Tom Ford’s A Single Man is a visually meticulous, emotionally restrained, and deeply human story about grief, loneliness, dignity, and the quiet terror of continuing to live after losing the person who gave your life meaning. Adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel, the film follows a single day in the life of George Falconer, a British professor living in 1960s Los Angeles after the sudden death of his longtime partner.
This is not a plot-heavy film. It is a mood-driven, character-centered meditation where every glance, color shift, and pause carries emotional weight.
Detailed Summary
George’s Decision: Preparing to Die
The film opens with George Falconer (Colin Firth) waking up and calmly preparing for what he has already decided will be the last day of his life. He methodically arranges his affairs: laying out clothes, writing letters, selecting a gun, and rehearsing how his body will be found so as not to disturb anyone unnecessarily.
Right from the start, we understand something crucial: George is not impulsive, he is exhausted. This is a man who has been living in grief for eight months since the death of his partner Jim in a car accident, and he no longer sees a future worth enduring.
The Memory of Jim and Social Isolation
Through flashbacks and voiceovers, we see George’s life with Jim. Their relationship was loving, domestic, and deeply intimate, yet socially invisible. When Jim died, George was not even allowed to attend the funeral because Jim’s family did not acknowledge their relationship.
This humiliation and erasure compound his grief. He is mourning not only Jim but also the fact that their life together was never considered legitimate by the world around them.
Throughout the day, George interacts with colleagues, students, and strangers, but he remains emotionally detached. However, certain moments briefly pierce his numbness: the beauty of a student’s face, the sound of children playing, the sight of a dog, sunlight filtering through trees. In these moments, the film subtly shifts color saturation, visually representing George’s temporary return to feeling.
The University Day and Kenny’s Interest
At the university, George gives a lecture about fear of minorities, subtly reflecting his own position as a gay man in 1962 America. One student, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), is especially attentive and curious about George. Kenny senses something deeper beneath George’s composed exterior and attempts to connect with him.
Kenny’s interest is not purely academic. There is an emotional and possibly romantic curiosity in his approach, but more importantly, he sees George as someone worth knowing.
The Visit to Charley
In the evening, George visits his close friend Charley (Julianne Moore), a lonely divorcée who drinks too much and still harbors unresolved feelings for him. Their interaction is bittersweet, filled with tension, nostalgia, and the pain of what cannot be.
Charley envies Jim, envies George’s ability to love deeply, and envies a life she can never have. George, in turn, sees in Charley a mirror of his own isolation. Their evening together is one of the most emotionally raw parts of the film.
The Turning Point: A Night with Kenny
After leaving Charley, George meets Kenny by chance at a bar. They talk, drink, and eventually go swimming naked in the ocean under the moonlight. This scene is pivotal. For the first time in the film, George genuinely laughs. He feels alive, spontaneous, present.
They return to George’s house, where Kenny stays the night. Nothing overtly sexual happens. Instead, there is a quiet intimacy, a companionship, and a gentle possibility that George’s life may not be entirely over.
Kenny represents youth, openness, and the idea that George can still be seen and valued.
Movie Ending
When George wakes up the next morning, something has changed. He no longer feels the same crushing despair. He looks at himself in the mirror differently. The gun he had carefully prepared the previous day is now almost forgotten in a drawer.
He sits in his living room, calm, reflective, and oddly at peace. For the first time since Jim’s death, George is not thinking about dying. He is thinking about continuing.
Then, suddenly, without warning, George suffers a heart attack and dies in his chair.
This ending is profoundly ironic and devastating. George spent the entire day preparing to take his own life, only to rediscover a reason to live. Just as he mentally steps away from suicide, fate intervenes.
The final image shows George reunited with Jim in a memory-like embrace, suggesting emotional closure rather than tragedy. The film does not frame his death as punishment or despair, but as a quiet, almost poetic release.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. There are no post-credits or mid-credits scenes.
Type of Movie
A Single Man is an intimate psychological drama and character study that explores grief, identity, repression, and the fragile beauty of fleeting human connection.
Cast
- Colin Firth as George Falconer
- Julianne Moore as Charley
- Nicholas Hoult as Kenny Potter
- Matthew Goode as Jim
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Abel Korzeniowski, whose music is central to the film’s emotional atmosphere. The haunting strings and recurring themes mirror George’s internal state and are widely regarded as one of the most beautiful film scores of the 2000s.
Filming Locations
The film was shot primarily in Los Angeles, California. Notably:
- The Schaffer Residence by architect John Lautner served as George’s home. Its modernist glass architecture symbolizes emotional transparency and isolation.
- Various LA streets and university locations recreate the restrained, polished aesthetic of the early 1960s.
The architecture and design are not background elements; they are extensions of George’s emotional world.
Awards and Nominations
- Colin Firth was nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor
- Won BAFTA Award for Best Actor
- Nominated for Golden Globe Awards
- Abel Korzeniowski’s score received multiple nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Colin Firth won Volpi Cup for Best Actor
Behind the Scenes Insights
- This was Tom Ford’s directorial debut, coming from a fashion background.
- Ford personally oversaw set design, costumes, and color palettes.
- Colin Firth has said this is one of the most emotionally demanding roles of his career.
- The film was shot in just 21 days.
Inspirations and References
The film is based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel A Single Man. The themes also reflect Isherwood’s own life as a gay expatriate living in California.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
No alternate ending exists, but several small character moments were trimmed to keep the film tightly focused on George’s single-day journey.
Book Adaptations and Differences
- The novel is more introspective and less visually stylized.
- The film amplifies the romantic and aesthetic elements.
- Kenny’s role is more emotionally emphasized in the film than in the book.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- George practicing how his body will be discovered after his suicide
- The dinner scene with Charley
- The moonlit swim with Kenny
- The final quiet moment before his heart attack
Iconic Quotes
- “A few times in my life I’ve had moments of absolute clarity.”
- “We are all made from the same atoms.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Color saturation increases when George feels emotion.
- George’s glasses come off in scenes where he feels vulnerable.
- The gun drawer becomes less visually prominent as his will to live returns.
Trivia
- Tom Ford financed part of the film himself.
- The house used for filming is an architectural landmark.
- The film’s costume design was influenced by Ford’s fashion expertise.
Why Watch?
Because few films portray grief with this level of restraint and dignity. It is a quiet masterpiece about the thin line between despair and hope.
Director’s Other Works (Movies)
- Nocturnal Animals (2016)
