Call Me by Your Name (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino, is a visually and emotionally rich coming-of-age romance set in the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy. Adapted from André Aciman’s 2007 novel, the film captures the tenderness, confusion, and intensity of first love.
Detailed Summary
The Setting: Summer in Northern Italy
The film begins in a tranquil Italian countryside where 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) lives with his intellectual parents, Mr. Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) and Annella (Amira Casar). His father, an archaeology professor, hosts graduate students every summer to assist with research. That year, the chosen scholar is Oliver (Armie Hammer), a confident, charming 24-year-old American.
The First Encounters: Curiosity and Distance
At first, Elio and Oliver maintain a polite distance. Elio finds Oliver’s carefree and sometimes aloof demeanor both irritating and fascinating. As days go by, Elio’s curiosity grows—he begins observing Oliver closely, secretly infatuated but hesitant to act. Their conversations—often filled with subtext—start to blur the line between friendship and attraction.
Growing Tension: Unspoken Desire
As summer deepens, so does the tension between them. Elio’s subtle flirtations are matched by Oliver’s ambiguous signals. The movie thrives on the unspoken—the lingering looks, the near touches, and the hesitation. When Oliver finally reciprocates Elio’s feelings, they share a tender yet passionate moment near a secluded fountain, marking the beginning of their secret romance.
The Peach Scene and Emotional Intimacy
Their relationship intensifies. One of the film’s most talked-about and symbolic moments—the “peach scene”—captures Elio’s vulnerability and confusion, blending desire with shame and innocence. Rather than reacting with judgment, Oliver’s tenderness in this scene reveals the emotional safety they have found in each other.
The Trip to Bergamo: A Farewell in Slow Motion
Before summer ends, Oliver invites Elio on a short trip to Bergamo, where they spend their final days together. These scenes are filled with pure, fleeting happiness—the kind that exists only when both lovers know their time is limited. They dance, laugh, and hold each other in public, liberated from secrecy. But the joy is shadowed by the looming end of summer and Oliver’s imminent departure back to the U.S.
Movie Ending
When they return home, Elio’s parents sense what has happened but show only quiet understanding. In a deeply empathetic monologue, Elio’s father comforts his son, sharing that love—no matter how painful—is something to cherish, not suppress. It’s one of cinema’s most moving father-son conversations, emphasizing emotional openness over repression.
A few months later, Elio receives a phone call from Oliver. Oliver reveals he is engaged to be married, confirming what Elio already feared—that their love belonged to that one, unforgettable summer. After hanging up, Elio sits by the fireplace, silently crying as the credits begin to roll. The camera holds on his face for several minutes, letting every flicker of grief, nostalgia, and acceptance unfold in real time.
This ending—heartbreaking yet cathartic—captures the universal ache of first love: beautiful because it ends, unforgettable because it happened.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, Call Me by Your Name does not include any post-credits scenes. The film’s final shot of Elio’s tear-streaked face against the fireplace acts as its emotional closure. The credits roll over this moment, serving as a poetic epilogue rather than an invitation for a sequel.
Type of Movie
This is a romantic drama and coming-of-age film, blending elements of art-house cinema with emotional realism. It’s intimate, slow-paced, and deeply human.
Cast
- Timothée Chalamet as Elio Perlman
- Armie Hammer as Oliver
- Michael Stuhlbarg as Mr. Perlman
- Amira Casar as Annella Perlman
- Esther Garrel as Marzia
Film Music and Composer
The film’s hauntingly beautiful score is composed by Sufjan Stevens, whose songs “Mystery of Love” and “Visions of Gideon” earned widespread acclaim. His music perfectly complements the film’s emotional tone—ethereal, nostalgic, and quietly devastating. The classical pieces Elio plays on the piano (Bach, Liszt) also reflect his introspective nature and intellectual depth.
Filming Locations
The movie was shot in Crema, a picturesque town in Northern Italy. Its sun-drenched villas, cobblestone streets, and lush countryside are integral to the film’s atmosphere. Guadagnino, who lives nearby, chose the location for its timeless, almost dreamlike quality—it feels suspended between memory and reality, just like Elio’s summer romance.
Awards and Nominations
- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (won by James Ivory)
- Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Chalamet), and Best Original Song
- BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for multiple categories
- Timothée Chalamet received critical praise and became the youngest Best Actor nominee in nearly 80 years.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- The cast lived together in Crema for weeks before filming, building natural chemistry.
- Guadagnino wanted the film to feel “like a memory you once had, not a story you watched.”
- The actors were encouraged to improvise; the final monologue by Elio’s father was shot in one emotional take.
- No explicit rehearsal was done for the intimate scenes—trust between Chalamet and Hammer was built through genuine friendship.
- The script initially included a voiceover narration, which was later removed to enhance emotional realism.
Inspirations and References
The film is adapted from André Aciman’s novel Call Me by Your Name, which itself drew inspiration from Italian summers, European art, and literary romanticism. Guadagnino also referenced films like A Room with a View and The Talented Mr. Ripley for visual and tonal inspiration.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
Guadagnino shot a few extra moments from the Bergamo sequence that were later cut for pacing. One rumored scene showed Elio visiting Oliver’s hotel after he had left, underscoring his loneliness. The director has mentioned he envisioned a sequel that would follow Elio years later, echoing the novel’s epilogue—but it remains unrealized.
Book Adaptations and Differences
While the film closely follows Aciman’s novel, it tones down some internal monologues and explicit sexual content, focusing instead on emotional subtlety and longing. The book’s ending extends decades later, showing Elio and Oliver reuniting as adults, while the film ends right after the phone call—making it more poignant and immediate.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- Elio and Oliver’s first kiss near the monument.
- The “peach scene,” symbolizing innocence and desire.
- Mr. Perlman’s emotional monologue to Elio.
- The fireplace scene, where Elio silently processes heartbreak.
Iconic Quotes
- “Call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine.”
- “Is it better to speak or to die?”
- “We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty.”
- “Remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The film’s title line—“Call me by your name…”—reflects merging identities and ultimate intimacy.
- The first and last shots mirror each other: both show Elio in a state of introspection, marking the passage from innocence to experience.
- Elio’s reading of Heptaméron and Heart of Darkness foreshadows his internal conflict between reason and passion.
- The movie’s time markers subtly skip over the day Oliver leaves—reflecting Elio’s emotional blackout.
Trivia
- Timothée Chalamet learned Italian, piano, and guitar for the role.
- The entire film was shot using natural light, enhancing its dreamy realism.
- The film’s original runtime was over 3 hours before being edited down.
- André Aciman, the author, has a cameo as a dinner guest near the end.
Why Watch?
Because Call Me by Your Name is more than a love story—it’s a meditation on youth, identity, and memory. It captures the bittersweet essence of summer, the ache of growing up, and the universal pain of first heartbreak. It’s slow, poetic, and profoundly human—a film that lingers long after it ends.
Director’s Other Movies
- A Bigger Splash (2015)
- I Am Love (2009)
- Suspiria (2018)
- Bones and All (2022)
