This Time Around

This Time Around

Year: 2003

Runtime: 120 mins

Language: English

Director: Douglas Barr

RomanceComedy

Mel, once a junior‑high outcast with a crush on popular Drew Hesler, was humiliated when he pretended to like her and then rejected her publicly. Eleven years later, she’s a successful PR executive. Assigned to promote a new restaurant, she discovers the owner is none other than the same Drew, forcing her to confront the past.

Hopeful
Happy ending
Emotionally light
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Simple story

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Timeline & Setting – This Time Around (2003)

Explore the full timeline and setting of This Time Around (2003). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

8th grade era; present day

The story begins with Melissa in 8th grade, where a prank shapes her views on trust and romance. Ten years pass and the action unfolds in the present day, following her career, dating life, and evolving dynamic with Drew. The two-period timeline shows how childhood experiences influence adult choices and relationships.

Location

Junior high school, Catholic high school, Melissa's public relations firm, Drew's restaurant

The film shifts between a bustling junior high and Melissa's present-day PR world, highlighting where the humiliation began and how it echoes into adulthood. Catholic high school memories frame rivalries and loyalties that resurface later. The present-day settings—Melissa's office and Drew's restaurant—become the stages for romance, deception, and eventual reconciliation.

❄️ High school 🏢 Workplace 🍽️ Restaurant 🏫 Catholic high school

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:19

Main Characters – This Time Around (2003)

Meet the key characters of This Time Around (2003), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Melissa Rochester (Carly Pope)

In present day, Melissa is a confident PR executive who still guards her heart after the middle school humiliation. She uses strategic thinking and wit to navigate work and romance, while secretly craving genuine connection. Her plan-driven approach to love tests her boundaries and forces growth.

💬 Rumors 🧭 Trust issues 💘 Romance 🌱 Growth

Drew Hesler (Brian Austin Green)

The once-popular boy who now runs a new restaurant, he carries guilt about harassing Melissa in junior high. He presents himself as changed and ready to move on, but his past actions complicate trust and romance in the present.

💬 Popularity 💔 Remorse 🍽️ Restaurant 🤝 Commitment

Gabby Castellani (Sara Rue)

Melissa's best friend turned ally in the revenge plot, Gabby orchestrates increasingly elaborate schemes at first. She underestimates the harm she causes until she sees the consequences for Melissa and Drew.

🎭 Manipulation 🗝️ Scheming 👯 Friendship 🔄 Change

Cara Cabot (Gina Tognoni)

The long-time girlfriend of Drew and a social force in their old school, Cara is wary of Melissa and uses information about the past to challenge their relationship.

💬 Popularity 💔 Heartbreak 🧭 Interference 🗣️ Gossip

Young Cara Cabot (Megan Park)

The younger version of Cara, seen in flashbacks; her social power and charisma during junior high color Melissa's memories and set the stakes for later events.

👧 Youth 👫 Cliques 🎀 Popularity 🗨️ Gossip

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:19

Major Themes – This Time Around (2003)

Explore the central themes of This Time Around (2003), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Revenge

Melissa and Gabby concoct a plan to use Drew's affections to break his heart, mistaking revenge for empowerment. The scheme exposes the fragility of trust and the cost of manipulating someone’s feelings. As the plot unfolds, the consequences of revenge become a catalyst for self-reflection. The narrative questions whether hurt can ever truly be redeemed by retaliatory romance.

🌱 Growth

Melissa's transformation from a humiliated junior high student to a confident adult executive is central to the film. The present-day romance tests her boundaries, teaching her to trust again and balance ambition with vulnerability. The story tracks small developments—maturing boundaries, better communication, and resilience after social humiliation. Growth ultimately reframes old hurts as lessons.

🤝 Forgiveness

Drew's guilt over past cruelty and his willingness to change play a key role in the reconciliation. The romance becomes a testing ground for forgiveness, both for Melissa and for himself. The path to mending trust is gradual, requiring honesty, accountability, and a willingness to be different from who they were in junior high. The ending reinforces that forgiveness can reset relationships and offer new beginnings.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:19

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a reunion between two people with a shared, often painful, history. The initial friction or a revenge-motivated plot gives way to genuine understanding and personal growth. The story unfolds in a steady, character-driven pace, focusing on reconciliation and proving that people can change, leading to a stronger, more mature connection the second time.

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lightheartedcharmingromanticcomedicprofessional lifepersonal growthfeel-good

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a competent professional who is forced to engage with someone from their personal past in a present-day, often work-related, context. This forces the character to integrate their carefully constructed professional identity with their more vulnerable, authentic self. The plot uses this clash for both comedic effect and meaningful character development, ultimately showing that success isn't just about career achievements.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared setting and dynamic: the collision of a structured, professional world with a messy, personal history. They share a lighthearted emotional weight, a steady pacing that balances work and romance, and a tone that is ultimately hopeful and charming.

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