A 2017 film centering on Cyd, a free-spirited South Carolina teenager with tragedy in her past. She visits her aunt Miranda in Chicago over one summer. Miranda is a famous writer whose books have a spiritual bent. She and Cyd (who is irreligious) challenge each other, though in a friendly way. The tragic death of Cyd's mother years ago also casts a shadow over both of them into the present, and affects things between them. At the same time, Cyd starts up a relationship with a girl in the town named Katie. Over time, Cyd and Miranda's bond deepens as they begin to understand each other more, while Cyd's relationship with Katie also grows.
Examples:
- Ambiguous Gender Identity: Cyd mentions Katie was mistaken for male, and Miranda suggests maybe she is. Katie doesn't say this, but is fine being mistaken for male, and they're completely comfortable with the idea she's trans. It's possible that, like the actor, she's meant to be nonbinary.
- Boyish Short Hair: Butch lesbian Katie has this, wearing hers in a mohawk.
- Brutal Honesty: Cyd's quite blunt in most cases, and asks personal questions of her aunt without hesitation. In one case she apologizes for this.
- Butch Lesbian: Katie seems like an example, with her hair in a mohawk and having pretty masculine clothing. However, she's actually short and slim, while not having a stereotypically masculine job (she's a barista). At one point she's mistaken for male, while Miranda even wonders if she's transgender (though it's uncertain).
- Casting Gag: In the film Cyd and Miranda discuss if Katie might be transgender. Malic White, who plays Katie in the film, is transgender, using they/them pronouns (although the character's gender identity isn't established to be trans).
- Cessation of Existence: Discussed by Cyd and Miranda. The latter doesn't believe in an afterlife, probing Miranda about what she believes. Miranda doesn't claim to believe in Heaven and Hell, but does think there's something more. She doesn't answer however when Cyd asks if she really believes that they'll see Cyd's mom again.
- Everyone Has Lots of Sex: Discussed. Cyd is a big believer in this. Apparently her sex life is quite active judging by how much she thinks of this (though we only see her with one person in the film). Thus she's flabbergasted when Miranda says the last time she had sex was five years ago. Cyd tries to set Miranda up with Miranda's friend and even mocks her slightly once for this, although she immediately apologizes. Miranda replies that she finds more fulfillment in other things, and doesn't worry about it.
- Gender-Blender Name: Cyd's. It's unclear if this is short for anything else.
- Hollywood Atheist: Somewhat discussed and ultimately subverted. Miranda teases Cyd a little by calling her "Ms. Atheist" and does appear to have mildly negative opinions on atheism/religious skepticism, but suggests this may be just coming to things from a different though compatible angle to religious perspectives. For her part, Cyd suffered a terrible tragedy in her past but this doesn't appear to be why she's an atheist-she just wasn't raised religious. In any case she's portrayed as nice and upbeat, aside from very mild rudeness.
- Insane Equals Violent: Cyd's brother had an unspecified mental illness. He killed their mother and then himself following an intense argument.
- Lady Looks Like a Dude: Katie, due to her short hair and masculine clothing, gets taken for a man at a distance. She rolls with it, providing an impromptu bit part in a film as a result.
- Lesbian Jock: Cyd is shown to like sports early on in the film. She's later seen to be bisexual.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Two female friends of Miranda are married, and have classically feminine looks. Cyd is a lipstick bisexual for the same reasons.
- Long Hair Is Feminine: Contrasting with Katie, who wears her hair short, Cyd's is quite long and thus they are mistaken for a male-female couple from a distance.
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Katie is a mildly butch lesbian, with the feminine Cyd (though she's bi).
- Masturbation Means Sexual Frustration: Cyd masturbates at one point, possibly while fantasizing of Katie.
- Missing Mom: Cyd's mom was killed in the past. It turns out that her brother was the killer.
- Murder-Suicide: Cyd's brother killed their mother and then himself.
- Queer Romance: Cyd's romance with Katie makes up a large part of the plot.
- Straight Gay: A male friend of Miranda is an example. He looks and acts no different from most straight men.
- Their First Time: About midway through the movie, Cyd has sex with Katie for the first time. It's also probably the first time she's had sex with a girl (or someone AFAB anyway, as Katie's gender isn't clear).
- Title Drop: It turns out that a children's book Miranda wrote is named this, after the main character. Cyd thinks it was named after her. It turns out to be the opposite though, as her mom really liked the book.
- You Need to Get Laid: When Cyr learns it's been five years since Miranda got laid, she's comically aghast and tries to push a male friend of Miranda's into being with her. She even makes a rather snide remark about it later too, saying Miranda would probably eat less if she were getting some, but apologizes immediately after. Miranda tells her other things provide her fulfillment besides having sex, and it's dropped.
