In the summer of 1985 in
Normandy, Alexis, a 16-year-old who is fascinated by death, takes a friend's sailing dinghy out to sea. A sudden thunderstorm capsizes his boat, and he is rescued by David Gorman, who is a couple of years older. The pair goes to David's house, where Alexis meets his overpowering but caring single mother and learns that David is obliged to work at the family fishing equipment shop following his father's death. Alexis also adopts the name Alex, after David's mother mishears his name. Alex has a tumultuous relationship with his working-class parents: his father insists he drop out of school to work, while Alex is passionate about writing. After an argument with his father, Alex starts to work part-time at the Gormans' shop while contemplating his future. Alex and David's friendship deepens, and David's mother adores Alex. Alex begins to grow suspicious of David after he rescues a drunk man from the middle of the street. The two have an argument as Alex believes David had sex with him, due to his returning to his house at 4 in the morning. David and Alex begin a romantic and sexual relationship over the course of six weeks, which Alex describes as the happiest time of his life. They spend their time sailing, going out on David's motorcycle, watching movies, and going to a local fairground. David has an affair with Kate, a British tourist whom Alex had befriended, resulting in an argument between Alex and him, where David claims he is bored with their relationship. Alex rushes out of the shop, but shortly after, encouraged by his mother, David chases after Alex on his motorbike, but is killed in a crash. Alex is rejected by Madame Gorman. With Kate's help, Alex dresses up and sneaks inside the morgue to see David's corpse. He decides that he must carry out the pact they had sworn: that one of them should dance on the grave of whoever dies first. Alex gets arrested while doing so, but the judge takes pity after hearing his story, albeit slightly altered, and sentences him to 140 hours of community service and a recommendation to visit a
psychiatrist. The film, partly narrated by Alexis, alternates between scenes of the two boys' relationship before David's death and scenes of the aftermath of the accident, in which Alex finds healing in writing his story for his trial, on his literature teacher's recommendation. The film ends with Alexis undertaking his community service on the beach, befriending the drunk man David had rescued. ==Cast==