Left to right: Harper and Tilly
Young Hearts is a 2021 film.
Harper is an Indian-American teenage girl who has a happy life in the US with her adopted family, her parents and brother Adam. She navigates life in high school like any other American teen, growing closer to Tilly, who's best friends with Adam. When she loses her virginity to him and they begin dating however, Harper faces the slut-shaming judgment some other teens have as a result of the double standards that affect sexually active girls.
Tropes:
- Amicable Exes: Even after they break up, Harper and Tilly soon become friendly to each other again.
- Bittersweet Ending: Harper and Tilly stay broken up over the difficulties she faced from their relationship, but remain friends, with life overall seeming good for them both otherwise.
- Falling-in-Love Montage: Harper and Tilly are shown laughing together, kissing, talking or meeting up to have sex as they fall in love.
- Happily Adopted: Harper and Adam were both adopted from India by a very nice white couple in the US who are loving parents to them.
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Harper's mom soon realizes she's with Tilly and having sex, opposing this saying they're too young (both are teens) though Harper refuses to stop seeing him.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Adam, Tilly's best friend, starts to shun him after Tilly has gotten involved with Harper, Adam's sister (and they lost their virginities together). Tilly is saddened by this.
- Nice Guy: Harper and Tilly both are very nice, friendly kids. They are both shown acting very solicitous about the other's desires, making sure they're both fully on board when doing anything (like sex). It makes them a very sweet couple.
- One Head Taller: Harper is a pretty short girl, with Tilly standing this much over her, as shown most especially as they kiss.
- Parental Abandonment: Harper relates that one reason her birth mother had sent her off to an orphanage is she couldn't handle raising her on her own as her birth father abandoned them, along with being very poor. After that, her American parents had adopted her.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: After Harper and Tilly decide to have sex, he gets a condom before the scene ends. The subsequent sex they have also takes place entirely offscreen, which makes sense as they're teenagers.
- Slut-Shaming: Harper is cited over a dress code violation as her shorts are deemed too revealing. She feels this is blaming her for how her body's shaped with an implied judgment about her supposed promiscuity based on that. Tilly's dad wholeheartedly agrees and denounces this as double standards too as boys aren't treated that way for similar clothes. When other kids at school learn Harper is now having sex with Tilly, Liam says she's a slut as a result. The rumor mill soon makes it grow into Harper being with three guys, but it's only been Tilly (they were also both their first). Harper confronts Liam and then chews him out about this. It doesn't stop him though, as Liam soon spreads another rumor about Harper having grabbed a boy's dick. Tilly starts to buy into this too, outraging Harper. She decries how her having sex with him makes her a slut, while Tilly gets inducted into the “cool boys club” for it. They break up as a result.
- Soapbox Sadie: Harper is outspoken in supporting reproductive rights or opposing sexist double standards toward women. This is treated positively, and Tilly's dad agrees, praising that Harper advocates such views while urging Tilly along with Adam (Harper's brother) to speak out as well. She later delivers a speech in class on how feminism needs to be more inclusive to women of color, with her shutting down one teacher's objection as another praises her for what she'd said. Later she also tells another girl in no uncertain terms a boy who had stuck his hand down her pants was wrong, shouldn't have assumed that she'd wanted it and should have been expelled by the school (he transferred at least). Harper decries double standards in regards to her being labeled a slut for having sex, while Tilly (her boyfriend) has been praised as a result.
- Their First Time: Harper and Tilly decide to have sex together, the first time for both. They both make sure the other is ready, fully consenting and get protection beforehand.
- Virgin-Shaming: A couple of the boys mock other students they think are virgins while in class.
