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You Are Here (2012) movie poster

Characters & Themes

You Are Here (2012) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2012 · 79 min · English
Directed by
Daniel Cockburn

A reclusive woman embarks on a surreal journey seeking meaning, which leads her to discover a complex network of interconnected worlds. Cryptic documents and unsettling recordings begin to permeate her life, and she develops close relationships with enigmatic people, each struggling with their own perceptions of reality. As her detailed records become increasingly significant, she confronts the dissolving lines between worlds and must decide whether she controls her fate or is a piece in a larger, ongoing puzzle.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Characters explained (4)
  2. 2 Where & when it takes place
  3. 3 Themes & meaning (3)
  4. 4 Character & meaning questions
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like You Are Here
  7. 7 Categories
  8. 8 Every angle

4 main characters · contains spoilers

You Are Here Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of You Are Here (2012), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Steve Dallas

    Steve is a talented weatherman characterized by his carelessness and indulgence in fleeting pleasures. As the story unfolds, he faces significant emotional turmoil, leading to a profound identity crisis fueled by his feelings for Angela and his entanglement with Ben's life. His growth reflects a search for genuine connection and self-worth.

    • 🌤️ Weatherman
    • 🎭 Self-Discovery
    • 😓 Crisis
  • Ben Baker

    Ben is a carefree yet troubled soul, embodying the free-spirited nature of a hippie while wrestling with bipolar disorder. His journey is one of self-discovery, ambition, and reclaiming his life through the inheritance of the family farm. Ben's character represents the struggle between mental health and societal expectations, ultimately seeking peace and purpose.

    • 🌈 Hippie
    • 📚 Educator
    • 🌿 Growth
  • Angela

    Angela is a compassionate special education teacher and Ben's stepmother. Despite the turmoil surrounding Ben's inheritance, she remains a figure of warmth and support. Her relationship with Steve adds complexity to her character as she navigates the emotional fallout of the family's dynamics.

    • ❤️ Compassionate
    • ✨ Supportive
    • 👩‍🏫 Educator
  • Terry

    Terry, Ben's sister, embodies ambition and a strong desire for control amid family chaos. Her efforts to modernize the family store indicate a proactive approach but also signify tension with Ben's more whimsical aspirations. Terry's character highlights the conflict between tradition and progress within family dynamics.

    • 💼 Ambitious
    • ⚖️ Conflict
    • 👩‍🔧 Modernization

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

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Setting

Where and When Does You Are Here Take Place?

The setting of You Are Here (2012): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The film does not specify a particular time period but captures the contemporary struggles of its characters against the backdrop of familial responsibility and personal crises. Modern themes of mental health awareness are woven throughout, reflecting current societal values and challenges.

Location

WRSC office, family farm, Amish farm, town center

The WRSC office serves as a hub for Steve's weather forecasting career, contrasting with the more rustic settings of the family farm and Amish farm. The family farm, with its expansive fields and general store, symbolizes Ben's roots and ambitions. The peaceful Amish farm represents a simple lifestyle, providing Ben with inspiration for his educational pursuits. The town center serves as a focal point for community interactions and reconnection with the past.

  • 🏢 Office
  • 🌾 Farm
  • 🚜 Countryside
  • 🏡 Community

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

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3 major themes

You Are Here Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is You Are Here (2012) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Heartbreak

    The theme of heartbreak runs deep as characters navigate relationships filled with betrayal, love, and loss. Steve grapples with feelings of rage and anguish after discovering Ben's intimacy with Angela, leading to a painful emotional climax. Meanwhile, Ben's journey towards self-acceptance and his complex relationships with family highlight the emotional turmoil of navigating love and support.

  • New Beginnings

    New beginnings emerge as Ben commits to transforming his life and the family farm into a space for educational exploration. His path symbolizes renewal and the potential for growth after adversity. Steve, too, seeks a fresh start, deciding to leave his job in search of personal fulfillment and reconciliation with his past.

  • Existential Crisis

    Both Steve and Ben confront deep existential questions throughout the film. Steve's journey forces him to reevaluate his life choices and sense of identity, leading to an emotional reckoning. Ben's struggle with mental health adds complexity to his search for purpose and stability amidst the newfound wealth and responsibilities.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

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Character & theme questions

You Are Here Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about You Are Here (2012): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where does the story take place?

The movie centers around a family farm in rural America, with key scenes set at the WRSC office where Steve works as a weatherman. The farm includes a general store and is adjacent to a peaceful Amish farm, while the town center serves as a hub for community interactions and reconnection with the past.

  • family farm
  • amish farm
  • rural setting
  • wrsc office
  • town center
Q2

When is the movie set?

The film takes place in contemporary times without specifying an exact year. It reflects modern societal issues, particularly around mental health awareness and current attitudes toward family responsibility and personal crises.

  • contemporary
  • modern setting
  • time period
Q3

What role does heartbreak play in the story?

Heartbreak drives much of the emotional conflict as characters navigate relationships filled with betrayal, love, and loss. Steve experiences rage and anguish after discovering Ben's intimacy with Angela, leading to a painful emotional climax. Ben also grapples with emotional turmoil through his complex relationships with family while dealing with mental health struggles.

  • heartbreak
  • betrayal
  • emotional conflict
  • relationships
Q4

What does the new beginnings theme represent?

New beginnings emerge as characters commit to transforming their lives. Ben decides to convert the family farm into a space for educational exploration, symbolizing renewal after adversity. Steve similarly seeks a fresh start by leaving his weather forecasting job in search of personal fulfillment and reconciliation with his past.

  • new beginnings
  • renewal
  • growth
  • personal transformation
Q5

Who is Steve Dallas and what is his role?

Steve Dallas is a talented weatherman at WRSC known for his carefree lifestyle and indulgence in fleeting pleasures. Throughout the film, he faces significant emotional turmoil stemming from his feelings for Angela and his entanglement with Ben's life, leading to an identity crisis and search for genuine connection and self-worth.

  • steve dallas
  • weatherman
  • identity crisis
  • emotional journey
Q6

Who is Ben Baker and what defines his character?

Ben Baker is a carefree but troubled soul embodying a free-spirited hippie nature while wrestling with bipolar disorder. His journey involves self-discovery and ambition through inheriting the family farm. His character represents the struggle between mental health and societal expectations as he seeks peace and purpose.

  • ben baker
  • bipolar disorder
  • mental health
  • family farm
  • hippie
Q7

Who is Angela in the story?

Angela is Ben's stepmother and a compassionate special education teacher. Despite the turmoil surrounding Ben's inheritance and the family's emotional conflicts, she remains a supportive figure. Her relationship with Steve adds complexity as she navigates the emotional fallout within the family dynamics.

  • angela
  • stepmother
  • special education
  • family dynamics
Q8

What is Terry's role in the family?

Terry is Ben's sister, embodying ambition and a strong desire for control amid family chaos. She attempts to modernize the family store, representing a proactive approach that creates tension with Ben's more whimsical aspirations. Her character highlights the conflict between tradition and progress within family dynamics.

  • terry
  • sibling rivalry
  • family conflict
  • tradition vs progress
Q9

How does the film address mental health?

The film weaves in modern themes of mental health awareness, particularly through Ben's bipolar disorder. His journey includes a depressive episode and court evaluation, adding complexity to his search for purpose and stability. The narrative reflects current societal values and challenges around mental health treatment and understanding.

  • mental health
  • bipolar disorder
  • awareness
  • bipolar episode
Q10

What existential questions do characters face?

Both Steve and Ben confront deep existential questions throughout the film. Steve's journey forces him to reevaluate his life choices and sense of identity, leading to an emotional reckoning about his career and relationships. Ben's struggle with mental health adds complexity to his search for purpose and stability amidst newfound wealth and responsibilities.

  • existential crisis
  • identity
  • self-worth
  • life choices
  • purpose
Q11

What is the overall tone and ending of the film?

Despite dealing with serious topics like mental health crises, family legal disputes, and betrayal, the film maintains a hopeful tone. The ending is definitively happy, with characters finding peace through forgiveness, new romantic prospects, and peaceful new chapters. The emotional weight touches on sadness and anger but never becomes overwhelmingly heavy, resolving positively.

  • tone
  • happy ending
  • hope
  • forgiveness
  • reconciliation
  • resolution

Movie threads

More Movies Like You Are Here, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with surreal hopeful journeys like You Are Here

Characters finding meaning and connection within strange, dreamlike realities. If you enjoyed the mix of surreal exploration and heartfelt character growth in You Are Here, these movies offer similar experiences. They are sci-fi and fantasy dramas where characters embark on quests through strange worlds, balancing existential questions with a hopeful, redemptive tone.

  • hopeful
  • surreal
  • quirky
  • existential
  • reflective
  • warm
  • Tone: hopeful, whimsical, earnest
  • Pacing: steady, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist, often feeling lost or reclusive, embarking on a journey that challenges their perception of reality. They encounter enigmatic guides and surreal situations, with the plot unfolding steadily as they piece together a larger puzzle about their world and their place in it, ultimately leading to a positive resolution.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a unique blend of speculative fiction elements with a character-driven, hopeful core. They prioritize emotional warmth and a sense of wonder over darkness, creating a feeling of an earnest, quirky adventure into the unknown.

Character-driven self-discovery movies like You Are Here

Stories about overcoming personal struggles to find peace and purpose. For viewers who liked the emotional core of You Are Here, this list features dramas about characters finding themselves. These movies explore themes like mental health, family conflict, and friendship, leading to redemptive arcs and new beginnings with a medium emotional weight and a hopeful feel.

  • reflective
  • redemptive
  • hopeful
  • earnest
  • warm
  • self-discovery
  • Tone: hopeful, redemptive, warm
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows characters as they confront past traumas, complicated relationships, or personal crises. Through a series of significant life events and emotional confrontations, they gradually work through their issues. The story is driven by dialogue and character development rather than plot twists, building towards a resolution that emphasizes forgiveness and hopeful new starts.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they offer a similar viewing experience: a steady, reflective pace that allows you to connect deeply with characters facing real-life struggles. They balance moments of sadness or tension with an overall warmth and a ultimately happy, satisfying conclusion centered on personal growth.

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Movies Like You Are Here

Similar movies to You Are Here: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Categories

Movie Lists Featuring You Are Here

You Are Here appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

View all movie categories

Every angle

You Are Here (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about You Are Here 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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