Childhood friends are the benchmark of our lives. No matter where we go, what we do, we will always share a part of ourselves with them. In Elle’s life, Lee is one such friend. But growing up brings new challenges, and every day becomes a test of that bond. In The Kissing Booth, which brings a unique premise to the table, is, in particular, a journey of friendship that Lee and Elle share.
The Kissing Booth, written and directed by Vince Marcello, is a 2018 teen romance drama based on the 2012 novel written by Beth Reekles. Following the adventures of a late bloomer, Elle, the drama spreads around her infatuation with her best friend, Lee’s elder brother, Noah.
As Elle’s feelings for Noah start blooming, it creates a rift in her friendship with Lee. But what part does a “Kissing Booth” play in all drama? Let’s figure it out.
Plot Summary
Elle Evans and Lee Flynn’s mother were besties who met in college and soon became lifelong friends. They gave birth to Elle and Lee on the same date at the same time in Los Angeles, California. Soon, Elle and Lee started sharing an unbreakable bond and vibed over arcade dance machines as they grew up. However, when Elle was 11, her mother got terminally ill and passed away three years later. Since then, Lee and her family became an integral part of her survival system. But there was someone else who kept Elle busy throughout. Elle had a crush on Lee’s elder brother Noah that intensified over the years.
Elle and Lee had laid out a code of conduct of their friendship populated with a plethora of rules they abide by. Rule no. 9 specially stated, “Relatives of your best friends are totally off-limits.” Elle and Lee followed these rules like the words of the Gospel, and thus, Elle never dared to share her feelings with Noah. They maintained distance until it was inevitable.
On the first day of junior year, Elle and Lee needed to brainstorm their carnival fundraiser stall. After a bit of struggle, the two coined the perfect plan to establish a “Kissing Booth.” The project is presented to the student council, who approved the idea only on whether Noah Flynn would be working for the booth. To save her soul, Elle lied to the panel. She approached Noah, who refused to entertain the idea.
However, on the day of the carnival, Noah appeared out of the blue and kissed a blindfolded Elle in the absence of Lee. The kiss sparked all the hidden feelings between them. Noah decided to embark on a relationship, but Elle was uncertain about Lee and Rule number 9. Whom Elle would choose, her love (Noah) or her best friend (Lee).
What was ‘The Kissing Booth’?
A Kissing Booth was a stall established by Elle and Lee for their school fundraiser carnival. With a 5 dollars ticket, anyone could kiss anyone, but there was one slight twist to the enticing sale. The people (the ticket holder) who would be kissing needed to wear a blindfold so that only the audience would know whom they kissed. The clause brought extra fun and cheer to the alluring plan.
‘The Kissing Booth’ Ending Explained
Elle convinced Noah to keep their newfound relationship a secret until she had figured out a means to inform Lee about Noah. However, Lee lived in close proximity, shared each moment with Elle, and was a core part of her life. Hiding such feelings from him was out of the question.
When Lee found out about Noah and Elle, he got furious and cut off ties with Elle. Suffering from an emotional breakdown, Elle blamed Noah for the mess. The three individuals drifted apart, missing each other yet too stubborn to accept.
Elle finally vibed with Lee on an arcade dance machine, and the two resolved their issues. However, Elle was still ignoring Noah as there was an underlying tension between the two brothers. Lee thought Noah took all the spotlight and credit in the family, and Elle was the only person he had for himself. In Elle, Lee recognized his achievement.
On the school prom night, the students arranged a replica of a Kissing Booth as the stall gave them several memories to remember. Lee and Elle cherished the gesture when suddenly Noah walked on the stage. Noah confessed his love for Elle, but she ran away, unaware of her feelings and disappointing Lee again.
Noah was leaving for Harvard University on Elle and Lee’s birthday. Elle couldn’t bear the pain of unshared feelings and separation and thus shared her feelings for Noah with Lee. He understood his best friend’s dilemma and helped Noah and Elle to reconcile their relationship. In the end, Noah and Elle finally came together, but only to part ways again.
Elle bid farewell to Noah at the airport as he boarded the plane to Boston. While leaving the airport, she convinced herself that things couldn’t stay the way they were forever no matter how badly she wanted. Change is an inevitable truth that needs acceptance. However, whatever the future held for the new couple, Elle was ready to embrace its positivity and love. Noah would be part of her life forever, and she gave all the credit for such an extraordinary journey to a “kissing booth.” After all, it was the stall that brought them close.
The Kissing Booth is a 2018 Teenage Romance Film written and directed by Vince Marcello. It is based on the 2012 novel written by Beth Reekles.
