Happiness for Beginners (2023)

Short, Simple Narrative of the Ending:

After a challenging hiking trip, Helen realizes she has fallen in love with Jake, her brother's friend. When she returns home, she tells her brother Duncan she loves Jake, and Duncan reveals Jake has always loved her. At a family event, Helen and Jake finally talk honestly, share a kiss, and begin a relationship. Helen decides that personal growth and connection matter more than certificates or achievements, and Jake, despite his worsening eyesight, finds hope in their new bond.

Expanded Chronological Narrative of the Ending:

The hiking trip comes to an end, and Helen returns home from the wilderness. She is changed by the experience--more confident, more self-aware, and more in tune with her own feelings. She meets with her brother Duncan and confesses that she is in love with Jake, her brother's childhood friend who joined the hike. Duncan listens and then tells her something surprising: he has known for a long time that Jake has been in love with her.

Soon after, Helen and Jake both attend a family event--a bar mitzvah. At the gathering, they run into each other. The atmosphere is tense at first, as both are unsure how to express their feelings. They end up trapped together in a lift, forced to talk. The conversation is awkward at first, but they slowly open up. Helen admits she has feelings for Jake, and Jake finally reveals his own emotions. They talk honestly about their fears, their pasts, and what they want from life.

After their conversation, they share a kiss, marking the beginning of their romantic relationship. The film ends with Helen and Jake together, facing the future as a couple.

Throughout the story, Helen's journey is about self-discovery and healing after her divorce. She starts the film seeking a certificate as proof of her progress, but by the end, she realizes that true growth comes from connection--with nature, with others, and with herself. The certificate is no longer important to her.

Jake, meanwhile, is dealing with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that is slowly taking his sight. His motivation for joining the hike was to experience as much of life as possible before his vision worsens. His relationship with Helen gives him hope and optimism for the future, despite the uncertainty of his condition.

The film's ending emphasizes that happiness is not found in external achievements or perfect circumstances, but in the courage to be honest, to connect with others, and to embrace life as it is. Helen and Jake's relationship is not perfect, but it is real and meaningful. Their story is about learning to see what matters most, even when it's not easy to see at all.

Helen joins the Appalachian Trail survival course after her divorce as a way to seek self-discovery and personal growth, hoping to rebuild her life and gain independence following the end of her marriage.

Jake is a friend of Helen's younger brother who also signs up for the survival course. He has a history with Helen's family and seems to have a special interest in her, which becomes more apparent as the story unfolds.

Hugh breaks his leg while foolishly playing balance beam on a rotten log. Mason freezes and does not help, so Helen leaves the group to go for help, eventually catching up with the lead group after nightfall.

Beckett gets upset when he finds Helen's personal goal list because it was accidentally dropped and he feels it invades her privacy, but he also seems to be protective of the group's dynamic and the course's intended focus.

The kiss between Jake and Windy is mentioned as occurring during a game of Truth or Dare, which causes jealousy in both Helen and Jake, highlighting the developing romantic tension between Helen and Jake.