A charming, fate-driven romantic comedy set mostly in New York City, Serendipity explores how two strangers’ brief encounter ripples across years of their lives. It’s a story about chance, timing, and the stubborn hope that the universe knows what it’s doing.
Detailed Summary
Meeting at Bloomingdale’s
Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) meet by accident at Bloomingdale’s while reaching for the same pair of gloves during Christmas season. Sparks fly, but both are already in relationships. Instead of exchanging numbers, Sara insists that if they’re meant to meet again, fate will handle it. She writes her number in a book (Love in the Time of Cholera), sells it to a used bookstore, and Jonathan writes his on a $5 bill, which she spends. Their experiment with destiny begins.
The Ice Rink Date
They share a sweet, slightly surreal date at the Wollman Rink. Their chemistry becomes undeniable, but Sara remains committed to her belief system. They agree to one last test: Jonathan rides an elevator and Sara another. If they land on the same floor, they’ll be together. They don’t. They go home believing the moment has passed.
Years Later: The Almost-Marriages
Jonathan is engaged to Halley, a musicologist who’s into New Age ideas. Sara is engaged to Lars, a quirky musician obsessed with wind instruments. Despite this, both Jonathan and Sara find themselves plagued by lingering what-ifs. Fate starts nudging them: Jonathan finds the $5 bill in Halley’s wallet. Sara finds a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera with Jonathan’s name in it. Their internal alarms go off.
The Search Phase
Jonathan, encouraged by his hilarious best friend Dean, obsessively searches for Sara using clues. Sara, meanwhile, travels back to New York just before her wedding, her doubts mounting. They repeatedly almost find each other but always miss by seconds—Jonathan arriving at Sara’s hotel just as she leaves, Sara walking past Jonathan without noticing him.
Fate Tightens the Net
Dean writes a farewell speech for Jonathan’s wedding but accidentally delivers it to Jonathan’s ex-fiancée’s house—where Jonathan finds the exact copy of the book Sara signed years earlier. It’s the most direct cosmic wink yet. Both Jonathan and Sara call off their weddings, unable to ignore the signs any longer.
Movie Ending
Jonathan travels to the ice rink where they had their first date, hoping that if fate is real, she’ll be there. He lies down on the rink, defeated, as snow begins to fall. Meanwhile, Sara returns to New York after stopping her wedding, realizing she must follow her own heart. She finds the aisle of Bloomingdale’s where it all began, then wanders to the ice rink.
Sara arrives to find Jonathan lying alone on the ice. She walks toward him, gently placing beside him the glove they first fought over. Jonathan realizes she’s there, and they stand up together—finally, undeniably reunited. Their connection is immediate and calm, like they both knew the universe would eventually guide them here.
The film ends with the two enjoying a quiet moment on the rink, the world finally letting them sync up. It confirms the movie’s thesis: sometimes you have to let go so fate can work.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. Serendipity does not feature a post-credits or mid-credits scene.
Type of Movie
Romantic comedy
Fantasy-romance (light magical realism through the theme of destiny)
Cast
- John Cusack as Jonathan Trager
- Kate Beckinsale as Sara Thomas
- Jeremy Piven as Dean Kansky
- Molly Shannon as Eve
- Bridget Moynahan as Halley Buchanan
- John Corbett as Lars Hammond
Film Music and Composer
Music by Alan Silvestri, known for scoring major films like Forrest Gump and Back to the Future.
The soundtrack features iconic early-2000s soft-pop and jazz-influenced tracks, including When You Know by Shawn Colvin.
Filming Locations
Most of the film is set in New York City, primarily:
- Bloomingdale’s, Manhattan: where Jonathan and Sara first meet; symbolizes chance and unexpected connections.
- Wollman Rink, Central Park: represents emotional vulnerability and fate; the beginning and ending scenes mirror each other.
- Serendipity 3 Café: reinforces the theme of whimsy and cosmic coincidence.
Some scenes were also filmed in San Francisco (for Jonathan’s wedding preparations) and Toronto, used for interior sets.
Awards and Nominations
Though not a heavy awards contender, the film received modest recognition:
- Nominated for Teen Choice Awards (Choice Movie – Romantic Comedy)
- Multiple nominations for chemistry between Cusack and Beckinsale in early-2000s audience-voted award shows.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Director Peter Chelsom encouraged improvisation between Cusack and Beckinsale, leading to more natural chemistry.
- Some key scenes were shot during real New York snowstorms, making certain visual moments unplanned but perfect.
- John Cusack requested multiple takes for emotional beats, wanting Jonathan’s uncertainty to feel authentic.
- The Bloomingdale’s scenes had to be shot at dawn due to heavy daytime shopper traffic.
- The ice rink night sequences were filmed in extremely low temperatures, making dialogue delivery more challenging than it looks.
Inspirations and References
- The film isn’t based on a book, but the theme heavily reflects classic fate-driven romantic literature.
- Magical realism elements echo works like The Little Prince and older romantic comedies like An Affair to Remember.
- The book Love in the Time of Cholera is a symbolic reference to love surviving improbable conditions.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
- A slightly extended ending was filmed showing Jonathan and Sara having cocoa at Serendipity 3 after the rink scene, but it was cut to maintain a poetic ending.
- Deleted scenes include extended interactions between Sara and her fiancé Lars, which were removed because test audiences found Lars too distracting from the main emotional arc.
- An alternate intro included childhood flashbacks showing their early belief in fate, but Chelsom cut it for pacing.
Book Adaptations and Differences
The movie is not adapted from a book, but the use of Love in the Time of Cholera plays a symbolic narrative role rather than being an adaptation element.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The fateful glove encounter at Bloomingdale’s.
- The elevator test—one of the movie’s most emotionally frustrating near-miss moments.
- Jonathan discovering the $5 bill years later—one of the film’s biggest fate signals.
- Sara stepping onto the ice at the end, soft snow falling as she reunites with Jonathan.
Iconic Quotes
- “When love feels like magic, it’s called destiny. When destiny has a sense of humor, it’s called serendipity.”
- “Maybe the absence of signs is a sign.”
- “If we’re meant to meet again, we will.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The bookstore where Sara buys the book is filled with copies of literary works about destiny and chance.
- The name Sara Thomas was chosen because it echoes “serenity,” reinforcing her calm trust in fate.
- Jonathan’s fiancée Halley studies New Age theories—contrasted intentionally with Jonathan’s skepticism about fate.
- Lars’ music mimics Eastern meditation tones, symbolizing Sara’s attempt to “force calm” in a relationship not meant to be.
Trivia
- The glove used in the opening scene was custom-designed to resemble early 1960s winter fashion.
- Kate Beckinsale was cast shortly after finishing Pearl Harbor, marking a serious shift from action drama to rom-com.
- Jeremy Piven improvised several comedic lines, many of which stayed in the film.
- The set designers intentionally placed subtle recurring symbols of circles (representing cycles and returns).
Why Watch?
Because it’s a romantic comedy that leans heavily into what ifs and almosts. If you enjoy movies where coincidence feels magical—not contrived—and where chemistry carries the story, Serendipity delivers. It’s quiet, warm, and full of small emotional payoffs that build to a satisfying fate-driven finale.
Director’s Other Movies
- Funny Bones (1995)
- Town & Country (2001)
- Shall We Dance? (2004)
- Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
- The Space Between Us (2017)
Recommended Films for Fans
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- You’ve Got Mail (1998)
- Notting Hill (1999)
- The Lake House (2006)
- Before Sunrise (1995)
- The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
- Kate & Leopold (2001)
