Little Secrets

Emily spends her summer intensely practicing violin for a crucial audition with the local youth symphony in Salt Lake City. She also runs a secret-keeping booth, charging neighbors fifty cents to hear their confidences. Unbeknownst to her friends, she herself harbors the secret that she is adopted, while her parents eagerly await a new baby.

Philip moves in next door and, while helping unpack, breaks one of his father's chess pieces. He tries to hide it in the garden and Emily catches him, charging fifty cents to keep the secret. Their first tense interaction foreshadows a wary but growing bond, as they later inadvertently break two china teacups during afternoon tea.

To impress Emily, Philip's crush deepens and he begins taking piano lessons. The gesture marks a shift from a simple neighborly incident to an effort to win her attention. Emily remains wary but intrigued by his bold moves. It hints that rivalry and affection will intersect in their story.

David, 15, comes home from tennis camp after an incident involving alcohol and a car accident where another driver is injured. Although not the driver, the incident reveals a heavy secret that Emily eventually learns from David. Her reaction signals the fragility of trust among the two families.

Emily and David meet and are instantly drawn to each other, while Philip grows jealous of the new bond between them. In response, Philip steals Emily's clients, trying to undercut her secret-keeping booth. The tension tightens as Emily's world of secrets begins to collide with real relationships.

As the advice Emily dispenses to neighborhood kids starts backfiring, the pressure of maintaining multiple secrets weighs on her. The stress seeps into her violin practice, and her performance quality suffers. She begins to unravel under the mounting burden.

During her mother's baby shower, David attempts to talk to Emily and she reveals that she knows his secret. The moment marks a turning point in their fragile trust and pushes Emily toward confronting the truth behind everyone's secrets.

David confronts Philip, and Philip retaliates by telling Emily's best friends that she broke their secret greeting pact. The breach heightens the risk of Emily losing her closest confidants and forces her to confront the consequences of secrets spoken aloud. Emily, prompted by her violin teacher Pauline, resolves to stop keeping secrets.

Following a heart-to-heart with her teacher, Emily goes to retrieve her violin left on the roof but loses her balance and falls, requiring a trip to the hospital. The fall derails her audition plans and forces a pause in her dream of joining the youth orchestra. The accident serves as a wake-up call about the burden of secrets.

While Emily is in the hospital, David and Philip sneak away to the audition and show the panel a tape of Emily playing the violin. Their gesture demonstrates their support and belief in her talent, ultimately earning her a place in the youth orchestra. The moment reframes their relationship with Emily.

In the hospital, Emily's mother gives birth to a baby girl named Grace. The family celebration contrasts with Emily's own misgivings about secrets, offering a new source of joy. Emily's sense of belonging begins to expand beyond the secrecy she kept.

After her hospital release, Emily tells her friends that she is adopted and reveals the fate of her birth parents. David comes to understand why she was so upset and promises not to repeat similar mistakes. The revelation brings relief and honesty back into her friendships.

Emily and Philip reaffirm their friendship, and Philip offers his blessing as she closes down her secret-keeping booth for good. Their reconciliation emphasizes trust and open communication over secrecy, reinforcing the new boundaries they've set.

With secrets behind them, Emily receives a new violin as a gift and looks out over the neighborhood, imagining a future where honesty governs her relationships. She and David share a kiss as their friendship grows into something more, and the brothers' support remains a steady constant. The film closes on a hopeful, interconnected note.