Tomorrow Ever After (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place in New York City, specifically in 2015. The urban setting of Manhattan and its streets serve as the primary backdrop for Shaina's misadventures as she navigates a world vastly different from her own time.

• new york city
• manhattan
• setting
• nyc
• urban

The story unfolds in 2015 New York City. This time period is significant because it represents the 'present' that Shaina, coming from 600 years in the future, must navigate. The contrast between 2015 and her distant future creates the central displacement narrative.

• 2015
• time period
• present day
• modern era

Shaina is a historian from approximately 600 years in the future, making her home time period around 2615. Her civilization exists in a world where concepts like war, greed, and prejudice are only known through historical texts, making her encounter with 2015 reality both jarring and enlightening.

• shaina
• future
• 600 years
• historian
• distant future

The movie explores three primary themes: Empathy, which examines human kindness and its power despite cynicism; Time & Displacement, which focuses on navigating unfamiliar social norms and the longing to return home; and Greed, which looks at how wealth and technology can corrupt while also triggering moments of cooperation.

• themes
• empathy
• displacement
• greed
• time travel

The Great Despair is a concept from Shaina's future era that she believes defines the 2015 time period. It represents her pre-conceived notion that people in this era are inherently greedy, lonely, and unkind. However, her journey challenges this assumption as she encounters acts of genuine kindness and generosity.

• great despair
• shaina future
• cynicism
• human nature

Shaina is the protagonist, a historian from 600 years in the future who arrives in 2015 after a physics experiment goes wrong. Her role is that of an earnest, hopeful seeker attempting to return home while testing her belief in universal human goodness. She serves as the lens through which the audience examines modern society.

• shaina
• protagonist
• historian
• time traveler

Milton is the man who initially mugs Shaina, discovering the unlimited potential of her advanced device. He is primarily motivated by survival and money, though his character evolves to show a pragmatic streak that can bend toward cooperation. His journey reflects the complex moral choices people make when faced with opportunity.

• milton
• mugging
• motivation
• survival
• money

The movie presents a nuanced view of human kindness: while Shaina initially misreads the era as one of despair, she discovers that acts of generosity do exist and can ripple through people she meets. The narrative uses empathy as a catalyst for change, even when others are wary or cynical, ultimately testing whether human goodness can survive in a complex modern world.

• kindness
• empathy
• human nature
• generosity
• compassion

The movie explores how advanced technology, represented by Shaina's device, can be corrupted when wielded without ethics. Milton's attempt to monetize the implement exposes the risks of powerful technology in greedy hands, while also triggering moments of cooperation and learning that complicate simple judgments about human nature.

• technology
• ethics
• device
• greedy
• moral choices

New York City serves as both a battleground for misadventures and a testing ground for human kindness. The bustling metropolis with its street encounters and everyday dangers provides a stark contrast to Shaina's distant future. The city's urban stress and diverse responses to a stranger with advanced technology shape how her quest unfolds.

• new york city
• urban setting
• city life
• environment