Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Roy Horne
Based on the 2002 Danish film
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Rebecca Hall, Mckenna Grace, Jackson Robert Scott, Daniel Dae Kim, Aimee Teegarden, Ann Dowd, Jeremy Jordan
Plot: Hannah (Aimee Teegarden) gives a speech at a party to congratulate Cecilia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Jack (Miles Teller) on their engagement. The happy couple are surrounded by friends and family in a private room at a nice restaurant. Hannah jokes that maybe she'll be the next one to have one of these big celebrations and gives a wink to Jack's brother Cody (Jeremy Jordan) while the rest of the group laughs. Jack decides to stand up and propose a toast to Cecilia, revealing that he just bought a house for them.
Neal (Alexander Skarsgard) and Marie Michaels (Rebecca Hall) wake up for their day. Neal, a doctor, gets dressed in his scrubs for his shift at the hospital. Meanwhile, Marie gets their kids, Stella (Mckenna Grace) and Aaron (Jackson Robert Scott), ready for school.
While they are unpacking boxes into their new home, Jack informs Cecilia that he is going to go rock climbing with his brother Cody that weekend. Cecilia is a bit taken aback that he's just mentioning something like that now but does her best to be understanding. He gives Cecilia a kiss and tells her that he has to pick up some new boots. He promises to help with more boxes when he gets back so that they can be all unpacked before the weekend.
Marie calls Neal at the hospital and asks him why he isn't home with the kids yet. Neal reminds his wife that he's working a double shift in the E.R. that night. Frustrated, Marie hurries out to her car and drives down the road - clearly a little faster than she should be going - to pick up the kids.
On his way home from the sporting goods store, Jack's car gets a flat tire. He pulls over to change it. The wheel proves a bit sticky. He uses all his might to finally loosen the last bolt, sending himself falling backward. Just then, Marie's car hits Jack. Marie slams on her brakes. She looks through her rear-view mirror at Jack's still body on the side of the road. Looking at the clock, she realizes how late she is to pick up the kids from their after school activities. She looks around to make sure there are no witnesses and drives away down the road.
When Marie finally arrives to pick up the kids, Stella asks what happened to her car. Marie lies and says that she hit a deer on the way, which is why she was so late to get them. Aaron asks if the deer was still alive. Marie looks at the ground and says she isn't sure.
Neal is supervising the emergency room when Jack is rushed in by paramedics. They inform Neal that the patient was found unresponsive on the side of the road and appears to have been hit by a car before someone finally came along and called them. Neal leaps into action and immediately begins assessing Jack's injuries. He quickly finds that Jack's nerves don't appear to be responding to stimuli. He orders a nurse, Anna (Ann Dowd), to clear a room for the patient so they can perform more tests.
Cecilia wakes up on the couch and in the middle of the night notices that Jack has been gone for several hours now. She tries calling his cell phone, but it goes to voicemail. She calls Cody and asks if he’s heard from Jack, but he says he hasn’t.
In the morning, Neal is relieved by his colleague Dr. Raymond Park (Daniel Dae Kim). Neal begins explaining the situation to Raymond when Jack finally wakes up. He asks where he is and Neal says that he's at the hospital and that he had an accident. Neal asks Jack if he remembers what happened. Jack says he was changing a flat tire, then everything went black. Raymond asks Jack if there is anyone he needs them to call, and Jack says 'Cecilia' before slipping out of consciousness.
Cecilia is pacing around the house when her phone rings. She leaps to answer it. It's Neal telling her that he's a doctor and that Jack was brought to the E.R. after apparently being hit by a car. Cecilia tells him that she's on her way to the hospital now.
Neal arrives at home just before dawn and notices the damage to his wife's car. He climbs into bed. Marie wakes up from the movement and gives him a kiss. He asks her what happened to her car, and she says that she hit a deer on her way to pick up the kids last night. Neal, with his eyes closed and ready to sleep, says that's coincidental since he spent the last several hours working on a patient that was hit by a car himself. As Neal falls asleep, Marie is suddenly wide awake.
Marie takes her car to the car wash and carefully cleans the damaged areas. She then takes it into the shop to be repaired. The mechanic comments on the damage, and Marie tells him the same deer story she told her family.
Neal arrives at the hospital for work. He asks Anna how Jack is doing. She says that he's awake now. Neal goes into Jack's room and finds Cecilia there with him. Cecilia wants to know what's going to happen. Neal looks over Jack's chart for a moment, trying to find the words. Neal then explains that Jack has sustained severe spinal damage - to both the neck and back areas - in the accident which has rendered him paralyzed from the neck down. Basically, he'll be able to talk and think, but not much else. Cecilia breaks down crying while Jack remains emotionless. Jack asks to be left alone. Neal leaves the room. Cecilia tells Jack that she doesn't want to leave him. Jack then yells at her to leave him alone.
While eating dinner as a family, Marie asks Neal about his patient that was hit by a car the other night. Neal suggests that it is not really a dinner conversation, but Stella and Aaron interject, saying they’re curious as well. Neal explains that a young man was hit by a car and left on the side of the road. His spine was crushed in multiple places, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Marie begins crying at the table. Stella asks her if she’s alright, and Marie just says that it is a sad story. Collecting herself, Marie asks if the patient has any family. Neal says that he’s talked to his fiance at the hospital, but he’s not sure beyond that. Marie says that Neal should do whatever he can to help the patient and his loved ones.
Cecilia and Cody both try talking to Jack, but he wants to be left alone. She tells him that if you love someone you don't just leave them alone and her hope is that if she loves him enough, he'll eventually start to love himself again. Jack tells Cecilia to never come back, but she promises she'll be back. Cody asks Cecilia if she needs a ride home since they came together, but she insists she'll be fine on her own.
Cecilia sits down in the hospital cafeteria and cries. Neal enters the cafeteria and sees Cecilia. He sits across from her and asks her if she'd like some food. She asks if it's hospital food. Neal jokes that he'd never eat that and offers her a tuna sandwich from his lunch bag. Cecilia asks Neal what she should do about Jack and how he's acting. Neal tries to explain that Jack's anger is completely normal for someone in his position. He tells her to give him time. He then notices the time and tells her his break is over. Cecilia thanks him for talking to her. Neal offers her his phone number in case she has questions regarding Jack's treatment or just needs someone to talk to.
Cecilia visits Jack and undresses in his hospital room to try to get his attention. Naked, Cecilia climbs onto his bed and begins kissing him. Jack stares at the ceiling, trying to ignore her. Crying, Cecilia tries to pull Jack's arms around her, but they fall back down to his sides. Anna and Raymond enter the room to check on Jack as he is yelling at Cecilia to get out of the room. Frustrated, Cecilia leaves the room. Anna tells Jack that he should go easy on Cecilia since she’s just trying to help. Jack tells Anna that he’s already trying to go easy on Cecilia by trying to get her to stop loving him.
Neal, Marie, Stella and Aaron are all on the couch trying to decide what to watch on television when Neal's phone starts ringing. He answers it, and to his surprise it is Cecilia. He leaves the living room and takes the phone call outside. She begins venting about Jack and how he's acting some more. He then cuts her off and asks if she needs him to come over. She says yes.
Neal arrives at Cecilia's house. Dozens of unpacked boxes litter the new home. She explains that they were just moving in when Jack's accident happened. She offers him a beer, which he accepts. Cecilia then wraps her arms around Neal and asks him to hold her for a moment. Uncomfortable at first, Neal complies. Cecilia begins kissing Neal's neck. She undresses much as she did in Jack's hospital room, but this time she has found a willing partner. Cecilia and Jack proceed to have sex on the living room floor. Afterward, Neal tells Cecilia that he must go or his wife and kids may grow suspicious. Cecilia says she understands and thanks Neal for coming over.
Cecilia tries visiting Jack at the hospital again, but Anna tells her that Jack is refusing to allow her to see him. Cecilia is hurt by this, but admits defeat and leaves the hospital. Jack hears the conversation from down the hall. He sheds a single tear that he tries to blink away.
Jack asks Cody to visit him. When he arrives, Cody finds out quickly that Jack isn’t interested in a social call, but rather wants Cody, as a lawyer, to handle a legal matter. Cody is disappointed, but asks Jack what he wants. Jack says that he wants to pass sole ownership of the house to Cecilia. He also asks that Cody give her his key to the house since obviously he won’t be needing it ever again. Cody asks what happened between Jack and Cecilia. Jack says nothing happened other than the accident.
Neal and Cecilia lay in bed, their naked bodies inter-coiled. She asks him if he’s ever cheated on his wife with anyone else before. Neal tells her, truthfully, that he never has. He tells her that she is the first other woman he’s been with in over 15 years. Cecilia finds comfort in not being just another mistress for Neal.
When Neal gets home, Marie says that it feels like she and the kids hardly see him these days. Neal says some doctors recently left the hospital, so he and some others have had to pick up some slack and work a little extra to keep things running smoothly. Before going to bed, Neal checks his phone and sees that Cecilia has sent him several nude photographs of herself along with the message “Sweet dreams.” Neal quickly turns off his phone when Marie begins to get ready for bed herself.
At the hospital, Anna hears Jack yelling from down the hall at the nurses’ station and rushes into his room to see what he needs. He demands some water. Anna tells Jack that it wouldn’t hurt to be nicer. Jack laughs at the thought, snidely saying that since he’s paralyzed nothing can hurt him now anyways. Anna gives Jack some water. As Jack drinks, Anna tells him that everyone understands why he’s upset about his situation but there will eventually be a time when lashing out at others and being bitter aren’t going to do anything for him. Raymond enters the room and asks what the commotion was about. Anna says nothing, Jack just needed some help.
Neal returns home after meeting up with Cecilia. Marie asks him where he’s been. At first, Neal’s natural instinct is to make up a lie, but instead he stops himself and admits that he’s been sleeping with Cecilia - the fiance of his paralyzed patient. Upset, Marie accidentally reveals that she’s the one who hit Cecilia’s fiance. Neal is shocked at this revelation, but Marie tells him that he doesn’t get to judge her and in return she will try to not judge him for his misdoings either. Marie tells Neal to end things with Cecilia so that their family can go back to normal. Neal doesn’t know how to respond. Angered by Neal’s lack of response, Marie drives over to Cecilia's house to confront her about her affair with Neal. Marie then sees a picture of Cecilia and Jack on the table. Marie calms down and tells Cecilia that she understands why she is upset and wants someone to comfort her, but she asks Cecilia not to break her family apart before leaving.
When Marie returns home, she finds Neal waiting for her with a bag packed. Marie asks him what he thinks he’s doing. Neal says that he loves Cecilia. Marie scoffs at the notion, insisting she has just confused him. Neal says that maybe that’s true but he can’t help it. Marie pleads with him to stay. Stella and Aaron ask their parents what’s going on, and Marie sadly proclaims, through tears, that their father is leaving them. Neal apologizes to the kids and leaves.
Neal sits in his car, parked in front of Cecilia’s house. When Cecilia arrives at her home after work, Neal gets out of his car. Cecilia hugs Neal and says that she thought he would be done with her after Marie found out about them. Neal calmly says that he’s left his family to be with her.
While Anna is feeding Jack his lunch, he asks her if Cecilia has stopped trying to visit him. Anna tells him that it was only a matter of time until she stopped coming all the way down to the hospital considering he would refuse to see her. Jack says that Cecilia is better off without him. Anna asks Jack if he’d like to get some fresh air. Anna pushes Jack in a wheelchair around the hospital grounds. Jack says that he hasn’t been outside since the accident. He asks Anna, since from what he can tell she is the only competent person around the building, what he should do about Cecilia. Anna asks if he still wants to be with her. He says he doesn't know, but he does know that he doesn't want to weigh her down with his newfound uselessness. Anna suggests that he have a conversation with her so they can figure things out themselves.
Neal and Cecilia are in bed having sex when Cecilia’s phone starts ringing. She looks over and sees that the call is coming from Jack’s phone. She climbs off of Neal and answers the call. Jack, with assistance from Anna holding his phone for him, asks Cecilia to come down to the hospital so they can talk. Cecilia tells him she’ll be there soon.
Cecilia goes to the
hospital to see Jack. He smiles at her and admits that he's missed her.
He apologizes to her for how he has acted since the accident. Cecilia
tells him that she understands. Jack tells her that she doesn't need to
pretend things are normal for them anymore. He says that they were just
unlucky, but that is no reason for Cecilia to suffer. He tells her that
he just wants her to be happy and to visit him every once and a while,
but that she should feel no responsibility for him anymore. She holds
back some tears and gives him a hug before leaving the hospital. Outside
of the hospital, Cecilia finds Neal waiting for her. They embrace as
snow begins falling around them. Cecilia asks Neal what’s next for them.
Neal says that he honestly doesn’t know, but for once he doesn’t mind
that.
