The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Natasha and her family face deportation because they are undocumented immigrants from Jamaica. Their family has been living in New York City, but their immigration status was denied, forcing them to return to Jamaica. The movie takes place on the day before their scheduled deportation, adding urgency to Natasha's decisions throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Natasha mentions her parents' love story and her passion for science, hinting at her determination to fight for her family's future.

• deportation
• immigration
• Natasha
• Jamaica
• family

Daniel and Natasha meet on a New York City subway. Daniel hears a story from the train conductor about being present for a specific purpose in life, which inspires him. Shortly after, he sees Natasha in danger from a reckless driver and rushes to help her. This leads to their first conversation, where they discuss belief and fate over coffee.

Foreshadowing: The conductor's speech about purpose foreshadows the central theme of fate that connects Daniel and Natasha.

• subway
• first meeting
• Daniel
• Natasha
• New York

Jeremy Martinez, the lawyer helping Natasha with her immigration case, gets into a car accident that sidelines him from working on her case. This unexpected event gives Natasha and Daniel more time to spend together, deepening their relationship throughout the day.

Foreshadowing: The accident serves as a plot device that removes the primary obstacle preventing Natasha from spending time with Daniel.

• Jeremy
• lawyer
• accident
• car accident
• immigration case

Natasha's immigration case is denied. Despite Jeremy's efforts and a recommendation to take her case pro bono, the appeal to keep the family in the U.S. is rejected. This confirms that Natasha's family must leave the country the next day, creating the central conflict of the story.

Foreshadowing: The early scenes showing Natasha's desperation to change her family's fate build toward this devastating realization.

• immigration case
• denied
• appeal
• Jeremy
• deportation

The film shows that Natasha's family is indeed deported at the end of the one-day timeline. However, five years later, she returns to New York City on a student visa, suggesting she eventually found a way back to the U.S. legally.

Foreshadowing: The bittersweet ending balances loss with hope, showing that while they were separated, their connection endured.

• deported
• ending
• five years later
• student visa
• reunion

Daniel sees Natasha in danger from a reckless driver on the street and rushes to protect her. This act of bravery is what initiates their first meeting. The subway conductor's earlier speech about being at a specific place for a specific purpose motivates Daniel to take action rather than just observe.

Foreshadowing: The conductor's philosophical message about purpose sets up Daniel's decision to intervene.

• danger
• driver
• chase
• rescue
• subway conductor

At the airport, as Natasha is about to be deported, she and Daniel share a final moment. They perform what appears to be an eye contact test, trying to see if they can still connect emotionally after everything they've been through. This poignant scene represents their unspoken promise to each other despite the impending separation.

Foreshadowing: This moment connects to their earlier discussions about fate and whether some things are meant to be.

• airport
• eye contact test
• goodbye
• final meeting
• deportation

The film ends with Daniel and Natasha reuniting five years later. Natasha returns to New York on a student visa and unexpectedly encounters Daniel at a coffee shop, where he is reciting poetry. They share a kiss, suggesting their connection has endured despite years of separation and divergent paths.

Foreshadowing: The ending fulfills the film's themes of fate and interconnectedness that were established throughout their one day together.

• reunion
• together
• five years later
• coffee shop
• kiss

The story takes place in one day because it is the day before Natasha's family deportation. This compressed timeline creates urgency and intensity, reflecting how a single day can contain a lifetime of emotion and connection. The film uses this constraint to explore whether love can defy fate in a short timeframe.

Foreshadowing: Natasha's opening voiceover about the Big Bang and how understanding the heart could take just one day establishes this premise.

• one day
• timeline
• 24 hours
• deportation
• urgency

The title references a line from a poem by Nicky, Daniel's brother, about how the sun is also a star. This scientific fact represents the film's themes of interconnectedness, how seemingly different things share common origins, and how love can bridge different worlds. It connects to Daniel's poetic nature and his belief in fate.

Foreshadowing: Daniel's interest in poetry and his plant seeds for this thematic brother's writings element throughout the film.

• title meaning
• sun
• star
• poem
• Nicky

Natasha is a scientific skeptic who doesn't believe in fate, while Daniel is a romantic idealist who believes everything happens for a reason. Their contrasting views on belief and fate drive their relationship dynamic throughout the film, creating both tension and connection as they challenge each other's perspectives.

Foreshadowing: Their first conversation over coffee sets up this philosophical clash that runs through the entire story.

• fate
• belief
• skepticism
• romanticism
• science vs faith

Natasha's family must leave because their immigration status was not approved. Despite working with lawyer Jeremy Martinez and attempting to appeal their case, the family's request to stay in the U.S. is denied, forcing them to return to Jamaica the next day.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that the family has been living in fear of this outcome.

• family
• Jamaica
• leave
• United States
• immigration status