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Endings, Beginnings (2019) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Endings, Beginnings (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 110 mins · English
Echo score 67
JustWatch #11,964 9
Directed by
Drake Doremus
Starring
Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan, Shamier Anderson, Matthew Gray Gubler, Lombardo Boyar, Sherry Cola

An artist dumps her longtime boyfriend, but her attempt to take a break from dating ends when she quickly finds herself in two passionate romances.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (7)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Endings, Beginnings
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Endings, Beginnings (2019)

Where can you watch Endings, Beginnings? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, AMC+ and Hulu: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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7 main characters · contains spoilers

Endings, Beginnings Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Endings, Beginnings (2019), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Daphne (Shailene Woodley)

    A 30-something woman navigating heartbreak and a desire for self-definition after a breakup. Her journey oscillates between romance and personal autonomy as she learns to own her choices and their consequences.

    • 💫 Independent
    • 💔 Love triangle
    • 🧭 Self-discovery
  • Frank (Sebastian Stan)

    A free-spirited, impulsive presence who entrances Daphne with a wild, adventurous energy. He embodies reckless allure and challenges Daphne's longing for stability.

    • 🔥 Passion
    • 🌀 Impulsiveness
    • ✨ Desire
  • Jack (Jamie Dornan)

    A sober, intelligent writer who offers steady companionship and thoughtful conversation. He represents domestic life and emotional reliability, in contrast to Frank's spontaneity.

    • 🧠 Intellectual
    • 🏡 Domestic
    • 💬 Communication
  • Billie (Lindsay Sloane)

    Daphne's sister, a grounding presence who hosts gatherings and provides practical support and perspective on Daphne's choices.

    • 👭 Family
    • 🏠 Home
    • 💬 Advice
  • Sue (Wendie Malick)

    Daphne and Billie's mother, a speaker of hard-won experience about relationships and stability, offering a nuanced view of love's complexities.

    • 👩‍👧 Family
    • 🧭 Perspective
    • 🧡 Maternal
  • Jed (Ben Esler)

    Daphne's former employer whose inappropriate behavior reveals painful dynamics from her past and the impact of power on personal life.

    • 💼 Workplace
    • ⚖️ Consequences
    • 🕊️ Healing
  • Adrian (Matthew Gray Gubler)

    Daphne's former partner who briefly reappears as a source of support and potential reconciliation, highlighting the possibility of returning connections.

    • 💞 Past relationship
    • 🗣️ Encouragement
    • 🌟 Hope

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

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Setting

Where and When Does Endings, Beginnings Take Place?

The setting of Endings, Beginnings (2019): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Location

Billie's poolhouse, Daphne's home, party locations in town, road trip up north, baby shower venue

The setting centers on a contemporary, urban-suburban environment around family homes and social gatherings. The poolhouse serves as a temporary retreat for Daphne as she navigates her upheaval, while New Year’s parties and family events anchor the story in close-knit social circles. Scenes shift from domestic spaces to a spontaneous road trip up north, highlighting the mix of private introspection and public social life.

  • 🏡 Domestic
  • 🎄 Holiday
  • 🚗 Road trip

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

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3 major themes

Endings, Beginnings Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Endings, Beginnings (2019) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Romance & Choice

    Daphne is torn between two very different men, exploring how romance can both illuminate and complicate a quest for stability. The film examines desire, commitment, and the consequences of choosing between passion and long-term compatibility. It shows how love can catalyze growth while also forcing hard decisions.

  • Self-Discovery

    Caught between a breakup and a sabbatical from alcohol and dating, Daphne tests different versions of herself. The narrative follows her attempts to reclaim independence and clarity, weighing personal freedom against relationship expectations. Through her choices, she discovers what she values in life and love.

  • Unexpected Parenthood

    Pregnancy becomes a pivotal moment that reshapes Daphne's plans and priorities. It prompts a reckoning with responsibility, honesty, and the possibility of new beginnings. This development reframes her relationships and future aspirations in a deeper, more committed light.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:21

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Character & theme questions

Endings, Beginnings Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Endings, Beginnings (2019): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is Endings, Beginnings set?

The movie takes place in a contemporary urban-suburban environment, primarily set around family homes and social gathering spaces. Key locations include Billie's poolhouse where Daphne stays during her upheaval, New Year’s parties, family events, and a road trip up north. The mix of domestic spaces and travel highlights both private introspection and public social life.

  • setting
  • locations
  • poolhouse
  • road trip
  • domestic
Q2

When does the story take place?

The movie is set in contemporary times with no specific era mentioned. The modern setting is indicated by the lifestyle, technology, and social contexts shown throughout the film, including contemporary dating culture and workplace dynamics.

  • time period
  • contemporary
  • modern setting
Q3

What are the main themes in Endings, Beginnings?

The film explores three interconnected themes: Romance & Choice (Daphne torn between two different men and what love reveals about stability), Self-Discovery (her journey to reclaim independence after a breakup while testing different versions of herself), and Unexpected Parenthood (pregnancy as a pivotal moment that reshapes her priorities and forces honest reckoning with responsibility).

  • themes
  • romance
  • self-discovery
  • pregnancy
  • choices
Q4

Who is Daphne and what is her story about?

Daphne is a 30-something woman played by Shailene Woodley navigating heartbreak and a desire for self-definition after ending a long-term relationship. Her journey oscillates between pursuing romance and maintaining personal autonomy as she learns to own her choices and their consequences.

  • Daphne
  • Shailene Woodley
  • protagonist
  • breakup
Q5

Who are Frank and Jack and how do they differ?

Frank (Sebastian Stan) is a free-spirited, impulsive presence who entrances Daphne with wild, adventurous energy and embodies reckless allure, challenging her longing for stability. Jack (Jamie Dornan) is a sober, intelligent writer who offers steady companionship and thoughtful conversation, representing domestic life and emotional reliability in contrast to Frank's spontaneity.

  • Frank
  • Jack
  • Sebastian Stan
  • Jamie Dornan
  • love triangle
  • opposites
Q6

Who is Billie in the movie?

Billie (Lindsay Sloane) is Daphne's sister who serves as a grounding presence throughout the story. She hosts family gatherings, provides practical support, and offers perspective on Daphne's choices, acting as a stable anchor in Daphne's otherwise turbulent life.

  • Billie
  • Lindsay Sloane
  • sister
  • family
  • support
Q7

What role does Daphne's mother play?

Sue (Wendy Malick) is Daphne and Billie's mother who offers hard-won experience about relationships and stability. She provides a nuanced view of love's complexities and serves as a voice of practical wisdom throughout Daphne's romantic turmoil.

  • Sue
  • mother
  • Wendie Malick
  • wisdom
  • family
Q8

What is the significance of the poolhouse in the story?

Billie's poolhouse serves as Daphne's temporary retreat as she navigates her emotional upheaval following the breakup. It represents a space of transition and independence, a personal sanctuary where Daphne can reflect and recalibrate her life away from her former partner while figuring out her next steps.

  • poolhouse
  • retreat
  • transition
  • independence
Q9

What does the title Endings, Beginnings mean?

The title reflects the film's central exploration of transitions in life and love. Daphne experiences an ending of her long-term relationship, which becomes the catalyst for new romantic beginnings. The bittersweet tone arises from the juxtaposition of hopeful new beginnings with the complications of romantic entanglements, ultimately ending on a hopeful note as she takes control of her future.

  • title
  • meaning
  • themes
  • transitions
  • new beginnings
Q10

What is the emotional tone of the movie?

The film carries a bittersweet tone, juxtaposing Daphne's hopeful new beginnings with the complications and uncertainties of her romantic entanglements and strained family dynamics. The emotional weight is medium, dealing with serious themes like breakup, unexpected pregnancy, and workplace misconduct, balanced by narrative elements of personal agency and reconciliation.

  • tone
  • bittersweet
  • emotional
  • mood
  • feel
Q11

What does the road trip in the movie represent?

The road trip up north represents a journey of self-exploration and escape from the domestic pressures of Daphne's everyday life. It highlights the film's mix of private introspection and public social life, allowing Daphne to step outside her known environment while processing her romantic entanglements and personal desires.

  • road trip
  • symbolism
  • journey
  • north
  • exploration
Q12

What is Jed's role in the story?

Jed (Ben Esler) is Daphne's former employer whose inappropriate behavior reveals painful dynamics from her past and demonstrates how power imbalances can impact personal life. His presence highlights one of the challenging circumstances Daphne has faced before the story begins, adding depth to her journey toward self-definition.

  • Jed
  • workplace
  • former employer
  • power dynamics

Movie threads

More Movies Like Endings, Beginnings, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Endings, Beginnings tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Bittersweet Love Triangle Dramas Like Endings, Beginnings

Stories where romantic choices force a deeper search for personal identity. Discover movies similar to Endings, Beginnings that explore the emotional complexities of a love triangle. If you liked watching Daphne navigate her relationships with Jack and Frank, you'll find other thoughtful romantic dramas about difficult choices, personal growth, and finding yourself.

  • relational tension
  • introspective
  • romantic
  • uncertain
  • searching
  • passionate
  • Tone: bittersweet, introspective, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives follow a protagonist at a crossroads, often after a significant life change. They become involved with two people who represent different paths or ideals. The story unfolds through this relational tension, using it as a catalyst to explore themes of identity, desire, and the consequences of choice, typically leading to a resolved but realistically complex ending.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a focus on internal conflict driven by romantic entanglement. They balance the excitement of new connection with the bittersweet pain of uncertainty and sacrifice, all set against a backdrop of steady, character-driven pacing and medium emotional intensity.

Movies About Hopeful New Beginnings Like Endings, Beginnings

Emotional journeys of starting over, finding strength in uncertainty. Find films like Endings, Beginnings that capture the vibe of starting over. If you enjoyed Daphne's journey of rebuilding her life after a breakup, these movies feature characters navigating uncertainty, personal growth, and the hopeful promise of a fresh start.

  • hopeful
  • searching
  • introspective
  • melancholic
  • relational
  • uncertain
  • Tone: hopeful, melancholic, introspective
  • Pacing: steady, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern begins with a catalyst that dismantles the protagonist's old life. The story then follows their tentative steps into the unknown, exploring the challenges and small victories of building something new. There is a strong emphasis on internal growth, often supported by new relationships or reconciled old ones, culminating in an ending that feels hopeful but earned, acknowledging the scars of the past.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific emotional mix: they handle serious, relatable life crises with a tone that is ultimately uplifting. They balance melancholy with hope, and relational drama with a core theme of individual agency, creating a resonant and comforting viewing experience for anyone facing transition.

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Movies Like Endings, Beginnings

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Every angle

Endings, Beginnings (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Endings, Beginnings in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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