What is acceptable to do for somebody you care about?  What about for yourself?  This last question is one that is rarely considered, at least for those of a more altruistic mindset.  It is worth some thought, though, because we must engage in self-care.  We, as individuals, are as important in the eyes of God as the next person.  As such, if you were offered the opportunity to do something that is technically illegal but hurts no one and could potentially save your life, would you do it?  My synopsis will give the context for this query.  In the meantime, know that the Catholic Church has opinions on such matters.  Broadly speaking, there is no such thing as a private sin.  Every transgression hurts the Body of Christ.  Since Purple Hearts (2022) is not about Faith, you will have to infer some things by what I am about to say.

The person who has little to say at the beginning of Purple Hearts is Cassie Salazar (Sofia Carson), at least not to the group of Marine bros that come to the bar in which she works.  After a shortened gig, she puts on an apron to serve drinks to the patrons, among them a set of Jarheads fresh out of boot camp, Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine) being one of their number.  When she is harassed by one of Luke’s more chauvinistic comrades, he tries to assuage the offense.  His efforts are rebuffed and had it not been for her long-time friend, Frankie (Chosen Jacobs), being present, there might have been harsher words.  So far, we know that Cassie is a struggling musician, who also works as a server, a food delivery person, and teaches piano lessons.  She also has Type 1 diabetes.  With her financial troubles, she is unable to afford the medicine on which she depends for survival, a matter of constant worry for her beloved mother, Marisol Salazar (Loren Escandon). During a later show, she has to leave the stage in the middle of a song due to a spike in her blood sugar.  Catching her breath in a bathroom, she sees the United States Marine Corps (USMC) logo on a stall and has an idea.  The following morning, she visits Frankie with a crazy idea: that they get married so that she can receive the medical benefits she needs to stay alive.  He says no, citing the fact that he has a girlfriend.  On hand to listen to the proposal is Luke.  He had pointed out how going through with such a plan could lead to Frankie getting court-martialed, never mind the legal ramifications for her.  However, Luke has his own issues.  Being a former addict, he owes money to his one-time dealer, Johnno (Anthony Ippolito).  Luke tries to approach his brother, Jacob Morrow Jr. (Scott Deckert), and is firmly, but politely, refused.  The person Luke does not want to ask is Jacob Morrow Sr. (Linden Ashby), his father.  Because of the trouble Luke had once been in, he believes dad will negatively judge anything his son does.  With Johnno continuing to come after Luke, the soon-to-be deployed Marine contacts Cassie and agrees to the marriage scheme.  The actual ceremony is the easy part, taking place in a court house.  What they have to do now is convince their friends that their relationship is real.  They do have some help in Frankie, who is the one they tell their secret and witnesses their wedding.  Cassie and Luke put on a good show for the rest of the Marines in his company, having a somewhat contentious dinner with them before they ship out.  In the morning, Luke leaves for Iraq, and Cassie is able to start getting better treatment for her condition.  As part of the charade, they stay in contact as best they can, the process managing to grow a bond between them.  She helps with his morale by playing music that he had inspired, which is also leading to her music career beginning to take off.  Yet, the biggest test comes when he is injured by an improvised explosive device (IED), which also results in Frankie’s death.  In the scramble after learning about the incident, Cassie finds Sr. instead of Jr., something Luke had hoped to avoid.  Aside from having to deal with dad’s judgmental attitude, who had not known that his son had joined the Marines, it means a whole new group of people to swear to secrecy.  The injury also compels them to keep up appearances while Luke undergoes physical therapy to be able to once more walk.  Hence, they move in together, which involves another set adjustments.  Again, there are some rocky moments, but they find that they care for one another more than they realize.  As before, this is when another challenge comes their way.  With Johnno still after Luke for money, the drug dealer learns of the spurious nature of the marriage and acts.  Johnno first pays a violent visit to Marisol, to Cassie and Luke’s horror.  The next day, Luke goes after Johnno, giving the rest of the money and threatening the criminal’s life.  In the aftermath, Marisol is told about Johnno’s identity and relays this information to her daughter.  Naturally, Cassie is distraught over being lied to, telling Luke to leave.  Further, Johnno goes to the military to inform the authorities about the true nature of Cassie and Luke’s relationship.  As a result, Luke is arrested.  Cassie is also required to attend the hearing, but before she can say anything, Luke takes the blame for the situation.  He is sentenced to six months imprisonment, and is to be dishonorably discharged after being released, though she will face no legal trouble.  Touched by his gesture, she leaves her next show early to see him off to jail, with them vowing their love for each other.

In other words, Purple Hearts has a happy ending, which is always my preference.  At the same time, I hope you noticed the dilemma.  For better or worse (usually worse), as a Catholic reviewer I am judging the actions of the characters in a film.  I do so not from a place of moral superiority, for I am a sinner like anyone else, but in order to illustrate what Catholic teaching might say about their behavior.  One could look at their marriage as a sacrificial act.  She has to put aside her distaste for the military and a concurrent patriarchal ethos, while he risks being kicked out of the Marine Corps. They must compromise, in other words, which is a part of any healthy relationship, Christian or otherwise.  At the same time, there is a lie involved in their plan that undermines their intent.  There is a perfect Bible verse that speaks to this concept, Proverbs 14:12, which reads, “Sometimes a way seems right, but the end of it leads to death!”  To put this in a more literal fashion, their dishonesty almost leads to actual death.  One could look at this in terms of their relationship, but a more specific example would be the business between Johnno and Luke.  Luke keeps the situation secret from Cassie out of a misguided desire to take care of the problem on his own.  Not being upfront about it almost leads to her mom being murdered and him having to serve prison time.  The lesson, however, is that no matter how big or small a detail may seem, being vulnerable to one another and admitting your faults is the best course of action.  It is how you should be with God first and foremost, and with each other, especially our spouses.  By Cassie and Luke eventually doing so, they redeem the sin that caused the mess in the first place.

Put differently, Purple Hearts tells us that love conquers all.  One of the criticisms of the film is that it was a bit cliché, and such a lesson about love is nothing new.  At the same time, there was enough in the movie that I appreciated to make me not feel like I wasted my time.