Now and Then

Four women who were childhood friends reunite in their hometown of Shelby, Indiana. They catch up on the years since they last saw each other and reaffirm the pact they made as children to be there for one another. The reunion reopens old memories and foreshadows the strife behind each of their lives.

In Gaslight Addition, Samantha convinces the other girls to pool money to buy a tree house for Chrissy's backyard. Each girl is coping with personal challenges: Samantha's parents divorce, Teeny seeks stardom, Roberta faces puberty and embarrassment, and Chrissy lacks worldly knowledge. The plan to build the tree house becomes a symbol of their friendship and growing independence.

The girls sneak out after dark to hold séances in a cemetery inspired by Samantha's interest in the occult. They believe their rituals awaken a spirit they call Dear Johnny after a cracked tombstone. The events set them on a quest to uncover Johnny's fate.

A cracked tombstone during their séance convinces them they have summoned the spirit of Dear Johnny, a boy who died in 1945. The girls decide to investigate what happened to him and search for clues. The mystery deepens as they uncover missing pieces of the past.

At a library in a nearby town, Roberta discovers an article about her mother's fatal car accident, revealing details she had never known. Samantha finds an obituary mentioning Johnny and his mother's deaths, but many pages are missing, leaving the case unresolved. The girls realize their families' histories are more complicated than they thought.

Roberta shares a kiss with Scott Wormer, deepening the rivalry between Roberta and the Wormer brothers. The dynamic between the girls and the neighborhood boys becomes more tense as secrets emerge. The group struggles with loyalty and trust.

Samantha's mother's new boyfriend creates tension at home, prompting Samantha to confide in Teeny after dinner. Teeny comforts her and breaks her favorite necklace in two, giving half to Samantha as a token of friendship. The bracelet later slips away during a thunderstorm, deepening the girls' sense of peril.

A violent storm hits as the girls head home, and Samantha nearly drowns trying to retrieve her bracelet from a storm drain. She is rescued by Crazy Pete, a nocturnal neighbor who seems mysterious at first. His sudden intervention changes the girls' perception of him.

The girls sneak into Samantha's grandmother's attic and find old newspapers about Jonathan Sims and his mother Beverly Anne, who were shot during a burglary. Roberta learns that her mother died violently, contradicting what she had been told. The revelation deepens their commitment to each other and their quest for truth.

Motivated by the new truths they have uncovered, the girls pledge to always support one another no matter what. They vow to be present through whatever life throws at them, reinforcing their friendship. This pact becomes the anchor of their later adult lives.

The girls perform a last séance to lay Dear Johnny's soul to rest, and Johnny's tombstone rises amid a bright light. A groundskeeper reveals that he cracked the stone, scolding them for playing in the cemetery. Chrissy chooses not to participate in future séances, signaling the end of their magical summer.

As they leave the cemetery, Samantha notices Crazy Pete walking toward the graves and realizes he is Peter, the man she has come to know as Crazy Pete. He offers a quiet, empathetic word of advice and hints at a deeper connection to the past. This revelation reframes the mystery they chased as children.

Some time later, the tree house is finally bought, symbolizing a newfound independence for the group. Samantha reflects that the summer did not grant more freedom to the girls; it created distance and a separation among them. The memory of that summer remains a turning point in their lives.

In 1991, Chrissy goes into labor and Roberta helps deliver her baby, tying their past to the present. The scene grounds the long friendship as they step into new roles in their community. The birth marks a continuation of the bond they formed as children.

In their old tree house, Roberta reveals that Crazy Pete died the previous year and Samantha confesses that Pete was Dear Johnny's father. The revelation brings a quiet, bittersweet closure to the mystery they started as children. The friends reaffirm their pact to stay connected despite the years and changes they've faced.