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00:00:00 – 00:12:39
The video chronicles the transformative summer of fifteen-year-old Ari, who starts the season feeling misunderstood and lonely. He develops a deep friendship with Dante, despite both grappling with personal insecurities and family secrets. Themes of identity, cultural heritage, and emotional turmoil are prevalent. Ari's struggle with his brother Bernardo’s dark past and his father's distant behavior creates an undercurrent of unresolved tension. Dante moves to Chicago, causing strain, but a near-fatal accident bonds them further. Ari's introspective journey continues with significant moments like adopting a dog, learning to drive, and grappling with his feelings during family gatherings and interactions with other characters like Ileana and Daniel.
Dante's return to El Paso introduces further complications, including his admission of his sexuality and his experiences with homophobia. Ari experiences profound anger, culminating in violence against Dante's attackers, reflecting his inner conflict about his family's secrets and his identity. The climax arrives when Ari's parents help him confront his emotions, leading him to accept his love for Dante. The story concludes with Ari and Dante affirming their relationship under the stars, signifying Ari's acceptance of himself and his feelings.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, fifteen-year-old Ari begins his summer vacation feeling miserable. To escape his mother’s church friends, he goes to the pool, where he meets Dante, who offers to teach him to swim. They quickly become friends. Dante introduces Ari to his parents, and Ari learns his dad studied art before Vietnam changed him. As their friendship develops, they discuss personal insecurities and their Mexican heritage. Ari helps Dante when he gets upset over boys shooting birds. Ari’s dad begins to open up about his own bad dreams. Throughout this period, Ari grapples with family secrets about his brother Bernardo and his father’s distant behavior. He shares his fears and thoughts in his journal, feeling older and lonelier.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, Dante and Ari discuss their desire to be “bad” despite being good boys. Dante shares that he is moving to Chicago for a year. During a rainstorm, Dante attempts to rescue an injured bird, but a car hits Ari, who wakes up in the hospital with severe injuries. Ari learns he saved Dante, though he downplays his actions as instinctual. Ari experiences emotional turmoil during his recovery, feeling trapped and resentful, despite Dante’s attempts to cheer him up with books and his sketchbook.
Ari returns home, wheelchair-bound, and struggles with his feelings of helplessness. Dante offers to help Ari with personal care, leading to mixed emotions. For his birthday, Ari’s parents promise him a pickup truck, but he is preoccupied with anger and unresolved questions about his brother Bernardo. Dante confesses his love for Ari, who assures Dante of their continued friendship. As Dante prepares to move, Ari reflects on their friendship and feels sadness.
Back at school, Ari’s friends are skeptical about his heroic story. He is captivated by a girl named Eliana, who writes on his casts. Ari receives a red pickup truck for his birthday, which becomes a source of comfort, but he continues to be troubled by bad dreams and unresolved feelings.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, various significant events unfold involving the characters Ari and Dante. Ari decides to kiss Ileana and is determined to uncover what Bernardo did. He writes about his experiences at the Art Institute of Chicago and adopts a stray dog named Legs. Ari journals about his driving lessons, new job, and realizes he’s more verbal like Dante than silent like his dad. After finally obtaining his license, Ari drives to the desert to celebrate. During a family wedding, Ari gets drunk and contemplates Bernardo. He finds a folder with Bernardo’s name before Christmas but hesitates to open it, wanting his mother to give it to him instead. Christmas brings gifts exchanged with Dante, who gives Ari miniature tennis shoes, while Ari gifts Dante an art book. As Ari attends a New Year’s party, Ileana breaks off their relationship due to complications with her gang-affiliated boyfriend and pregnancy. Dante confides in Ari through a letter that he prefers kissing boys but fears disappointing his father. The school year ends with a desert outing where Ari drinks with Gina and Susie. Ari argues with his mom over his self-perception and ethnic jokes. Dante’s family returns to El Paso, where he meets Ari again and they set ground rules for their friendship. Dante reveals his mother’s pregnancy and his struggle with coming out. After a few nights, Dante suggests they kiss to test Ari’s feelings, leading to brief estrangement. Reflecting on Bernardo, Ari later invites Dante to drink with him.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, Ari feels anger and frustration about being home alone with his dad, especially regarding their silence about Bernardo. Dante supports Ari emotionally, but Ari collapses and cries in the desert. The next day, Ari becomes enraged when he finds out Gina and Susie learned about Dante’s accident. They reconcile by taking joints to the desert and running naked in the rain. Dante admits a co-worker, Daniel, likes him.
Ari’s dad wakes him to go to Tucson because Ophelia had a stroke and is dying. During the trip, Ari learns he lived with Ophelia during Bernardo’s trial due to his mom’s breakdown. Ophelia dies before they arrive, and none of the extended family comes to the funeral because Ophelia was gay. Ari’s mom explains their acceptance of Ophelia’s sexuality and agrees to show Ari pictures of Bernardo.
Back home, Ari learns that Dante was attacked by boys after kissing another boy and is in the hospital. Mr. Quintana, distraught over not knowing about Dante’s sexuality, asks Ari to call him Sam. Ari visits Dante, reaffirming their friendship. Ari then confronts and injures Julian, one of Dante’s attackers. Ari explains to his parents and declines paying Julian’s hospital bill.
Ari tells Dante about Bernardo killing a transgender woman and another man in prison. They discuss Ari’s actions, and Dante reassures Ari he’s not like Bernardo. Dante admits he imagines kissing Ari when kissing Daniel. Ari tries to visit Dante but leaves upon finding Daniel there, leading to a fallout. Ari and Dante argue, and after ignoring each other for a few days, Ari’s mom organizes a family meeting where Ari’s frustration about Bernardo comes out.
00:12:00
In this segment, Ari’s dad recounts a haunting experience in Vietnam and encourages Ari to acknowledge his feelings for Dante. Ari, ashamed of his sexuality, cries and admits his feelings. His mom encourages him not to hate himself, and his dad reminds him of Dante’s bravery. Ari then calls Dante, and they go bowling with dad and Sam before driving to the desert. There, Ari admits he enjoyed their kiss, and they kiss again under the stars. Ari reflects on his earlier shame about loving Dante.