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Plot Summary

Sequoia (2014) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2014 · 86 mins · English
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Directed by
Andy Landen
Starring
Demetri Martin, Joey Lauren Adams, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dustin Milligan, Aly Michalka, Todd Lowe

A great place to quit life! A young man meets a 23-year-old cancer patient on the way to the park and disrupts her plan to commit suicide.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Sequoia: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Sequoia (2014) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Riley Aly Michalka records her visit with her doctor, Sean Hood who plays Dr. Morton, so her absent mother will know Riley has stage 3 oral cancer with a 10% chance of survival.

On a bus to Sequoia National Park, Ogden Dustin Milligan offers to drop her off after their chance encounter, and just before she exits his car, she kisses him.

Earlier the same day, Riley’s sister, Van Sophi Bairley, tries to sneak out to meet Riley but totals the car. Van reluctantly tells their father, Oscar Todd Lowe, that Riley is in Sequoia with lethal drugs.

Furious, Oscar phones his ex-wife and Riley’s mother, Bev Joey Lauren Adams, who shows no sympathy toward Riley’s latest “staged drama.” Bev’s new partner, Steve Demetri Martin, is equally unsympathetic. Steve and Bev, motivated to finalize Oscar and Bev’s divorce papers, agree to drive Oscar and Van to Riley’s location—just after Steve drives them all to his interview first.

Back at the hotel, Riley listens to Van’s voicemail and is upset to learn that Van won’t be joining her on her last day.

In the morning, Ogden finds Riley at the hotel’s pool where she shows him the effects of her oral cancer. He stays with her and also obliges to take her to the peak, the ironically named Hanging Rock.

It is not until Riley and Ogden reach a blocked road that she reveals to him that she’s taken lethal drugs and is running out of time. This frustrates them both. She steals his car and drives away leaving him behind, but Ogden, having memorized her phone number from earlier, calls and promises that he’ll stay with her until the end wherever she wants to go. Reunited, Riley teaches Ogden how to film her last moments but in doing so, they also film each other exploring and enjoying the park. During a brief rainstorm, they retreat to the car and Ogden plays the mandolin and sings an original song to her.

Afterwards, Ogden films Riley from afar as she approaches the Sherman Tree (General Sherman Tree), a tree believed to have healing powers. There, she meets Colin Lou Diamond Phillips, a man with AIDS who prays to the tree, by telling it his disease, why he wants to live, for how many years, and what he promises to do if he gets his wish. Riley doesn't ask for a specific number of years but she does ask to live to help Ogden’s songwriting.

Riley then collapses, but Ogden manages to drive her to the peak for her final moments. When Riley’s family arrives, they see Riley peacefully lying on Ogden’s lap.

Riley’s parents watch her videos in a hospital waiting room. Riley wakes up and Van asks her to stick around until Van is at least 18. The film ends with all of Riley’s family bickering, but reunited. While her family bickers, Riley receives a call from Ogden who sings her new lyrics to his song from earlier.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:07

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Plot questions answered

Sequoia Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Sequoia (2014): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Riley steal Ogden's car?

Riley steals Ogden's car because she has already taken lethal drugs and is running out of time. She needs to reach Hanging Rock, the peak she planned to die on, before the drugs take effect. When they encounter a blocked road, she panics and takes the car to continue her journey alone, not wanting Ogden to witness her death.

  • riley
  • ogden
  • car theft
  • hanging rock
  • escape
Q2

What does Riley ask the General Sherman Tree for?

At the General Sherman Tree, Riley doesn't ask for a specific number of years to live like the other man, Colin, does. Instead, she asks to live long enough to help Ogden with his songwriting. This shows her transformation from someone who wanted to die to someone who now has a reason to want to live.

  • general sherman tree
  • riley
  • wish
  • songwriting
  • healing
Q3

Does Riley die in Sequoia?

Riley does not die. After collapsing near the Sherman Tree, Ogden drives her to the peak. When her family arrives, they find her alive but weak, lying on Ogden's lap. She is taken to a hospital where she wakes up, and her sister Van asks her to stick around until Van turns 18. The film ends with her alive and reconnecting with her family.

  • riley survival
  • ending
  • hospital
  • family reunion
Q4

Who is Colin in the movie Sequoia?

Colin is a stranger Riley meets at the General Sherman Tree. He is a man living with AIDS who visits the tree to pray, telling it his disease, how many years he wants to live, and what he promises to do if his wish is granted. His presence serves as a mirror to Riley's situation, both are terminal patients seeking hope at the same sacred location.

  • colin
  • aids
  • general sherman tree
  • stranger
  • prayer
Q5

Why does Riley want to commit suicide?

Riley has stage 3 oral cancer with only a 10% chance of survival. She records her doctor's visit to prove to her absent mother, Bev, that her condition is real, not another staged drama. Unable to face a painful death from cancer and feeling unsupported by her mother, Riley decides to take control of her death by planning a suicide at Sequoia National Park.

  • riley
  • cancer
  • suicide
  • motivation
  • oral cancer
Q6

Why does Ogden stay with Riley after learning she took drugs?

After Riley reveals she has already taken lethal drugs, she steals his car to escape him. However, Ogden memorizes her phone number from earlier and calls her, promising to stay with her until the end wherever she wants to go. This commitment moves Riley to let him back into her journey, and he remains with her through her final moments, filming her and supporting her.

  • ogden
  • commitment
  • phone call
  • support
  • loyalty
Q7

Why does Riley kiss Ogden on the bus?

Riley kisses Ogden just before she gets off the bus because despite planning to die, she feels a genuine connection with him. It's a spontaneous, meaningful moment where she acts on human instinct for connection rather than her suicide plan. This kiss foreshadows the emotional relationship that develops between them the next day.

  • riley
  • ogden
  • kiss
  • bus
  • connection
Q8

Why do Bev and Steve drive Oscar and Van to find Riley?

Bev and Steve agree to drive Oscar and Van to Sequoia, but their motivation is partly self-serving. They want to finalize the divorce papers between Bev and Oscar, using the trip as an opportunity to tie up legal matters. This creates tension as Oscar is desperate to reach his dying daughter while Bev and Steve prioritize their schedule, including stopping for Steve's job interview first.

  • bev
  • steve
  • oscar
  • divorce papers
  • family conflict
Q9

Why does Riley think Van won't meet her at the park?

Riley becomes upset when she listens to a voicemail from her sister Van at the hotel. Van reveals she won't be joining Riley on her last day because she totaled the car trying to sneak out. This disappoints Riley, who was looking forward to seeing her sister one last time before dying. The misunderstanding is later resolved when the family arrives together.

  • riley
  • van
  • voicemail
  • disappointment
  • sister
Q10

What is the significance of the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia?

The General Sherman Tree is a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park believed by visitors to have healing powers. People pray to the tree, sharing their diseases, how many years they want to live, and what they promise to do if granted their wish. Colin explains this tradition to Riley, making the tree a symbol of hope and a central location where Riley ultimately asks to live.

  • general sherman tree
  • healing
  • prayer
  • tradition
  • sequoia

Movie threads

More Movies Like Sequoia, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about finding hope in sadness like Sequoia

Stories where profound grief is met with moments of grace and connection. If you were moved by the bittersweet balance of Sequoia, explore more movies like it. These films tackle heavy themes like terminal illness or grief but are defined by their tender, hopeful hearts, focusing on the connections that bring light into dark times.

  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • tender
  • intimate
  • cathartic
  • reflective
  • Tone: bittersweet, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern often involves a character confronting a seemingly insurmountable loss or a finite future. The journey isn't about overcoming the obstacle but about learning to live with it, finding small victories, and forming transformative relationships that redefine what it means to find peace and happiness.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a specific emotional recipe: a heavy central theme balanced by a tender, often intimate tone. The pacing is typically steady and character-driven, allowing for quiet, reflective moments that make the hopeful beats feel earned and genuine, rather than saccharine.

Movies about life-changing encounters like Sequoia

When a chance meeting irrevocably alters the course of two lives. For viewers who loved the central relationship in Sequoia, this list features similar movies where a pivotal meeting changes everything. These stories focus on how a chance connection between strangers can disrupt despair and lead to unexpected healing and new beginnings.

  • intimate
  • reflective
  • tender
  • hopeful
  • character-driven
  • emotional
  • Tone: intimate, reflective
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot is typically character-driven, starting with two individuals on separate, often isolating, trajectories. Their paths cross, creating an initial friction that gives way to a deep, transformative bond. The story explores how this connection helps each character heal old wounds, face their fears, and choose a different path than the one they were on.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core narrative engine: a 'found connection' that serves as the catalyst for change. They possess an intimate, reflective mood and a steady pacing that allows the relationship to develop authentically. The emotional core is the transformative power of human understanding.

Every angle

Sequoia (2014) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Sequoia 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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