This films attempts to be three things: a mystery (wherein it wastes actor Skeet Ulrich), a "first love" story, and a portrait of boys at a boarding school. Since a few of the young actors are decent, the movie almost succeeds at the portrait. But if fails at the other to stories. Ryder sleep walks through an enigmatic and poorly conceived role, and there really is not very much tension or mystery. This could have been a noirish hoot, but it ends up being uncooked scrambled eggs.

Patty Vare (Winona Ryder) hurts herself falling off of a horse. Prep school students Murphy and Cooke find her unconscious and tell older kid John Baker Jr (Lukas Haas). Baker brings her to his dorm after she refused hospital or going home. Rumors spread that there's a girl. Officer Kellogg Curry (John C. Reilly) is investigating Patty. He's looking for a stolen car and the missing Bud Valentine (Skeet Ulrich).

First, it's not romantic to sneak an unconscious girl into your dorm room. She suffered a concussion and he doesn't get her medical treatment. It's more than creepy and not cute at all. Lukas Haas is borderline sleazy with his creepy smile. The other problem is that her secret is rather disappointing. It really needs to be some crazy murder that's she's responsible for or something at that level. It's not dark enough and this movie is definitely not romantic.