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In My Dreams (2014) movie poster

Timeline

In My Dreams (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2014 · 94 mins · English
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Directed by
Kenny Leon
Starring
Eileen Pedde, Giacomo Baessato, Serge Houde, Mike Vogel, JoBeth Williams, Eric Keenleyside

Natalie and Nick feel unlucky in love and, after making a wish at a fountain, begin dreaming of each other. According to legend, they have only one week to make those dreams a reality and find true romance. The film explores their journey as they try to turn fantasy into a lasting connection.

Fantasy Drama Romance Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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14 events in order · contains spoilers

In My Dreams Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of In My Dreams (2014) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Wishes at the Hayward Fountain

    Nick and Natalie stand on opposite sides of the fountain and each make a penny wish. Their coins touch underwater, and both feel a strange, almost electric shift in the air as if the wish were heard. This moment marks the start of their inexplicable bond.

    When
    First scene
    Where
    Hayward Fountain

  2. Dream meeting at the fountain

    That night, Nick and Natalie dream they meet at the Hayward Fountain and introduce themselves with instant chemistry. When they reach for a kiss or touch, the dream collapses and they wake up apart in their own homes. The dream makes their connection feel real and urgent.

    When
    In a dream
    Where
    Hayward Fountain (in dream)

  3. Natalie shares the dream with Sharla

    The next day, Natalie tells her best friend Sharla about the vivid dream and the sense of a shared fate. Sharla's cousin seems interested in the restaurant, but Natalie isn't pursuing that connection. Sharla becomes distracted by Mario, the ambitious Italian chef Natalie has brought in to revamp the menu.

    When
    Day after dream
    Where
    Natalie's restaurant

  4. Lori Beth date fails

    Nick's date with Lori Beth falls flat as she becomes over-eager and overbearing. She sends hourly reminders, outfits, and even includes Nick's mom in the loop, which only pushes him away. He walks her to her car at the end, clearly uninterested in a second date.

    When
    Day
    Where
    Lori Beth's date location

  5. Rooftop dream and near-kiss

    Another dream sets them on a rooftop where they talk about ambitions and share an amaretto cookie. They balance on the edge of the roof as they lean toward kissing, but the moment ends abruptly and they wake up on the floor. The dream deepens their attraction while reminding them their bond is not yet real.

    When
    In a dream
    Where
    Rooftop

  6. Third dream: long walk and feelings grow

    In their third dream, Nick and Natalie stroll through the night, encouraging each other's careers. They begin to admit they are developing real feelings for one another. The dream sequences blur the line between fantasy and reality.

    When
    In a dream
    Where
    In dreams

  7. Jessa interruption and Mario's kiss

    Just before sleep, Jessa calls Nick to handle a rodent problem and seizes the moment to tempt him, so Natalie won't discover him. Meanwhile, Natalie goes dancing with Mario and he kisses her, hinting at a potential real connection that doesn't involve Nick.

    When
    That night
    Where
    Nick's home and nearby dance venue

  8. The florist and the seven-day myth

    Nick dines at Natalie's restaurant but they fail to meet. She discovers two sketches on the floor—one of his bridge and one of the Hayward Fountain—and goes to the fountain where she meets a florist. The florist explains fountain mythology and tells them they have seven days to turn their dreams into reality, while hinting that the legend may be unreliable.

    When
    Evening after the date
    Where
    Hayward Fountain

  9. Natalie vows not to sleep to avoid heartbreak

    That night, Natalie dreams of Nick again but confesses she can't meet him because he's not real. She learns they only have seven days left to fulfill the myth, and she resolves not to sleep the next night to avoid heartbreak.

    When
    Dream
    Where
    In dreams

  10. 40th anniversary and leap of faith

    At Nick's parents' 40th anniversary, his father mentions the fountain legend and his mother urges him to take a leap of faith. Inspired, Nick quits his job at the architecture firm, deciding to pursue his own path and perhaps take a chance on love.

    When
    Nick's parents' 40th anniversary
    Where
    Nick's parents' home

  11. Spark between Sharla and Mario prompts action

    Natalie notices the spark between Sharla and Mario at the restaurant, which reinforces her determination to find Nick. Simultaneously, Nick resolves to find Natalie and leaves the award ceremony to search for her.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Restaurant and award ceremony

  12. Nick's town-wide search for Natalie

    Nick travels to every Italian restaurant in town in search of Natalie, hoping for a sign of her. He eventually ends up near the Hayward Fountain, clinging to the belief that fate might bring them together.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Italian restaurants across town

  13. Natalie finds the invite and heads toward the ceremony

    Natalie finds the invite Nick dropped at the fountain and heads toward the ceremony, hoping to reunite with him. She eventually makes her way back to the fountain where their paths converge and they kiss.

    When
    Evening before ceremony
    Where
    Hayward Fountain

  14. Final kiss and florist introduction

    The next day Natalie introduces Nick to the florist who sparked the seven-day myth, closing the arc with a hopeful note for turning dreams into reality. The meeting hints at a real future beyond legend.

    When
    Day after kiss
    Where
    Floral shop

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:07

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Timeline questions answered

In My Dreams Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of In My Dreams (2014): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why do Nick and Natalie start dreaming about each other?

After both making a wish at the Hayward Fountain with pennies that touch underwater, Nick and Natalie begin sharing vivid dreams each night where they meet at the fountain. The legend suggests the fountain grants a connection between two people who make wishes simultaneously, binding them through dreams until they find each other in reality.

  • dream connection
  • fountain legend
  • wish
  • natalie
  • nick
  • hayward fountain
Q2

Why do Nick and Natalie wake up whenever they try to touch in the dreams?

The dreams collapse and they wake up apart whenever they reach for physical contact, such as kissing. This represents the boundary between their fantasy bond and reality, they share an emotional connection in the dream realm but haven't yet found each other in the real world to make it physical.

Foreshadowing: The first dream ends the same way, whenever they reach for a kiss, they wake up alone.

  • dream touch
  • kiss
  • wake up
  • dream realm
  • physical contact
Q3

What is the seven-day rule from the fountain legend?

According to the florist at the Hayward Fountain, the legend states that when two people's coins touch in the fountain, they have exactly seven days to turn their shared dreams into reality. If they fail to find each other within that week, the connection is lost forever and the dreams stop.

  • seven days
  • legend
  • fountain myth
  • time limit
  • florist
Q4

Why does Natalie decide not to sleep?

After learning they only have seven days and frustrated that Nick seems not to be looking for her in the real world, Natalie decides to avoid sleeping to prevent the dreams and protect herself from heartbreak. She fears becoming too invested in someone who may not exist outside her dreams.

  • avoid sleep
  • heartbreak
  • seven days
  • dreams
  • fear
Q5

Why does Jessa call Nick right before he's supposed to dream?

Jessa, Nick's cheating ex-girlfriend, deliberately calls him to deal with a rodent problem and seduces him, preventing him from falling asleep and entering the shared dream. This ensures Natalie won't find him that night, creating distance between the dream couple.

  • jessa
  • ex girlfriend
  • seduction
  • interruption
  • nick
Q6

Why does Nick quit his architecture job?

At his parents' 40th anniversary, Nick's father mentions the fountain legend and his mother urges him to take a leap of faith. Inspired to pursue his own path and take a chance on love, Nick quits his job at the architecture firm where he's been only a draftsman despite being a trained architect.

  • quit job
  • architecture firm
  • leap of faith
  • parents anniversary
  • nick
Q7

How do Nick and Natalie finally find each other?

Nick drops an invite at the fountain that Natalie finds, while she heads to the ceremony. They miss each other initially, but Nick searches every Italian restaurant in town, finds the Russo family, learns about Natalie, and returns to the fountain where they finally meet and share a kiss.

  • find each other
  • fountain
  • italian restaurant
  • search
  • kiss
Q8

What role does the florist play in the story?

The florist at the Hayward Fountain explains the seven-day legend to Natalie and provides the crucial time constraint that drives the plot. She gives Natalie hope that the connection could be real while also suggesting the legend might be unreliable, urging Natalie to find a real man.

  • florist
  • legend
  • mythology
  • advice
  • hayward fountain
Q9

Why does Mario kiss Natalie?

After Nick fails to appear in the dream due to Jessa's interruption, Natalie goes dancing with Mario. He kisses her at the end of the night, telling her their mothers were friends in Italy and always believed they would end up together. This represents a potential real-world alternative to her dream connection.

  • mario
  • kiss
  • italian
  • natalie
  • mothers
Q10

Why does Nick search every Italian restaurant in town?

Determined to find Natalie before the seven days expire, Nick goes to every Italian restaurant in the city hoping to find a lead. He eventually locates the Russo family and learns where Natalie might be, directing him back to the fountain where they finally reunite.

  • italian restaurants
  • search
  • nick
  • natalie
  • seven days
Q11

What prompts Natalie to actively search for Nick?

While at her restaurant, Natalie notices the growing spark between her best friend Sharla and chef Mario. This realization about others taking chances on love inspires Natalie to stop waiting and actively pursue Nick, leading her to find the invite he dropped at the fountain.

  • sharla
  • mario
  • spark
  • inspiration
  • natalie
  • nick
Q12

What is the significance of Nick's bridge design in the story?

Nick, a trained architect working only as a draftsman, secretly designed a bridge for the Green Bridge Award competition. He shares this ambition in the dreams with Natalie, and she later finds one of his sketches at her restaurant, helping her realize he must be real and connected to her world.

  • bridge
  • architect
  • design
  • contest
  • sketch
  • nick

Movie threads

More Movies Like In My Dreams, by Mood & Story

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

Whimsical romantic fantasies like In My Dreams

Charming tales where fate or magic brings two souls together. If you enjoyed the magical connection in In My Dreams, you'll love these other movies where fate, fantasy, and a sprinkle of whimsy guide characters toward true love. Discover charming stories about dreams, legends, and serendipitous encounters that lead to heartwarming happy endings.

  • whimsical
  • romantic
  • hopeful
  • dreamlike
  • heartwarming
  • optimistic
  • Tone: hopeful, whimsical
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often begin with a character feeling unlucky or unfulfilled in love, who then encounters a magical element—a wish, a legend, or a supernatural link—that provides a hopeful path forward. The plot follows their gentle journey of learning to trust the magic and take a leap of faith into a real-life romance.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared tone of hopeful optimism, the central theme of a magical or fated love story, and their light, gentle emotional weight that prioritizes heartwarming feelings over heavy drama.

In My Dreams movie poster

In My Dreams

2014
This Beautiful Fantastic movie poster

This Beautiful Fantastic

2017
The Good Witch’s Gift movie poster

The Good Witch’s Gift

2010
Looking for Magical Doremi movie poster

Looking for Magical Doremi

2020
My Santa movie poster

My Santa

2013
Whisper of the Heart movie poster

Whisper of the Heart

1996
Love’s Unfolding Dream movie poster

Love’s Unfolding Dream

2007
A Royal Christmas Ball movie poster

A Royal Christmas Ball

2017

Gentle character-driven journeys like In My Dreams

Steady-paced stories about quiet personal growth and new beginnings. Fans of the steady, hopeful pacing of In My Dreams will appreciate these films about personal growth. These movies feature relatable characters on a low-stakes journey of self-discovery, moving on from the past, and finding the courage to pursue a more fulfilling life and love.

  • gentle
  • hopeful
  • heartwarming
  • comforting
  • optimistic
  • cozy
  • Tone: hopeful, gentle
  • Pacing: steady, reassuring
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist stuck in a rut, often due to past disappointments. A catalyst—like a new opportunity or a meaningful encounter—prompts a gentle, steady progression as they learn to be more vulnerable and take risks, leading to a positive and well-earned resolution.

Why they belong together: These films share a straightforward, low-intensity narrative with a steady pace and a light emotional touch. They are united by a focus on relatable character arcs about personal renewal and the courage to start anew, resulting in a consistently hopeful and comforting vibe.

3 Days of Normal movie poster

3 Days of Normal

2012
Finding Mr. Destiny movie poster

Finding Mr. Destiny

2010
Finding You movie poster

Finding You

2021
Happy Days movie poster

Happy Days

2007
The Good Witch’s Gift movie poster

The Good Witch’s Gift

2010
Home Again movie poster

Home Again

2017
Sympathy Seeker movie poster

Sympathy Seeker

1997
Let’s Be Happy movie poster

Let’s Be Happy

1957

Every angle

In My Dreams (2014) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about In My Dreams 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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