Why Flipped Is Dominating Social Feeds Again: the Viral Resurgence of Its Nostalgic Ending
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
The ending succeeds because it synthesizes the thematic groundwork laid by Bryce’s grandfather, Chet Duncan, played with gruff tenderness by the late John Mahoney. Chet serves as the philosophical engine of the film, and his relationship with Juli alters the course of Bryce’s character arc.
Early in the story, Juli sits atop the neighborhood sycamore tree to rescue a lost kite, discovering that the elevated view reveals how the landscape fits together. She begins to view the world through a holistic lens her father taught her: "A painting is more than the sum of its parts." When the tree is felled despite her protests, Juli loses her sanctuary.
Chet Duncan recognizes Juli’s rare moral clarity. Seeing his deceased wife’s fiery spirit in the young girl, Chet helps Juli clean up her dilapidated yard, directly shaming the Loski family’s superficial, suburban snobbery. During their walks, Chet hands Bryce the central moral compass of the entire narrative: "Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss. But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare."
Bryce spends the third act confronting the uncomfortable reality that his own father, Steven Loski (played with bitter suburban resentment by Anthony Edwards), is a man dipped in cheap veneer, hollow, spiteful, and insecure. Planting the sycamore tree is Bryce's rejection of his father’s shallow worldview and an embrace of Chet’s philosophy. The sapling represents iridescence taking root.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
