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Jinxed (2013) movie poster

Timeline

Jinxed (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 70 mins · English
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Directed by
Stephen Herek
Starring
Burkely Duffield, Ciara Bravo, Keegan Connor Tracy, Elena Kampouris, Jack Griffo, Jay Brazeau

The Murphy family suffers from an extraordinary amount of bad luck, stemming from a centuries-old curse placed upon their ancestor by a witch. After another unfortunate accident destroys their home, they relocate to their grandfather's house in Harvest Hills. There, teenager Meg Murphy finds herself facing not only continued misfortune but also her nemesis, Ivy. A budding romance with a local boy, Brett, complicates matters further when he inadvertently casts a love spell on her. Determined to break the family curse and finally experience a normal life, Meg, with the help of her brother Charlie, must confront the magical hex that has plagued their family for generations.

Comedy Fantasy Family 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

Jinxed Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Jinxed (2013) 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. Festival Day and a Kiss

    In 1913, Tommy Murphy wins the girl of his dreams at the town festival when Caitlin O'Leary agrees to dance with him. Violet surprises him by kissing him in front of Caitlin, humiliating his date and setting off a chain of emotions. The moment ends with Caitlin's curse condemning Tommy and all his descendants to incredibly bad luck.

    When
    1913
    Where
    Town Festival

  2. Caitlin's Curse on the Murphy Line

    Feeling humiliated, Caitlin curses Tommy and all of his descendants with incredibly bad luck. The curse seems to hang over the Murphy line, threatening misfortune at every turn. The festival becomes the origin point of a generations-spanning fate.

    When
    1913
    Where
    Town Festival

  3. Tommy's Heartbreak

    Tommy tries to track Caitlin down to reconcile, hoping to lift the curse. He is heartbroken when he learns she has married someone else, sealing the rift between their families. The revelation leaves him to face a life shadowed by bad luck.

    When
    1913
    Where
    Town

  4. A Century Later: Diary Found

    One hundred years pass before Meg Murphy and her brother Charlie discover Tommy's diary while researching a way to end the curse. The diary hints that reversing the curse will require a token from Caitlin's line. The discovery moves the Murphys from desperation to action.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Harvest Hills Historical Museum

  5. The Lucky Coin Stolen

    Meg and Charlie manage a daring heist to steal Tommy's lucky coin from Harvest Hills Historical Museum. The coin is the symbolic key to breaking the curse, and its possession becomes the central leverage in the plan. The theft marks a catalyst for a chain of new misfortunes and revelations.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Harvest Hills Historical Museum

  6. Descendants Revealed

    Meg realizes Ivy Murray is a descendant of Caitlin O'Leary, and she also suspects Brett is another Caitlin descendant. This discovery ties the modern-town kids to the ancient curse and sets up the festival exchange. The relationships deepen as the dance approaches.

    When
    2013
    Where
    School / Town

  7. Coin Passed at the Festival

    Meg schemes to pass the coin to Brett at the town festival, hoping to sever the curse's grip. Brett, unaware of the full stakes, asks Meg to the festival, confirming their shared Caitlin lineage. The exchange stitches together romantic and magical-fate strands.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Town Festival

  8. Diary's Secret Revealed

    A fragment of Tommy's diary ends up in Charlie's hands, revealing that the coin's transfer has inadvertently cursed Brett's family. The revelation heightens the tension as the consequences ripple through the next generation. The diary ties past and present into a single thread.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Charlie's Home

  9. Monkey Mayhem

    Brett's house is suddenly raided by an angry monkey, a bizarre manifestation of the curse's mischief. The chaos underscores how unpredictable luck has become for the Murphys and their Caitlin-linked rivals. The incident accelerates the push to fix the situation before the festival's end.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Brett's House

  10. Meg and Ivy Unite

    Meg convinces Ivy that she never intended to cause harm through the coin swap, and Ivy confronts how the curse has affected her as well. The two set aside old grievances and race toward the closing ceremony to set things right. Their uneasy alliance becomes a foundation for future friendship.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Ivy's Home / Town

  11. Closing Ceremony and Coin Return

    At the closing ceremony, Brett returns the coin to Meg, and a bolt of lightning strikes just as Meg is knocked toward a flag tower. Brett's quick rescue leads to a kiss, sealing a healing moment for both families. The public displays of luck falter, but personal bonds begin to mend.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Closing Ceremony

  12. Fresh Bonds and a Scientific Discovery

    Meg and Ivy become best friends, and Meg and Brett start dating as the curse loosens its grip. At science camp, Meg accidentally invents a potion that grows hair on bald heads, showing her scientific potential. The Murphys begin to embrace a hopeful future despite the curse's past.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Science Camp

  13. Tommy's Final Note and the Fountain

    Meg rereads the last part of Tommy's diary, which recalls that Tommy, due to bad luck, meets his wife at the hospital and throws his coin into the fountain, causing a flood. She learns that the curse is tied to attitude as much as fate, and that a positive mindset matters. The tale reinforces the idea that attitude shapes luck.

    When
    1913
    Where
    Hospital and Fountain

  14. Grand Canyon Vacation and Final Twist

    Meg's family travels to the Grand Canyon, their mischief provoking more bad luck for Ivy and Brett, who must run for their lives while laughing at the chaos. The scene caps the story with a playful note on Murphy's Law turning every plan into an adventure. The family reflects on luck, love, and resilience.

    When
    2013
    Where
    Grand Canyon

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:08

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Timeline questions answered

Jinxed Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Jinxed (2013): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Caitlin curse Tommy Murphy and his family?

Caitlin cursed Tommy after he accidentally tore her dress at the town festival, exposing her underwear in front of the crowd. The humiliation was compounded when Violet kissed Tommy right before the incident. Caitlin, already upset, interpreted the moment as a sign of Tommy's character and cursed him and all his descendants with terrible bad luck.

  • caitlin curse
  • tommy murphy
  • bad luck curse
  • origin of curse
Q2

How does the lucky coin break the Murphy family's curse?

According to Tommy Murphy's diary, the curse can be broken by giving the lucky coin to a descendant of Caitlin O'Leary. However, a crucial revelation shows the coin doesn't simply transfer luck, it acts as a conduit that can shift the curse from one family to another.

  • lucky coin
  • break curse
  • caitlin descendant
  • tommy diary
Q3

What happens when Meg gives the coin to Brett?

When Meg gives the lucky coin to Brett at the festival, she discovers through Charlie that the coin has transferred the curse to Brett's family instead of breaking it. This explains why Brett's house is immediately ransacked by an angry monkey, a bizarre manifestation of the transferred misfortune.

  • meg brett
  • coin transfer
  • curse transfer
  • monkey attack
Q4

Why does a monkey ransack Brett's house?

The monkey attack is a direct consequence of the coin being given to Brett. When the coin transfers the curse from the Murphy family to the O'Leary family, it triggers a wave of misfortune. The monkey is one of the bizarre manifestations of this transferred bad luck.

Foreshadowing: The diary fragment reveals the coin can shift the curse to another family.

  • monkey
  • brett house
  • misfortune
  • curse transfer
Q5

How does the Murphy family curse finally get broken?

The curse breaks when Brett returns the coin to Meg at the closing ceremony. Their shared moment of danger, when Brett saves Meg from falling off the flag tower during a lightning strike, seals a healing connection between the families. The public return of the coin, combined with their genuine bond, severs the curse's hold.

  • break curse
  • brett returns coin
  • lightning strike
  • curse lifted
Q6

Why do Meg and Ivy become friends after being rivals?

Meg convinces Ivy that she never intended to harm her family through the coin swap. Ivy realizes the curse has affected her life too, and the two set aside their old rivalry to work together toward the closing ceremony. This shared understanding of the curse's impact transforms their relationship from enemies to allies.

Foreshadowing: Ivy has experienced her own misfortunes throughout the film.

  • meg ivy
  • rivals to friends
  • curse impact
  • alliance
Q7

Why does Meg think Brett might be related to Caitlin O'Leary?

Meg discovers that Brett's last name is O'Leary, the same as Caitlin O'Leary who placed the curse in 1913. When she researches the family history, she confirms Brett is a direct descendant of Caitlin, which is why she believes giving him the coin could break the curse.

  • brett o'leary
  • caitlin descendant
  • family connection
  • last name
Q8

What does Tommy's final diary entry reveal?

Tommy's diary recounts that despite his lifelong bad luck, he met his loving wife at a hospital and threw his lucky coin into a fountain, causing a flood. The final note emphasizes that attitude matters as much as luck. Meg learns that resilience and a positive mindset can overcome even the strongest curse.

  • tommy diary
  • attitude
  • luck
  • fountain
  • hospital
Q9

Why does lightning strike when Brett returns the coin?

The lightning strike is a dramatic manifestation of the curse's final confrontation. As Brett returns the coin to Meg at the flag tower, the accumulated magical energy from the centuries-old curse reaches its peak. The strike doesn't break the curse through destruction, it triggers the moment where the curse can be released through the selfless act of returning the coin.

  • lightning
  • closing ceremony
  • flag tower
  • curse climax
Q10

What happens at the Grand Canyon in the ending?

The Murphy family takes a vacation to the Grand Canyon, where their famous bad luck resurfaces in wild chaos that affects Ivy and Brett as well. The scene serves as a playful epilogue demonstrating that while the curse is broken, the Murphy name still carries its legendary misfortune, now something they can laugh about rather than fear.

  • grand canyon
  • vacation
  • murphy luck
  • ending

Movie threads

More Movies Like Jinxed, by Mood & Story

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

Magical Misfortune Movies like Jinxed

Characters on a lighthearted mission to undo a bizarre and troublesome spell. Discover movies like Jinxed where characters confront a whimsical family curse or magical hex. These films blend fantasy and light comedy, focusing on a determined quest to fix their bad luck. If you enjoyed Jinxed, you'll love these stories of playful spells and happy endings.

  • magical
  • quirky
  • hopeful
  • lighthearted
  • optimistic
  • playful
  • Tone: whimsical, playful, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, quest-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Movies in this thread typically begin with the discovery or intensification of a magical problem, such as a family curse. The protagonists embark on a quest to research the hex's origins, find a solution, and confront the source of the magic. The journey is filled with comical mishaps caused by the spell, and the resolution is achieved through cleverness, teamwork, and often, an act of forgiveness or understanding.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a unique blend of low-stakes fantasy and comedic problem-solving. The central conflict is supernatural but humorous, creating a distinct 'whimsical' tone. They offer a satisfying narrative of overcoming a bizarre obstacle, resulting in a feel-good, optimistic experience.

Jinxed movie poster

Jinxed

2013
You Wish! movie poster

You Wish!

2003
The Magic Faraway Tree movie poster

The Magic Faraway Tree

2026
A Simple Wish movie poster

A Simple Wish

1997
Escape to Witch Mountain movie poster

Escape to Witch Mountain

1975
A Wizard's Tale movie poster

A Wizard's Tale

2018
Teen Witch movie poster

Teen Witch

1989
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble movie poster

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

1993

Teen Romance with Magic like Jinxed

Spells, potions, and magical mix-ups complicate budding high school relationships. If you liked the magical romance in Jinxed, explore these teen comedies where spells and witchcraft create fun relationship drama. These movies blend coming-of-age stories with light fantasy, featuring awkward magical mishaps and sweet, optimistic endings for the young couples.

  • teen romance
  • magical
  • lighthearted
  • optimistic
  • playful
  • coming of age
  • Tone: lighthearted, optimistic, whimsical
  • Pacing: steady, character-focused
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often feature a typical teen romance that gets hijacked by a magical event, like a love spell or a hidden magical identity. The plot revolves around the humorous consequences of this magic, forcing the characters to grow and learn about genuine connection beyond the spell's effects. The resolution typically involves the magic being resolved, leading to a sincere and happy romantic conclusion.

Why they belong together: This thread groups movies that perfectly mix the tropes of teen romantic comedies with the inventiveness of light fantasy. The shared vibe is optimistic, playful, and uplifting, with magic serving as a catalyst for character growth rather than a source of genuine danger. They offer an escape into a world where love and a little bit of magic can solve any problem.

Teen Witch movie poster

Teen Witch

1989
The Good Witch’s Garden movie poster

The Good Witch’s Garden

2009
Getting Lucky movie poster

Getting Lucky

1989
Bewitched movie poster

Bewitched

2012
Bewitched movie poster

Bewitched

2005
The Good Witch’s Family movie poster

The Good Witch’s Family

2011
Halloweentown High movie poster

Halloweentown High

2004
Lovestruck: The Musical movie poster

Lovestruck: The Musical

2013

Every angle

Jinxed (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Jinxed 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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