That Night (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Alice is a lonely 10-year-old whocraves the warmth and affection she doesn't receive from her own father. She watches Sheryl and tries to copy every detail, from her perfume to her records, because Sheryl seems to have the loving relationship with her father that Alice longs for. Alice's fixation is less about romantic attraction and more about yearning for that missing parental warmth.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Alice's father is emotionally distant, setting up her desperate need for a role model.

• alice bloom
• sheryl o'connor
• obsession
• father
• loneliness

Sheryl's mother disapproves of Rick primarily because he is much older than Sheryl, he's 17 while she's a teenager, and he works as a bowling alley counter boy with no stable future apparent to her. Additionally, the neighborhood is buzzing with gossip about their relationship, and as a single father who recently died, Sheryl's mother is protective and concerned about her daughter's reputation and future prospects.

Foreshadowing: The mother's disapproval is hinted at when she first forbids Sheryl from seeing Rick after the beach day.

• sheryl mother
• rick
• disapproval
• forbidden love

Sheryl discovers she is pregnant, and her mother sends her to an unwed mothers' home hundreds of miles away to hide the pregnancy from the community. The film does not show her giving birth or keeping the baby, it focuses on her difficult choice between love and family obligation. Later, a postcard suggests she and Rick are together on the West Coast, implying they may have raised the child together.

Foreshadowing: Alice's father warns her to stay away from Rick just before Sheryl's pregnancy is revealed, creating a chain of escalating consequences.

• sheryl pregnancy
• unwed mothers home
• baby

Sheryl is sent away because she becomes pregnant out of wedlock in early 1960s America, a time when unwed mothers faced severe social stigma. Her mother sends her hundreds of miles away to hide the pregnancy from the neighborhood and preserve the family's reputation. This separation also serves to physically separate Sheryl from Rick, whom her mother disapproves of.

Foreshadowing: The tension between Sheryl's mother and Rick escalates immediately following the beach day, building toward this breaking point.

• unwed mothers home
• sheryl sent away
• pregnancy
• family

Rick gets arrested after he and his gang drive to Sheryl's house demanding to see her. When Sheryl's mother declares Sheryl is gone and orders Rick to leave, he pushes past the door trying to get inside. A brawl erupts between his group and the neighborhood men. Rick spends a week in jail for his involvement in the fight and refusal to leave the property.

Foreshadowing: The buildup to this confrontation includes Rick's repeated phone calls being rejected by Sheryl's mother, showing his desperation building.

• rick arrested
• jail
• brawl
• confrontation

Yes, Sheryl and Rick do end up together. After Sheryl sneaks out to meet Rick at midnight near the unwed mothers' home, and after she chooses not to run away with him, they share a final embrace before her bus departs. However, a postcard Alice receives later confirms that Sheryl and Rick made it to the West Coast together and are doing well, suggesting they ultimately stayed together despite the obstacles.

Foreshadowing: Rick offers Sheryl an engagement ring during their midnight reunion, symbolizing his commitment to a future together.

• sheryl rick ending
• together
• west coast
• postcard

Alice helps Sheryl and Rick because she is deeply infatuated with Sheryl and wants to remain close to her. By helping Sheryl sneak out to see Rick, Alice gets to spend time with Sheryl and be part of her world, even if it's in a supporting role. Alice also records a booth-record of their secret nights together, capturing the memories she cherishes.

Foreshadowing: Alice's initial fixation on Sheryl naturally evolves into her willing participation in the secret relationship.

• alice helps sheryl
• sneak out
• boardwalk
• conspiracy

The postcard Alice receives confirms that Sheryl and Rick made it to the West Coast and are thriving together. This resolves the film's central romance on a hopeful note, the couple overcame the obstacles of family disapproval, pregnancy, and separation. However, for Alice, it also confirms that she has lost direct access to both Sheryl and the exciting adult world she yearned to be part of.

Foreshadowing: The midnight reunion where Sheryl considers running away but ultimately chooses family sets up this ambiguous resolution.

• postcard ending
• west coast
• resolution
• sheryl rick

Sheryl chooses not to run away with Rick because she cannot abandon her family, especially given her recent loss of her father and her mother's need for her. When she meets Rick at midnight, she admits she loves him but explains she can't leave her family behind. Her practical side also recognizes the difficulties of their situation, being pregnant, young, and with limited resources. The engagement ring Rick offers represents hope, but she ultimately prioritizes her family obligations.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Sheryl's mother forbade the relationship, showing the family pressure that ultimately holds Sheryl back.

• sheryl runs away
• family
• choice
• engagement ring

Sheryl's father's death is the pivotal event that brings her and Rick together. After the funeral, Sheryl breaks down at the bowling alley while returning her shoes, and Rick consoles her, leading to their first kiss. His death also deepens Sheryl's vulnerability, making her more receptive to Rick's affection and more defiant toward her mother's later restrictions. The loss fundamentally changes Sheryl's circumstances and accelerates her relationship with Rick.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene showing the warmth between Sheryl and her father establishes what Sheryl has lost.

• sheryl father dies
• funeral
• rick first kiss
• turning point