as if she’s about to ask Aaron something, only for Matilda to congratulate Aaron on a job well done. When Matilda and Aaron finally spot Chantal, she opts to head home as well. As she walks home, she kicks a nearby tree, upset at herself for not saying anything.
Back in her apartment, Viana gushes about Aaron to her parents, asking them if she could bring him over to dinner tomorrow. Arthur is skeptical but Viana reminds him that she was always daddy’s little girl, and daddy should know what’s best. With that, Arthur relents, but that he’ll keep an eye on Aaron, making sure he’s the right fit.
The next day, Matilda remains at Aaron’s house, watching him freak out about how to handle his thing (he corrects Matilda on calling it a date) with Viana. Matilda claims to know everything about eloquence, only to trip and fall on her knees. Aaron helps her up, thanking her for trying, but he needs to figure this out himself.
Matilda heads out, fueled by a desire to help Aaron, skating to Chantal’s house. With the front door locked, Matilda finds a ladder and climbs up to Chantal’s room, knocking on the window. Baffled, Chantal helps her inside and asks what she’s doing here. Matilda exclaims that she needs advice asking what she should do regarding Aaron and his crush on Viana.
Chantal pauses, but convinces Matilda that it’s fine. Chantal admits that she’s no expert when it comes to dating, and neither is she, but the important thing is to just…be there with them whenever possible. Matilda thanks Chantal for the advice and promises to not climb up to her window again, the two sharing a hug afterward.
The next day, Aaron lies in bed, having not been able to sleep since last night when he receives a text on his phone from Matilda, wishing him well with the date. Later that evening, Aaron stands by the apartment, dressed in the best suit and tie he could afford and rings the doorbell. Viana arrives, wearing a nice flowing dress, saying that Aaron looks lovely.
Viana ushers Aaron in, introducing him to Arthur and Gretchen. As Aaron shakes Arthur’s hand, there’s a hint of tension between the two. The family sit around the table for dinner. At first, Aaron struggles to fit in with the setting, but Viana is able to whisper reminders to him and ways to win over her parents. By the end of dinner, Aaron thanks Viana’s parents for the lovely meal--
Aaron hears his phone ring and in a panic, claims that he has to go to the bathroom. Inside, he asks Matilda what she’s doing. Matilda explains that Chantal wanted to talk to him, turning it over to her (who makes it abruptly clear this was Matilda’s idea). The two talk for a bit, the conversation as awkward as it gets before Wolfgang steps in, telling Aaron that Viana is playing her “stupid” violin in the music room again.
Aaron tells Chantal that he has to go and rushes off to the “music room”, listening to Viana soar through the violin notes like a phoenix. When she finishes, Aaron applauds. Viana then announces that she will sing a song of prayer to someone she isn’t with them right now, but is in their hearts. From there, Aaron is put in a trance by Viana’s soothing, operatic voice, his troubles floating away in an instant.
At the end of the song, the entire room claps for Viana. Aaron approaches her, calling it “amazing”. Viana thanks Aaron, saying that music runs deep in her family. Viana then glances at a picture on the piano and frowns. Concerned, Aaron asks what’s wrong. Viana then reveals that this song is dedicated to her best friend Lurline, a sweet, intelligent, wonderful girl who she could trust to be her confidant. She moved to Denmark earlier in her life and the two hadn’t been able to see each other much. She hoped that she’d be able to see her this summer but…
Aaron pats Viana on the shoulder, telling her that it’s okay to feel sad, but Viana has an opportunity to make new memories that she’ll be able to relay to Lurline. Aaron feels like he’s now figured out who Viana is, a kind, sincere and driven girl whose free spirit guides the way. With that, Aaron gently takes Viana by the hand and confesses his love. Viana confesses that she’s had feelings regarding Aaron for some time now, ever since the day she saw him play the guitar with his friends. Viana sees a bit of herself in Aaron and the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that she loves him too.nViana and Aaron seal their new relationship with a kiss.
Before Aaron leaves, Gretchen lets slip that they’ll be hosting a party in a few days at a ballroom down the road, inviting Aaron to come perform. With Aaron gone, Viana skips off to the bathroom, giggling about how it played out in the mirror, convinced that not taking ‘that chance’ wasn’t so bad after all.
The next day, Viana formally introduces herself to Aaron’s friends. As she does so, Matilda accidentally lets slip that Chantal had a crush on Aaron for the longest time. After that awkward encounter, the four take a walk down the park, enjoying a fine day out as Matilda continues to bond with Viana. As the four get ice cream however, Viana asks Chantal if they can speak privately, luring her by a tree.
Away from the others, Viana grabs onto Chantel’s hands, keeping a stern expression as she reminds her that Aaron is now hers. He has no romantic interest towards her and never will. If Chantal tries to wreck their relationship, she’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure no one touches her again. Mortified, Chantel leaves early, needing to clear her mind.
That evening, Chantal tosses and turns in bed dreaming about Viana forcing her away from Aaron and Matilda, leaving her a pariah. She awakens, horrified by her dream and scrambles to write in her diary. As she flips the pages, Chantal comes across a picture of her and Aaron together and breaks into sobs.
Matilda sits by a bench, wondering where Chantal is when she sees Aaron and Viana. The three talk for a bit before Viana asks Matilda if they can talk together. Excited, Matilda agrees and the two ladies walk off. Along the way, Viana asks Matilda if she can tell her anything about Chantal. She feels they didn’t get to know each other. All seems good until Viana starts asking Matilda to give her some personal information. Despite her hesitancy, Viana convinces her that this is something good friends do.
Back on the bench, Aaron comes across an unfamiliar figure, asking if he knows where Viana is. He motions for her to go left, watching her dart off, wondering if she looks familiar. As Matilda and Viana continue to talk, Viana hears another voice ring out. She turns around and becomes ecstatic, hugging the new figure before introducing her to Matilda. This is Lurline, Viana’s best friend! Lurline reveals that she convinced her parents to spend the summer in Ireland. From there, the two girls hit it off like it’s old times, Matilda appearing more like a third wheel.
The three return to Aaron, Viana formally introducing him to Lurline and officially inviting everyone to the party. Lurline and Matilda gladly accept their invitations, Aaron says that he’ll try and talk to Chantal, see if she’s able to attend. Viana and Lurline embrace one last time before she heads off, pulling out her phone and entering all the information Matilda gave her. At that moment, she freezes, typing out the words: “It’s time” on her phone.
The day before the party, Matilda is at a clothing store, looking through various dresses when she receives a call from Aaron. She hides in the changing room, learning about his plight trying to call Chantal. She’s gone radio silent. Matilda offers to talk to her and see what’s going on, but Aaron wants to try this himself, especially since Matilda is busy. Aaron drives over to Chantal’s house and finds Chantal lying in bed. Aaron prods her awake, successfully getting her to stand up. The two talk for a moment, seemingly picking back up where they were. Aaron then receives a text from Matilda, claiming that she has a surprise. Thinking it might be the dress, Aaron finds out that she wants them to meet her downtown.
Aaron and Chantal see Matilda at a small fro-yo shop. She found it after she bought her dress and it looked really cute. The three friends step inside, enjoying some ice cream and reconnecting with one another, Aaron and Chantal in particular. The mood shifts when Viana enters, having “just so happened” to be in the area, inviting everyone to come to her party tomorrow evening. As Aaron and Matilda head to the bathroom. Viana steps up to a young fro-yo employee, mooching with the poor sap before mentioning that Aaron will be performing tomorrow, but that it’s “probably” going to be a one -time thing, stating her plans to the employee.
Hearing all this, Chantal storms up to Viana, angrily accusing her of playing Aaron like a fiddle. At first, Viana is on the defensive when Chantal asks if she’s gotten into the heads of others, like Matilda or that Lurline girl. Viana snaps back, telling her never to mention Lurline in the matter again. Aaron and Matilda arrive just in time, asking what just happened. Chantal tries to give her account when Viana pulls out a sob story, demonizing Chantal as unreasonable and irrational, coming out of nowhere to attack her. Confused, Aaron opts to head home to clear his head.
Chantal runs away, Matilda chasing after her before Chantal trips over a sidewalk crack. Chantal bursts into tears, admitting that to Matilda that Viana pressured her into staying away from Aaron, threatening to reveal personal information about her.
Matilda comforts her, telling her that sometimes, you have to stand up for what’s right, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Matilda pauses, a horrifying thought coming to mind as she admits that Viana convinced her to tell some of her secrets, unaware of her true nature. The two apologize to each other and vow to put a stop to this tomorrow.
That evening, Aaron paces in his room, unsure of what to think when he receives a phone call from Lurline. Lurline asks Aaron if everything’s alright, she just got off the phone with a crying Viana. After Aaron comes forward with what he’s heard, Lurline assures Aaron that Viana is usually good at telling the truth.
At last, the night of the big party arrives. Chantal stands by the punch table, wondering where Matilda is. After a few seconds, Matilda arrives, her hair down and wearing a beautiful form-fitting green mermaid gown. Matilda comes across Chantal, the two beginning their watch for Viana, wondering where she might be.
An hour passes by and there’s no sign of Viana anywhere, Chantal appears ready to give up as Matilda vibes with a group of guys admiring her beauty. Before they can go their separate ways, Chantal bumps into Aaron as he’s about to head backstage, engaging in a brief, awkward exchange before the music stops. Arthur steps up to the podium, announcing the arrival of his daughter, Viana.
Viana appears, wearing a stunning blue gown, thanking everyone for attending the party before making a speech about how much she has grown to love the country of Ireland and its people. There’s one person, however, she wishes to acknowledge, calling Aaron up to the stage. Viana expresses how much Aaron has meant to her and her family, reminiscing about what he said to her a few days ago before declaring that she loves him. Viana steps up to Aaron, going for a kiss…
Only for Chantal and Matilda to step forward. Chantal takes the floor, accusing Viana of lying to all these people and to Aaron. Viana doesn’t actually love Aaron, as she’s found out who’s really after. Lurline. Lurline is shocked, asking Viana what’s going on. Viana tries to worm her way out of it when Chantal relays how Viana blackmailed her into staying away from her friends and manipulated Matilda to reveal personal secrets, only to throw it all away when Lurline came into the picture.
Lurline looks up at Viana, asking her why. Viana exclaims that she was afraid to tell her because if she did, Lurline might not want to be her friend anymore. Incensed, Lurline tells Viana that she would have gladly accepted her proposal, having had feelings for her. But if she’s going to manipulate her and these people, then maybe it’s not worth it, severing their friendship. Tearstricken, Aaron dumps Viana and storms off. Horrified, Viana runs off before she can face further repercussions.
Chantal heads out of the building and finds a crying Aaron. Aaron thought that Viana really liked him and that he didn’t know what she was doing. Chantal apologizes for not telling him sooner, crediting Matilda for helping her out. Chantal confesses that she's had feelings for him since they first met. Sure, he may be a bit rough about the edges, but he’s kind, he’s funny and he’s a true friend. Something Chantal wishes she had been. Aaron looks at Chantal and smiles. To him, she’s already showing that. With that, Aaron and Chantal kiss.
After doing so, Aaron and Chantal hear a commotion inside the ballroom, finding that Matilda has led the group in a rousing edition of Mambo No. 5. The two dance with one another, even being acknowledged by Matilda herself. As the song ends, Matilda rushes down to her friends and takes a selfie with them, a happy end to a troubling situation.
Post-Credits Scene: Matilda enters her room, happy that everything worked out. She checks her Instagram, seeing Chantal and Aaron are now officially dating. Upon seeing Viana’s phone number, however, Matilda feels a tinge of remorse, wondering if she could help her too…
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