Oliver Tate (played by Craig Roberts) is a 15-year-old from Swansea, infatuated with Jordana (Yasmin Paige). When Jordana invites Oliver to meet secretly after school, she takes pictures of them kissing, hoping to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The plan backfires, but Jordana soon becomes his girlfriend.
At home, Oliver becomes concerned about his parents. His father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor), is depressed. New-age guru Graham (Paddy Considine), an ex-boyfriend of his mother, Jill (Sally Hawkins), has moved in next door, and his flirtations rouse Oliver's suspicions.
Oliver's relationship with Jordana grows, but he learns that her mother has a potentially fatal brain tumour. At an early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house, he witnesses her father break down. Unsettled, he decides that the Jordana he loves is at risk because the emotional events surrounding her will "make her gooey [sentimental] in the middle". He cuts off contact with her.
Thinking that his mother and Graham are having an affair, Oliver attempts to repair his parents' relationship. While searching for his mother on the beach, he sees Jordana with another boy. Heartbroken he heads home; but, on the way, he sees his mother with Graham and assumes the worst. Enraged, he breaks into Graham's house, gets drunk, and commits minor acts of vandalism. When Graham comes home, he finds Oliver but returns him home with minimal fuss. The next morning, Oliver awakes to see that both his parents aren't angry with him and are reconciling.
Oliver remains distraught about losing Jordana; he is downhearted for weeks, until he sees her on the beach. Running towards her, he explains his actions and learns that Jordana has either broken up with her new boyfriend or never had one. Together, they walk into the sea smiling. The film is left on an ambiguous note.
WHERE DID THEY WALK TOGETHER?
INTO THE SEA