The First Time (2012): Ending Explained

Quick Recap

In The First Time, director Jonathan Kasdan crafts a tender yet awkwardly charged portrait of young love, following high school senior Dave Hodgman (Dylan O'Brien) as he navigates his unrequited crush on his best friend, Jane Harmon (Victoria Justice). Dave's world is a haze of lingering glances and rehearsed confessions, until he crosses paths with Aubrey Miller (Britt Robertson), a sharp-witted junior from another school who's stuck in a lackluster relationship with the oblivious Ronny (James Frecheville). What begins as a chance encounter outside a raucous house party—Dave practicing his love speech on the unimpressed Aubrey—quickly spirals into a weekend of electric connection, marked by stolen conversations, narrow escapes, and the raw thrill of possibility.

As the hours blur, Dave and Aubrey's bond deepens amid the sticky summer air of suburban nights. They share a platonic sleepover in her room, the faint scent of wine lingering on their clothes as they drift off, only for Dave to bolt out the window at dawn's first light. Jealousy simmers at a movie theater where Aubrey drags Ronny to watch Dave and Jane, the dim glow of the screen amplifying unspoken tensions. By evening, at a crowded party, Dave confronts Aubrey about her plans with Ronny, his voice cracking with a mix of protectiveness and desire, leading to a heated almost-kiss interrupted by Ronny's brute arrival. The night peaks with Dave realizing his feelings for Jane were a shadow compared to the vivid pull toward Aubrey, prompting him to ditch a vulnerable moment with Jane and race into the humid darkness.

What Happens in the Ending

The film's climax unfolds in a series of intimate, faltering steps that capture the messy pulse of first love. After leaving the party, Dave receives a late-night text from Aubrey, her words a quiet plea cutting through the night's heavy silence: pick her up. He finds her waiting, the cool leather of his car seat a stark contrast to the emotional heat between them. As they drive through the dimly lit streets, the hum of the engine underscoring their confessions, Aubrey reveals she's broken up with Ronny—the weight of the decision hanging in the air like exhaust fumes. In a moment thick with anticipation, they share their first kiss, soft and tentative, the taste of shared vulnerability sealing their shift from friends to something more.

The next evening, with Aubrey's parents out, she invites Dave over, the house enveloping them in a cocoon of hushed expectation. The air grows thick with the scent of her room—faint vanilla from a candle, the rustle of sheets—as they begin making out on her bed, hands exploring with a mix of urgency and hesitation. Dave, who had rebelliously left his condom behind in a bid to keep things pure, pauses amid the rising tension. He pulls back, his breath ragged, insisting this weekend has been perfect and he doesn't want to ruin it with rushed expectations. Aubrey echoes the sentiment, her eyes wide with the same flickering doubt, and they agree—not having sex might preserve the fragile magic they've built. Yet, in a whirlwind of youthful impulse, they decide to go ahead anyway, the decision landing like a skipped heartbeat.

What follows is far from cinematic bliss: their first time is awkward, clumsy, laced with nervous laughter and confusion, the physical reality clashing against the romantic haze in their minds. The room feels smaller, the shadows longer, as they lie there afterward, the silence heavy with unspoken questions about what this means for them. Cut to the next morning—Dave seeks counsel from his friends over breakfast, the clatter of plates mirroring his inner turmoil. Cocky Simon urges him to move on, dismissing it as a fleeting high school fling doomed by Dave's impending college departure. But quiet Big Corporation counters with steadfast advice: be a man, don't bail over one mishap, the words landing like a grounding anchor.

Resolved, Dave drives to Aubrey's house, the morning sun filtering through the windshield in golden shafts. He finds her outside, and with a steady gaze that belies his pounding heart, declares he wants to be in a relationship with her—awkward night be damned. She smiles, the tension easing like a released breath, and he drives her to school, their hands brushing on the gearshift. As Aubrey steps out into the bustling courtyard, defying her earlier aversion to public displays, she turns back, runs to him, and plants a bold kiss on his lips. The camera lingers on their embrace amid the indifferent flow of students, the world sharpening into focus around their newfound certainty.

The Meaning Behind the Ending

At its core, the ending of The First Time strips away the glossy myths of debut romance, revealing love as a visceral tangle of imperfections rather than a flawless crescendo. The awkward sex scene isn't just comedic relief—it's a raw metaphor for the disillusionment that follows idealized fantasies, the sticky reality of bodies and emotions colliding in the dim light of inexperience. Dave and Aubrey's decision to proceed despite their better judgment symbolizes the irresistible pull of connection, a psychological leap into vulnerability that echoes the film's theme of firsts: not just physical, but emotional awakenings that leave you breathless and changed.

This resolution underscores a deeper truth about young love's resilience—the way it thrives not in perfection, but in the quiet choice to persist. The final kiss at school, public and unapologetic, serves as a triumphant exhale, transforming private tension into shared defiance against doubt. It's a subtle nod to growth: what begins in the shadows of hesitation ends in the light of commitment, the sensory rush of lips meeting a visceral anchor for their evolving bond.

Character Arcs and Resolution

Dave's journey arcs from passive dreamer—trapped in the fog of his crush on Jane, rehearsing lines in alleyway murmurs—to an active participant in his own story, his heart racing toward Aubrey with newfound clarity. The ending cements this evolution; by choosing her over the safety of unrequited longing, and committing post-mishap, Dave sheds his shyness like a too-tight skin, emerging with a quiet confidence that pulses through his final declaration. Aubrey, initially guarded behind Ronny's indifference and her refusal to discuss her virginity, unravels into openness, her breakup and bold kiss marking a break from emotional armor. For both, the resolution isn't tidy closure but a charged beginning—their relationship a fragile bridge over the chasm of high school endings and college uncertainties, forged in the heat of that imperfect night.

Alternate Interpretations

While the ending leans toward optimistic realism, its ambiguities invite layered readings. One view casts the awkward encounter as a subtle fracture: their fumbling first time could foreshadow the strains of distance, with Dave's college move looming like an unspoken shadow, suggesting their kiss is a temporary high before inevitable drift. Alternatively, it might subvert rom-com tropes entirely—interpreting the commitment as youthful delusion, where the "mishap" plants seeds of doubt that bloom into maturity's harsh lessons. Or, more hopefully, it's a psychological turning point: the confusion bonds them through shared imperfection, turning vulnerability into strength, much like how their initial sleepover built trust without consummation. These interpretations hinge on the film's restraint, leaving the future tantalizingly open amid the courtyard's indifferent bustle.

Themes and Symbolism

The ending reinforces The First Time's core themes of authenticity over illusion, using symbolism to evoke the psychological undercurrents of transition. The car rides—first the nocturnal pickup, then the school drop-off—symbolize movement from isolation to partnership, the engine's low rumble a heartbeat syncing their rhythms. The bedroom scene, with its halted-then-rushed intimacy, subverts the "perfect first" myth, highlighting themes of pressure and realism in a world of performative romance (echoed in Jane's casual hookups). Broader motifs of visibility emerge: Aubrey's public kiss flips her earlier PDA disdain, symbolizing a shift from hidden desires to claimed space, while Dave's friend consultations ground the chaos in communal wisdom. Ultimately, the film subverts teen comedy expectations, trading fireworks for the subtle tension of real connection, where love's "firsts" are as much about enduring awkwardness as chasing highs.

Final Thoughts

The First Time lands its ending with a deft balance of heart and honesty, turning potential clichés into a resonant meditation on love's unpolished edges. By embracing the visceral awkwardness rather than glossing it, Kasdan delivers a finale that feels earned—immersive in its emotional textures, from the humid anticipation of kisses to the lingering doubt of dawn. It works because it mirrors life's own stumbles, leaving viewers with a warm, uneasy glow: a reminder that the best connections aren't scripted, but felt in the quiet after the rush. For anyone who's navigated the foggy thrill of young romance, this close hits like a first kiss—messy, memorable, and utterly human.