A couple finds out that they are going to have a baby, and to become better role models before the baby arrives, they come up with a way to combat their swearing habit— they start using a “Swear Jar.” Every time one of them swears, they must put a few dollars in the jar. They intend to use the money to go on a vacation approximately three years from the time when their child is born.
Seems like a rom-com synopsis at first glance, but you don’t see the big picture until the heartbreaking plot twist. Adelaide Clemens, Patrick J. Adams, and Douglas Smith led the film that just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Swearing doesn’t count if you’re singing it.
The film, directed by Lindsay MacKay, opens with a hilarious “home video” style montage and a concert in a community center, where Carey (Adelaide Clemens) sings a lyrical masterpiece full of swear words. You can’t help but laugh because it’s a funny expression of her love for her husband, Simon (Patrick J. Adams), at his 40th birthday party. Owen (Douglas Smith) accompanies her on guitar. These scenes, combined with heartfelt songs (with ample swearing), mark the shifts in the tone of the story.
The montage ends and Carey awkwardly tells Simon that she’s pregnant, and he is ecstatic to hear her news. He is holding a yellow sheet of paper, folds it, and tucks it in his pocket, hoping that Carey will forget about the news. In a seamless transition, Carey walks into a bookstore and while she is writing down some lyrics. One of the clerks offers her a pen, introducing himself as Owen.
“It is a rare and miraculous thing to find your one true soul mate.” Carey soon learns that finding two of them can pose an even greater problem (IMDb).
There is clear chemistry between Carey and Owen, initially leading the viewer to believe that Carey is treading in dangerous waters, potentially beginning an affair. Owen asks her out for a coffee date, and she accepts. Soon, he takes her on a picnic date and they kiss. The mood changes when Carey’s mother-in-law sees her at the park with Owen, greeting her then quickly making an excuse to leave.
Scenes switch back and forth between the past with Simon and the present with Owen. Details come together when Carey asks Simon why he is “acting so weird” and confronts him. Is Carey is seeking comfort and companionship from Owen… while she is still married to Simon?
The Heartbreaking Plot Twist: WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
One easy detail to miss: Simon often takes naps and complains of a headache. This leads to his sudden and tragic passing. She finds out from his mother-in-law that the little yellow paper in his pocket were the results of a test from a doctor. He passed from an aneurysm, and his mother reveals to Carey that he told her. He made his mother hide the diagnosis from his wife. Once Carey finds out, she cuts off her mother-in-law.
Owen and Carey continue to explore their new relationship, and she tells him that she isn’t married anymore. At this point, we discover that three years passed between Simon’s death and Carey’s newfound love with Owen, and she has a three year old daughter named Gretchen. When Owen declares his love for Carey after she finally lets him into her life, she struggles to move on and allow herself to love him.
Saved by Swearing
It is revealed that that the birthday party was a wake, 40th birthday party, and a concert. Carey announces that she will be using all of the money that they saved from the swear jar would be used to take her daughter on a vacation. The look that Carey gives Owen in the last scene leaves us with the impression that she is opening up her heart again.
These characters are well-developed and the plot reveal tugs on your heartstrings.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
An Atlanta-based actress, model, writer, and screenwriter, Miranda started her career on stage in high school. She figured out that acting and writing were two passions of hers that allowed her to constructively express her emotions through character and narrative. In 2022, she packed up her cat and everything she owned to move across the US to Atlanta to further pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry. She is currently working on a novel and the screenplay adaptation for the novel, and enjoys designing graphics.
