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Winter Spring Summer or Fall
2024 film by Tiffany Paulsen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Winter Spring Summer or Fall is a 2024 American romantic drama film directed by Tiffany Paulsen from a screenplay by Dan Schoffer. It is produced by Josh Shader of Wall Fly, Brad Krevoy of Motion Picture Corporation of America, and David M. Wulf. Starring Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White in leading roles, the story follows four segments in different seasons, showing two teenagers who fall in love over four days in a year.
Filming took place in late-2022 in Salt Lake City after about two years of development. Distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution, the film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 6, 2024, and was released digitally on April 25, 2025.
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Plot
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One winter day, Barnes Hawthorne is smoking weed with his friend P.J. and sees Remi Aguilar across the street, who has just completed a Google Fellowship interview. Later, on his way to a concert in New York, Barnes sees Remi again at the train station as she prepares to tour Columbia University. They strike up a conversation on the train about future plans; Remi aspires to attend Harvard University and become a lawyer like her parents, while Barnes plans an aimless gap year. Remi suggests some hobbies to him, like volunteering with sea turtles or working for a music group, while Barnes shows her a Talking Heads playlist. When they reach their stop, Barnes asks Remi out on a date, but she is struck by a cyclist and needs stitches. At the hospital, Remi gently declines the date, explaining that he is not the kind of person she wants in her life at the moment, and they part ways.
Months later, on the day of prom in spring, Remi's parents give her an unsolicited sex talk despite her resistance and hand her a few condoms just in case. Remi's date, Lucas, sees the condoms and assumes she intends to sleep with him, which she denies. Elsewhere, Barnes asks his mother if he can borrow the car to take his ex-girlfriend, Erica, to the prom. Remi unexpectedly reconnects with Barnes as their dates ditch them at the prom. Remembering Barnes' playlist, they dance to "Burning Down the House". But when a slow song comes on, Barnes suggests they leave for sushi.
During the dinner, Barnes reveals fluency in Japanese, having grown up in Japan, where his single mother worked as an Army medic. Afterward, he takes Remi to his house and assures her he has no bad intentions. They smoke the joint Remi got from P.J. at the prom. Barnes admits he wanted to see Remi again, and he is considering volunteering with sea turtles in Costa Rica, inspired by her suggestion. Remi reminds him she has to leave for Harvard in four months. Undeterred, the two kiss and decide to stay together for the summer.
On a day in summer, Remi and Barnes, while drinking on P.J.'s roof, watch Remi's dad paint their house crimson in honor of Remi going to Harvard. Encouraged by Barnes, Remi, however, tells her parents that she has also been planning to volunteer in Costa Rica for months. Her parents react angrily, considering her future, and ground her. Instead, Remi brushes them off and leaves with Barnes to celebrate the 4th of July at a lake house. There, Remi crashes P.J.'s jeep while drunk driving, and argues with Barnes that a gap year is not the right decision, ultimately ending their three-month-long relationship.
In the fall, Remi is attending Harvard and working as a waitress as well. She sees on Instagram that Barnes is also in Boston, and sends him a text. They catch up on campus and admit they miss each other, but agree that their breakup may have been for the best. Remi invites him to a Halloween party, but he has a concert that night, as he is an assistant at a record label and touring with a band. Encouraged by her friends, Remi crashes into the concert venue, confesses she still has feelings for Barnes, and asks if they can reconcile despite the challenges. Barnes gently declines, saying they are better off as friends. Remi respects his decision and leaves crying.
Later, the band also encourages Barnes to express his true feelings for her, after which he realizes his mistake in turning her down. The band helps Barnes by serenading Remi outside her dorm. Remi comes out surprised, and the two share unspoken glances before reuniting with a kiss.
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Cast
- Jenna Ortega as Remi Aguilar
- Percy Hynes White as Barnes Hawthorne
- Marisol Nichols as Carmen, Remi's mother
- Elias Kacavas as P.J.
- Adam Rodriguez as Javier, Remi's father
- Jacqueline Emerson as Robyn
- Evangeline Barrosse as herself
- Kate Rachesky as Wendy
- Alexis Zollicoffer as Sheryl
- Garet Allen as Dean
- Larkin Bell as Saira
- Corynn Treadwell as Ashley Middleton
- Kylee Anderson as Erica Morris
- Langi Tuifua as Connor Frisk
- Joey Miyashima as Kenji
- Wendy Joseph as Kate
- Ahaise as Wade
- Bridget Oberlin as Stevie, Barnes' mother
- Terran Lowe as Lucas
- B.Z. Collins as a bouncer
- Michael "Mike" Turner as a bassist
- Cameron Foremaster as a guitarist
- Brianna Wendorf as a drummer
- Mark Provencher as Mr. Provencher
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Production
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Devopment
After she had done Holidate in 2020, Tiffany Paulsen received an early version of the script by Dan Schoffer, through the co-producer Josh Shader. They collaborated to finalize the script, took inspirations by Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, and titled the project Winter Spring Summer or Fall. Paulsen, originally a screenwriter, took the responsibility to direct her first film. Brad Krevoy and David M. Wulf also joined as co-producers.[2][3][4]
Casting and filming
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Ortega (left) and Hynes (right) appeared as teenage lovers; the two also starred in Netflix series Wednesday (2022) while they were filming for the Winter Spring Summer or Fall. The director called their bond as "lightning in a bottle", and called Ortega as the filmmakers' "first choice" and "dream team", while recalling her tight schedule with availability of about "11 days" window.[2][4][5]
Paulsen cast Jenna Ortega just before the latter went on to film Wednesday in September 2021, or be known as "Gen Z's scream queen".[a] Reportedly, this has been Ortega's first romantic role and she has also served as an executive producer. Her primary choice had been horror films and she has expressed of not liking the romantic genres.[6][7][8][2]
After about two years of pre-production, the principal photography began on Halloween, in October 2022, at Salt Lake City, Utah, with Percy Hynes White joining opposite Ortega in lead.[2][5][9][7] Meanwhile, the cast was given a three-week break to cover promotional events for their then-upcoming series Wednesday, which later became the second most-watched series on the platform.[10][11][4]
Over the time, Motion Picture Corporation of America revealed to the Deadline Hollywood that Adam Rodriguez and Marisol Nichols were signed in as Ortega's character's parents.[12][13] Before she had cast Hynes, the director wanted Kacavas in lead role, but he instead chose to play the lead pair's neighbor/friend.[14][2][5] Evangeline Barrosse, an indie musician, was discovered and approached to perform her original songs in the film, which she accepted excitedly.[15][3]
The film is set in the East Coast of the United States and depicts one day each from four seasons; winter, spring, summer, and fall, so the set and the wardrobe had to be designed accordingly despite being filmed in winter season with limited sunny days. Gabriel Jessop and Alyson Hancey served as the production designer and costume designer respectively. Paulsen also took David Byrne's formal permission to use song "Burning Down the House".[2][3]
Post-production
After the filming wrapped up, the post-production phase started in January 2023, but the release was shelved. Graham Robbins served as the cinematographer, Simon Davidson as film editor, and Michael "Mike" Turner as the music supervisor, while Zac Rae has composed the film score.[16][17][2][3][1]
Music
The soundtrack album was released by Lakeshore Records via music streaming services on April 25, 2025. The tracks 1–4 are songs by Evangeline, while tracks 5–19 are score by Zac Rae.
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Release
The film premiered at the 23rd Tribeca Festival on June 6, 2024.[18][19] It was released as premium video on demand by Paramount Pictures on April 25, 2025, and also had a limited theatrical release.[20][21]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 36% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10.[22]
Lovia Gyarkye praised the director while writing for The Hollywood Reporter, saying that she has an "intuitive sense" of making one blush by capturing close-ups of "the longing gazes" and "subtle touches" between the lead pair.[1] Belen Edwards commented for Mashable that this "Wednesday reunion is anything but charming" as their "romance feels more like horror".[23] Writing for Next Best Picture, Lauren LaMagna praised it as a "unique coming-of-age story", which is both "heartwarming and heartbreaking" and "captures the essence of first love".[24] Will Bjarnar commented for InSession Film that the film "is hardly ever convincing, let alone natural".[25] For Paste, Jesse Hassenger called it "more than a little cheap-looking" movie, which is "full of heartfelt contrivances".[26]
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Notes
References
External links
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