Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018) Full Recap

Sierra Burgess is a senior in high school and she's smarter than almost everyone she knows. At school though, she's a nobody. Every morning, she looks in the mirror and says, "You are a magnificent beast." Then she goes down to breakfast where her mom, Jules, is practicing a speech for one of her self-help seminars. Her dad, Steven, is a famous writer, and he quotes Dickens at her before she's even had her coffee.

Her parents think she can do anything, and Sierra kind of wishes they'd tone it down. I really don't like her. The most popular girl in school, a cheerleader named Veronica, stops in the hallway just to insult her. Sierra's best friend, Dan, is busy filming a video for his college application.

Okay, what's up with America's most Veronica takes one look at Sierra and says she wonders what life is like for rejects. Sierra just rolls her eyes and keeps walking. She's heard worse and she's heard it every day for years. In English class, their teacher, Mrs. Thompson, announces a new assignment.

Every student has to write an original poem and read it out loud to the class. When Veronica makes another nasty comment, Sierra fires right back and she points out that Veronica cheated on yesterday's quiz. After class, Mrs. Thompson tells Sierra she expects great things from her poem.

Sierra asks if she could do a video instead. Writing is in her blood, but standing up in front of everyone is the last thing she wants. In the bathroom, Veronica calls Sierra Frodo and tells her to move before she breaks the mirror. Sierra calmly explains that she probably meant Quasimoto, the hunchback of Notre Dame.

Then she gives a short lecture on what he represents in society. Veronica's friends don't know whether to laugh or run. Veronica just stares at her, speechless for once. In biology, Dan explains that he needs the perfect story for his video blog because straight A's aren't enough anymore.

Sierra finds out how true that is. when she meets with the school counselor. Sierra dreams of going to Stanford and she almost got a perfect score on her SATs, but the counselor tells her there's nothing special on her resume except for a famous father. That afternoon, Veronica and her friends are eating at a cafe when a football player from another school walks over. His name is Jamie, and he's so nervous that he says hi about five times.

He asks Veronica for her number. She's busy chasing an older college guy named Spence, so she rattles off a number and sends him on his way. Her friends ask whose number that was. Veronica laughs. It was Sierra Burgess's. That night, Sierra's phone buzzes with a text from a number she doesn't know.

It's a guy named Jamie, and he sends a selfie. Sierra has no idea who he is, but he's funny and sweet, so she writes back. They end up texting all night long about books, bad movies, and the weirdest things they've ever eaten. The next day in band class, Sierra tells Dan she met someone.

It's a test. Well, not really met. They texted and Jaime definitely thinks she's someone else. Dan tells her this is called catfishing and it's probably illegal, but Sierra can't stop. That night, she sits in her room and records her voicemail greeting over and over, trying to sound cool until she gives up and keeps a simple one.

Day after day, Sierra and Jaime keep texting. He sends her pictures of his turtle and she sends back jokes that make him laugh out loud. For the first time, someone is getting to know the real Sierra. Her words, her humor, and her heart. He just doesn't know what she looks like. Across town, Jaime tells his teammates about the girl he's been texting.

He thought she'd be just another pretty face, but she's really smart and really funny. His friends tease him without mercy. Jaime doesn't care. He keeps checking his phone every few seconds. waiting for her next text. Then Jaime asks for a real photo. Sierra panics. She looks in the mirror, then at the photos of Veronica on.

Fine. She knows exactly who Jaime is picturing when he texts her, and it isn't her. For a moment, she thinks about telling him the truth. Then she puts the phone down. Dan grabs her phone to see what's going on. Sierra chases him around the room, begging him to give it back. When he finds out Jaime thinks he's talking to Veronica, Dan is stunned.

He tries to send Jaime a real photo of Sierra, and she tackles him to stop it. Sierra admits she's crazy, but these are her words, and Jaime likes them. Out of all the phone numbers in the world, he texted hers. Meanwhile, in the back of the classroom, Veronica is crying. Spence, the college guy she's been trying to impress, just dumped her because he thinks she's not smart enough for his friends.

Bet you not the cheerleader that he was looking for. Sierra sees her chance. She finds Veronica in the bathroom and offers her a deal. Sierra will tutor her so she seems smarter and can win Spence back. In return, Veronica will help her keep Jaime from finding out the truth. Veronica insults her a few more times out of habit.

Then she agrees on one condition. Nobody can ever find out they're hanging out. At Veronica's house, Sierra meets her mother, Trish, a loud woman who only cares about cheerleading and looks. She criticizes everything Veronica does while Veronica's two little sisters run around screaming.

Sierra watches it all quietly. Being the most popular girl in school doesn't look like much fun from in here. Back home, Sierra's dad asks how her poem for class is coming along. She tells him it's fine. He reminds her that the hardest part of being a writer is the first read, letting yourself be that vulnerable.

Sierra doesn't answer. She hasn't written a single line. The tutoring sessions are a disaster at first. Veronica checks her phone every 30 seconds and complains that there's no real food in the house. Sierra tries to explain Plato, and Veronica thinks he, Socrates, and Aristotle were all the same guy.

Trish keeps interrupting with comments about Veronica's weight and future. Veronica finally slams the book shut and says she'll never get it. Everyone says she's dumb. Wait, wait, they're not all the same guy. Sierra stops her and closes the book. She tells Veronica she's not a because you need a sharp mind to come up with insults like hers.

Veronica looks at her for a long moment. Then she grabs Sierra's phone and starts sending Jaime cute selfies so Sierra can look normal. For the first time, they're actually on the same team. Then one night, Jaime calls. Sierra picks up and lowers her voice, saying she has a cold.

They talk about everything. Jaime admits he was a super chubby baby and that he still has glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling. Sierra laughs so hard she has to cover her mouth. He asks what kind of animal she'd be and what her favorite movie is. And he actually listens to every answer.

Jaime admits that most of the guys on his team get on his nerves. What he loves is the game itself. He says, "A football game is like a story where one pass can turn a guy into a hero. To him, it's like poetry." They stay on the phone for 4 hours. Before they hang up, Jaime asks if they can video chat tomorrow because he wants to see her.

No, there's a complete lie. At school, Dan offers to take Sierra to the homecoming dance as friends. She turns him down because she doesn't want anyone's pity. Then she announces she's trying out for the boys track team because she needs something special on her resume. Dan thinks she's lost her mind.

The coach can't believe it either, but there's no rule against it. He shows up at tryyouts anyway because whatever Sierra does, he does. Now they need a plan for the video chat. Veronica sits in front of the laptop while Sierra hides out of sight and does the talking. Veronica mouths the words a second too late.

And Jaime says the connection must be bad. He agrees to try again another time. Before he goes, he tells Veronica it was really good to see her face. When he hangs up, the two girls scream and laugh, and Veronica falls back on the bed. It worked. After that, the tutoring sessions turn into something else.

Sierra explains Hamlet through the Lion King, and Veronica starts to understand. They film silly study videos together. When Veronica hears Sierra sing, she makes her keep going. Veronica even starts to get the books she's reading. Somewhere along the way, without either of them noticing, they've become friends.

Then Jaime calls with a question. He wants to hang out in person for the first time. He says it's okay if she says no, but he thinks he'll die if she does. Sierra tells him she has to check something first, but she'll get back to him. She hangs up and stares at the wall. She's in deep trouble.

The next day, Sierra and Dan are picking up trash in a park for community service. Suddenly, Dan spots Jaime walking toward them with a little boy. Sierra freaks out because Jaime would recognize her voice anywhere. She drops to the ground to hide, but it's too late. So, Sierra pretends she can't hear or speak.

Then Jaime introduces his little brother Tai who is deaf and he starts signing to her. Sierra is caught completely offguard. Jaime is kind and patient and he treats his brother like the coolest kid in the world. After he leaves, Dan tells her that was the dumbest thing he's ever seen.

But Sierra can't stop smiling. She promises Dan she'll tell Jaime the truth tonight. That night, Veronica goes to the movies with Jaime as a favor to Sierra. Sierra sneaks into the row behind them, wearing a scarf to hide her face. She runs to the bathroom with Veronica and admits she can't tell him yet.

Back in their seats, Jaime says Veronica's voice sounds different again, and Sierra sinks lower in her seat. After the movie, they sit in the parking lot while Sierra hides behind a truck, whispering lines to Veronica. Jaime gives Veronica his jacket and tells her he's obsessed with astronomy. Stars look so beautiful from down here, but they're really just balls of gas.

Sierra can't help herself. From behind the truck, she wonders out loud if a star knows that it shines. Jaime smiles. He tells Veronica he never thought of it that way. At the end of the night, Jaime turns around and thinks he sees someone running behind the cars. Veronica tells him he's acting weird.

Jaime drives off, confused, and Sierra comes out from her hiding spot. The next day, Dan asks Sierra to hang out, but she brushes him off because she's too busy. Then she goes to Veronica's house where Veronica plucks her eyebrows. Sierra asks what happened to Veronica's dad. Veronica tells her he left her mom for a much younger woman, and her mom has been strange ever since.

Then Veronica invites Sierra to a party. Why do people do this to themselves? At the party, the music is loud and the house is packed and everyone stares at the popular cheerleader and the girl they call a loser. When Veronica's friends make fun of Sierra, Veronica defends her. She says Sierra is actually kind of cool.

Her friends warn her that hanging out with Sierra is social suicide. Only losers hang out with losers. Veronica doesn't argue, but she doesn't walk away from Sierra either. Then Spence shows up. Earlier, Sierra heard him bragging that he only called Veronica dumb to make her feel insecure.

Now he says he saw her study video online and had to see her. He asks her to leave with him and Veronica walks away, leaving Sierra alone at the party. Late that night, Sierra gets home, crawls into bed and calls Jaime, exhausted and confused, she tells him she really likes talking to him because he's so good and he doesn't lie. Then she says she has to tell him something and he's going to hate her.

Jaime says he could never hate her no matter what, but Sierra falls asleep before she can say it. The next morning, Sierra's parents ground her for sneaking out to the party. Things don't get better at school. When Mrs. Thompson calls her up to read her poem, Sierra admits she forgot to write it.

Her teacher can't believe it. Sierra has never missed an assignment in her life. Then Sierra finds Veronica crying again. Spence dumped her a second time over a text message. Sierra tells her some people just suck and if he doesn't like her for who she is, forget him. Veronica says this would never happen with a guy like Jaime because he's one of the good ones.

She asks Sierra if she likes him. Sierra says no. That afternoon, Jaime calls Sierra and asks what she was trying to tell him last night. Sierra can't bring herself to say it. She tells him it can wait until they see each other in person. Jaime says he can't wait to see her at the big game tonight.

At the football game Jaime's school is playing against theirs. Before kickoff, Jaime runs straight over to Veronica, thrilled to show her off to his team at last. Sierra watches from her seat in the marching band. She watches them laugh together on the sidelines and her face goes hard.

She thinks Veronica is stealing the only person who ever saw the real her. So, Sierra gets revenge. She sneaks to the announcers table and puts Veronica's breakup text from Spence up on the giant screen for the whole stadium to see. People start laughing and pointing. Veronica's face falls and her friends turn their backs on her right there on the sidelines.

Veronica runs onto the field and tells Jaime everything. Sierra has been pretending to be her and she's been pretending to be Sierra. Sierra begs him to listen and the moment she speaks, Jaime recognizes her voice. He tells them both to stay away from him. Then Veronica turns to Sierra and tells her that her looks are the least ugly thing about her.

Even Dan can't believe what she did. He was always on her side no matter what. He tells her he doesn't know who she is anymore. At home, Sierra breaks down in front of her mom. She tells her that it's easy for her to talk about self-esteem because she's always been beautiful. She has no idea what it's like to be a teenage girl who looks like Sierra.

That night, Sierra sits down at her keyboard and writes. Instead of a poem, she turns in a song. Mrs. Thompson tells her it was late, but it was raw and emotional. The mark of a true artist. She asks to write Sierra's college recommendation one day, and she tells her that whoever those words were written for, she should let them hear them.

First, Sierra apologizes to Dan. She tells him she's sorry for being so awful. Dan tells her she doesn't suck. Okay, maybe a little bit. Sierra asks if he still wants to go to homecoming with her. Oh no, he says, but she should save him a dance. They bump fists and just like that, things between them are back to normal.

Then Sierra goes to Veronica and gives her the song as an apology. It's called Sunflower. In it, Sierra sings about girls like roses, perfect and beautiful. While she's just a sunflower, a little funnyl looking, standing in the sun and waiting to be noticed. Veronica listens to the whole thing in silence.

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018) Ending Explained

By the end, she has tears in her eyes. At home, Sierra sits down with her dad for a real talk. She tells him it's terrifying growing up in his shadow with a genius father and a gorgeous, successful mom. She doesn't know what she is. He tells her she's beautiful, but she's so much more than that with her sharp mind and her talent.

Then he gives her a hug from one sunflower to another. Veronica finds her own courage, too. When her mom makes another cruel comment, Veronica tells her that her dad is a loser and she can't keep living like everyone is going to hurt her. She tells her mom they need her back. On the night of homecoming, Sierra stays home alone.

Her mom asks why she isn't getting ready. Sierra says nobody is waiting on her. Then the doorbell rings. Her mom looks out the window and smiles. Jaime is standing outside in a suit. Veronica, the real one, went to his house and played him Sierra's song. Jaime tells Sierra what she did was really bad to tell you that you're not good enough.

But he also admits that if they hadn't met the way they did, he might never have noticed her. She's smart, funny, and talented, and her voice is the most impressive one he's ever heard. Then he hands her a sunflower, and Sierra can't stop smiling. At the homecoming dance, Sierra spots Veronica across the room.

They don't need to say anything. The two girls run to each other and hug. Then Dan pushes his way in and tells them they can't be best friends without him. Sierra spent the whole movie hiding behind someone else's face because she thought nobody would like her for who she really was, but the people who mattered most ended up caring about her for exactly that.

Do you think Sierra deserved to be forgiven after everything she did?