Greta is a 17-year-old with a sharp mind and a bright presence, though her spirited nature masks the pain of a troubled home life. Her mother, Karen, is on her third marriage, and Greta feels sidelined by the adults around her. As summer arrives, she is sent to stay with her grandparents in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, a place that should offer some peace but instead feels stifling. Greta makes no secret of her plan to end her life, and she even drafts a notebook filled with suicide methods, a stark sign of the internal storm she’s navigating.
During her time with the grandparents, Greta stumbles into a new kind of solace at a local seafood restaurant where she takes a job as a waitress. Her quick wit and comic edge win over many customers, and among them is a charismatic short-order cook named Julie. Julie’s presence shifts the dynamic in Greta’s world. He’s candid about his past, revealing he spent time in a juvenile correctional facility for car theft, a detail that initially unsettles Greta but also deepens her attraction to him. He tells Greta that his rough history has pushed him to pursue something meaningful with his life, and he pleads with her not to abandon her own future. His concern grows when he spots Greta’s suicide list, a stark signal that her grip on life is fragile.
Trouble arrives when neighbors report seeing Julie near Greta’s window, bringing the police into the picture. Julie’s moment of honesty and restraint matters; he tells Greta he won’t be another item on her “to-do list” and that any closeness must be earned and mutual. Greta’s grandparents are wary, worried about Julie’s past, and Greta is brought inside for explanations. The grandfather, Joseph, steps out to deal with the authorities, and Julie makes it clear that he genuinely cares for Greta and wants her to feel safe.
Despite initial reservations about Julie, Greta’s grandparents come to see his sincerity. They also hear from Joseph about Greta’s father, who died by suicide in front of Greta when she was very young, a revelation that adds depth to the fear and vulnerability Greta carries. The bond between Greta and Julie deepens, but the tension remains as Greta’s world feels increasingly unstable.
A boat trip with Joseph becomes a crucible. As they sail, Greta makes a desperate move and tries to drown herself; Julie acts swiftly to pull her from the water. The rescue is tinged with relief but also fear, and back on land, Katherine—Greta’s grandmother—suffers a mild heart attack, though doctors offer a hopeful prognosis. The scare serves as a wake-up call for Greta, making her confront how deeply her actions affect those around her.
When Katherine recovers and returns home, Greta is determined to show she’s changed. Yet Katherine is not easily reassured and challenges Greta to understand what she’s truly apologizing for. Before a plan to send Greta to a summer boot camp unfolds, Karen and her current husband attempt to take Greta away, leaving the grandparents shocked by the harshness of this option.
In a pivotal moment, Greta seeks out Julie for guidance. He insists that no boot camp can fix what’s broken unless Greta wants to heal herself from within. His steady counsel helps calm Greta, and she returns to find Karen already packing. Joseph arrives again, stepping between them to declare that Greta does not need a boot camp; what she needs is love and stability, and he insists that Greta and Karen will both stay with the grandparents.
What follows is a quiet, healing moment among the women as they look through old photographs and reconnect. The film closes on a hopeful note: Greta places her suicide notebook into the ocean and, in a voiceover letter to her mother, thanks her mother for letting her stay with her grandparents and for the hidden, growing love that has begun to mend their rift over the summer.
