Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Action Comedy Drama Horror Thriller Sci-Fi Romance Mystery Animation Crime
Kiss and Cry (2017) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Kiss and Cry (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 76 mins · French
Directed by
Chloé Mahieu, Lila Pinell
Starring
Dinara Drukarova, Sarah Bramms, Xavier Dias, Aurélie Faula, Carla-Marie Santerre, Amanda Pierre

Fifteen-year-old Sarah returns to Colmar to pursue high-performance figure skating and intense competition. As she strives for excellence, she faces a challenging training regimen and the pressures of rivalry with other skaters. The demanding environment tests her physically and mentally, while the distractions of adolescence threaten to derail her athletic ambitions and dreams of success.

Drama Romance Music Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Characters explained (7)
  2. 2 Where & when it takes place
  3. 3 Themes & meaning (3)
  4. 4 Character & meaning questions
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Every angle

7 main characters · contains spoilers

Kiss and Cry Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Kiss and Cry (2017), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Sarah Ivanov (Sarah Bramms)

    A teenage skater whose drive and optimism push her toward national-team dreams. She faces a cancer diagnosis with grit, maintaining a positive outlook and using online sharing to inspire others. Her journey includes a battle through surgery and chemotherapy, an eventual return to the ice, and a bittersweet end.

    • 🎯 Teen athlete
    • 🏅 Skater
    • 💪 Resilient

  • Sarah's mother (Dinara Drukarova)

    A supportive, humorous, and emotionally strong presence who keeps the family grounded during medical crises. She helps manage daily routines and makes difficult moments feel survivable with warmth. Her steadfast support underpins the protagonist's fight.

    • 👩‍👧 Family-first
    • 💖 Supportive
    • 🌟 Courageous

  • Xavier, the trainer (Xavier Dias)

    A patient and encouraging coach who recognizes talent and pushes for a comeback. He adapts training to the protagonist's health, offering guidance and belief when progress seems uncertain. His mentorship embodies resilience through sport.

    • 🧑‍🏫 Mentor
    • ⚡ Focused
    • 🎯 Goal-driven

  • Aurélie (Aurélie Faula)

    A supportive friend who helps keep the social fabric around the athlete intact. She offers practical encouragement and shares in both small joys and difficult moments. Her presence reinforces the importance of community in times of illness.

    • 👩‍👓 Friend
    • 💖 Loyal
    • 🌟 Cheerful

  • Carla-Marie (Carla-Marie Santerre)

    A skating teammate who navigates shifting dynamics and moments of tension with honesty. She evolves from initial distance to supportive involvement within the team. Her arc highlights the complexities of friendship in a high-pressure environment.

    • 🤝 Teammate
    • 🌀 Complex
    • 🎽 Skating

  • Amanda (Amanda Pierre)

    A friend involved in fundraising and practical support, illustrating how communities rally to help cover medical costs. She contributes to a broader network of care and encouragement.

    • 🎗️ Supporter
    • 🤍 Friend
    • 🏥 Medical ally

  • Noémie (Noémie Carroué)

    A student friend who offers encouragement through school and online networks, representing peers who cheer on a young athlete's journey. She adds to the sense of a supportive community around the protagonist.

    • 🎒 Student
    • 🌈 Supporter
    • 📣 Voice of encouragement

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:59

Was this helpful?

Setting

Where and When Does Kiss and Cry Take Place?

The setting of Kiss and Cry (2017): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

2010s

Set in the early to mid-2010s, the story sits in a period when smartphones, vlogs, and social media amplify personal journeys. It follows a teen skater through demanding training, school life, and public events like prom and televised games. The era's connected culture shapes how friends, family, and fans respond to illness and resilience.

Location

Toronto, Canada

The film unfolds in Toronto, a large Canadian city with a rich skating culture and accessible ice rinks that frame the protagonist's daily life. It shows a city of schools, media attention, and community spaces where training, healing, and performances take place. The urban backdrop highlights the support network around a young athlete facing illness.

  • 🏙️ Toronto
  • 🎬 Canadian setting

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:59

Was this helpful?

3 major themes

Kiss and Cry Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Kiss and Cry (2017) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Illness

    Illness drives the plot as a rare cancer diagnosis changes a young athlete's life. The story chronicles medical steps from surgery to chemotherapy, and the emotional strain on family and friends. Yet the protagonist faces each setback with humor, grit, and a refusal to give up, while a community rallying around her raises awareness and support.

  • Love

    Romantic love and steadfast friendship provide fuel for resilience in the face of adversity. The bond with a caring partner shows how support and loyalty can sustain hope during tough treatments. Family affection and peer encouragement underscore the idea that love helps people endure hardship. The film uses these relationships to highlight human connection as a source of strength.

  • Sport

    Figure skating is the protagonist's identity and compass, driving training, competition, and goals like joining the national team. The journey back to the ice after surgeries demonstrates athletic discipline, perseverance, and courage. Coaches, teammates, and fans become part of a supportive ecosystem that motivates a comeback and public performances. The sport serves as a vehicle for personal growth and public inspiration.

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:59

Was this helpful?

Character & theme questions

Kiss and Cry Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Kiss and Cry (2017): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The film takes place in Toronto, Canada, a large city with a rich skating culture. The urban setting provides accessible ice rinks, schools, and community spaces that frame Sarah's daily life as she trains and undergoes treatment.

  • toronto
  • canada
  • setting
  • location
  • skating city
Q2

What time period is the movie set in?

The story is set in the early to mid-2010s, a period defined by smartphones, vlogs, and social media. This connected era shapes how Sarah's friends, family, and fans respond to her illness and follow her journey online.

  • 2010s
  • time period
  • era
  • social media
  • vlogs
Q3

What are the main themes of the movie?

The film explores three interconnected themes: Illness, which drives the narrative through a rare cancer diagnosis and treatment journey; Love, encompassing romantic partnership and friendship that sustain hope during adversity; and Sport, with figure skating serving as the protagonist's identity and vehicle for resilience and personal growth.

  • themes
  • illness
  • love
  • sport
  • figure skating
  • resilience
Q4

How does the film handle the theme of illness?

Illness serves as the film's emotional core, portraying a teenager's diagnosis with rare cancer and her journey through surgery and chemotherapy. The story emphasizes her humor, grit, and refusal to give up, while showing how a community rallies around her for support and awareness.

  • illness
  • cancer
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • medical journey
Q5

How does love function in the story?

Love appears as romantic partnership and steadfast friendship that provide fuel for resilience against adversity. The bond with a caring partner demonstrates how support and loyalty sustain hope during difficult treatments, while family affection and peer encouragement underscore human connection as a source of strength.

  • love
  • romance
  • relationship
  • support
  • family
  • friendship
Q6

What role does figure skating play in the movie?

Figure skating represents the protagonist's identity and compass, driving her training, competition, and dreams of joining the national team. The journey back to the ice after surgeries demonstrates athletic discipline and courage, with coaches and teammates forming a supportive ecosystem that motivates her comeback.

  • figure skating
  • sport
  • athletic
  • competition
  • national team
  • training
Q7

Who is the main character Sarah Ivanov?

Sarah Ivanov is a teenage figure skater driven by optimism and a dream of making the national team. When diagnosed with cancer, she maintains a positive outlook, uses online sharing to inspire others, and fights through surgery and chemotherapy with remarkable resilience before returning to the ice.

  • sarah ivanov
  • protagonist
  • skater
  • teenager
  • cancer
Q8

Who is the coach Xavier Dias?

Xavier Dias is a patient and encouraging coach who recognizes Sarah's talent and pushes for her comeback. He adapts training to her health condition, offering guidance and belief when progress seems uncertain, embodying resilience through sport as a mentor.

  • xavier dias
  • coach
  • trainer
  • mentor
  • supportive coach
Q9

What is the tone and emotional feel of the film?

The film has a bittersweet tone, blending emotionally devastating subject matter with powerful moments of hope and inspiration. Despite the tragic outcome of the protagonist's illness, her resilience, positive attitude, and loving support system create counterbalancing moments of courage that keep the film from feeling purely bleak.

  • tone
  • bittersweet
  • emotional
  • hope
  • tragedy
  • resilience
Q10

What genres does the movie combine?

Kiss and Cry combines Drama, Romance, and Music genres. While romance serves as a supportive element, the primary driver is the medical and emotional battle, with the music genre emerging through figure skating performances and the film's soundtrack.

  • drama
  • romance
  • music
  • genre
  • film genres

Movie threads

More Movies Like Kiss and Cry, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Kiss and Cry tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Tragic yet inspiring stories like Kiss and Cry

Stories where inspiring strength and courage meet a devastating, unavoidable outcome. For viewers who found the resilient spirit in Kiss and Cry moving. This collection features movies like Kiss and Cry about characters who display incredible courage and hope when facing devastating circumstances, blending heartfelt inspiration with profound sadness.

  • tragic
  • inspiring
  • heartfelt
  • somber
  • hopeful
  • resilient
  • Tone: bittersweet, tragic, heartfelt
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a linear path from a life-altering diagnosis or tragic event, through the character's determined struggle and moments of love and connection, culminating in a poignant, often sorrowful conclusion. The focus is on the emotional journey rather than a triumphant resolution.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared emotional core: a heavy, bittersweet tone that balances the beauty of human resilience against the crushing weight of tragedy. The pacing is steady, allowing the emotional weight to build gradually and authentically.

Kiss and Cry movie poster

Kiss and Cry

2017
Dying for Sex movie poster

Dying for Sex

1000
In His Mother’s Eyes movie poster

In His Mother’s Eyes

2023
Love Story movie poster

Love Story

1970
Terms of Endearment movie poster

Terms of Endearment

1983
Mask movie poster

Mask

1985
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl movie poster

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

2015
Six Weeks movie poster

Six Weeks

2022

Movies about shattered youth dreams like Kiss and Cry

Coming-of-age stories where passionate ambition collides with harsh, life-altering obstacles. If you liked the story of a young skater's ambitions in Kiss and Cry, explore these films about passionate young protagonists whose bright futures are irrevocably changed by tragic events, blending coming-of-age themes with heavy drama.

  • coming of age
  • tragic
  • hopeful
  • somber
  • inspiring
  • teen drama
  • Tone: bittersweet, tragic, heartfelt
  • Pacing: steady, linear
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a talented, driven young protagonist on a path to success. Their world is built around their passion, which is then shattered by a sudden, external force like illness or tragedy. The story charts their emotional journey from denial and fight to a painful, premature maturity.

Why they belong together: They share a specific focus on the destruction of youthful potential, creating a potent mix of hopeful beginnings and devastating conclusions. The tone is consistently heavy, with a straightforward narrative that makes the emotional impact direct and powerful.

Dying Young movie poster

Dying Young

1991
Kiss and Cry movie poster

Kiss and Cry

2017
Life in a Year movie poster

Life in a Year

2020
My All American movie poster

My All American

2015
Forever Strong movie poster

Forever Strong

2008
The Fault in Our Stars movie poster

The Fault in Our Stars

2014
Kiss and Cry movie poster

Kiss and Cry

2017
The Miracle Season movie poster

The Miracle Season

2018

Every angle

Kiss and Cry (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Kiss and Cry in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app