Guess what? Your new favorite cozy summer romantic comedy has arrived. Netflix released Happiness for Beginners in July 2023, and it’s sure to hit the spot for romance fans as the summer days slowly fade into fall. (And this is one movie that transitions into fall well.)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and The Office star Ellie Kemper stars alongside Yellowstone favorite Luke Grimes in the ensemble comedy about a beginners hiking group on the Appalachian Trail. Helen (Kemper) joins an eclectic bunch for an adventure in the woods to find herself post-divorce, but she find much more than herself in the wilderness.
Although he’s caught the eye of a couple hikers, Jake (Grimes) and Helen have some tension before hitting the trail that seems to lead to a deeper connection throughout the adventure. Do the pair end up together? Here’s the spoiler-filled explanation of the movie’s ending.
Spoilers ahead from Happiness for Beginners!
For those who want the simple answer from the movie, Helen and Jake end up together at the end of Happiness for Beginners. Those who read the book of the same name knew what the outcome of their relationship would be by the movie’s ending. But like the trail they hike, their road to an official relationship isn’t a straight line.
Jake happens to be the best friend of Helen’s little brother Duncan (Alexander Koch). In the beginning of the movie, Helen has a run-in with Jake while attempting to give Duncan her house keys, since he’s housesitting while she’s on the hiking trip. Because she’s newly divorced, Helen doesn’t see Jake as anything more than her brother’s friend, but there’s something between them.
When Jake winds up taking the same hiking trip as Helen, it comes as a surprise. She initially wants him to leave, but she insists that they not tell any of their fellow hikers that they know each other. Even as they try to keep their distance, Helen’s need for a doctor on day one, thanks to a rock incident, puts the pair in close quarters.
Helen and Jake get closer and closer, and even share a tent before Hugh’s (Nico Santos) rescue mission. They can’t sleep and talk openly about their lives, bringing them even closer. Windy’s (Shayvawn Webster) crush on Jake seems to make Helen jealous, though Jake clearly only has feelings for Helen. Later, Jake opens up to Helen about his retinitis pigmentosa, which is the reason he quit being a doctor. He’s losing his eyesight.
Upon returning from the trip, Helen leaves the group’s party at the hotel early in order to avoid dealing with her feelings for Jake. She see him talking to Windy, but Mason (Esteban Benito) tells her that Jake supposedly has someone back home. However, that’s not really the case. Back at Grandma Gigi’s (Blythe Danner) house, she reads the poem Jake gave to her.
Jake surprises Helen at her grandmother’s book club birthday party, and although he didn’t write the poem, she appreciates it nonetheless. He admits that he acted like a jealous boyfriend on their trip because he’s wanted to be her boyfriend for a long time. They kiss and dance and assumedly live happily ever after with each other.
Watch Happiness for Beginners only on Netflix!
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