North Sea Texas (Dutch: Noordzee, Texas) is a 2011 Flemish drama film and the first feature from cult director Bavo Defurne. It stars Jelle Florizoone and Mathias Vergels. The screenplay was written by Bavo Defurne and Yves Verbraeken and is based in the 2004 novel This Will Last (originally Nooit gaat dit over) by Andre Sollie. The film follows the story of Pim, a boy - living with his reckless mother - who falls in love with his best friend, Gino.
North Sea Texas provides examples of...
- The Big Damn Kiss: Up against the wall, after reconciling and an implied Love Confession.
- Circus Brat: Zohan was one of these as a child.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Pim is gentle, dreamy, and frequently has his head in the clouds. He also has many eccentric quirks and habits.
- Did You Actually Believe...?:Gino: You don't think I was in love with you, surely?
- Disappeared Dad: We don't know who Pim's father is or what happened to him.
- Gino and Sabrina's father is also out of the picture.
- The Drifter: Zohan, a free-spirited former circus-worker who takes shelter and steals hearts before getting straight back on the road.
- Green-Eyed Epiphany: After Gino dismisses their past relationship as a game between children, Pim reveals that he's running away with the older, attractive Zohan. When Gino suddenly gets angry and insists this is a terrible idea, Pim directly accuses him of this:Pim: You look good when you're jealous.
- Instant Illness: Marcella offhandedly mentions that she needs to get her kidneys checked. The next time we see her is on her deathbead.
- Jealous Parent: Yvette seems to recognize her and her son's mutual attraction to their renter Zohan. This leads to her running away with him.
- Literally Loving Thy Neighbor: Pim lives next door to Gino and Sabrina, both of whom have feelings for him. Pim has an initially unrequited crush on Gino.
- May–December Romance: Yvette and Zohan. They first met when he was a parentless teenager seeking shelter.
- Minor Living Alone: Pim briefly becomes this after Yvette runs away.
- Mr. Imagination: Pim often seems to be in his own little world.
- Parental Abandonment: Yvette runs away with Zohan, leaving Pim completely alone.
- Parental Substitute: Marcella acts as a surrogate parent to Pim.
- Parents as People: Yvette seems to genuinely love Pim, but she's often preoccupied with her job and string of boyfriends. She Took a Level in Jerkass by running away with Zohan.
- Parent with New Paramour: Étienne is Yvette's longterm boyfriend. Pim hates him.
- Later, Yvette becomes involved with Zohan.
- Patient Childhood Love Interest: Pim. Initially, Gino treats him like a brother; they evolve into Friends with Benefits until Gino realizes he has feelings for Pim as well.
- Sibling Triangle: Sabrina is infatuated with Pim, who's in love with her brother, Gino. Gino ultimately reveals he has feelings for Pim, after leading him on for awhile.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Pim pines after Gino; at the end of the movie, it's Gino who's forced to try and win over Pim. Resolved by Pim's reveal that he never really got over his feelings for Gino.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Pim dresses in his mother's old pageant clothes on more than one occasion. It's presented as another one of Pim's endearing eccentricities.
