One visits the far-off lands not to cherish new landscapes but to find themselves. In Finding You, Finley Sinclair visits the wild and holy Ireland to have some peace and to hear God’s voice again. More importantly, she wants to find her dead brother and put him in a song because that’s all art is about a little joy, a little sadness, and a lot of passion.
Directed and written by Brian Baugh, the coming-of-age romance film is based upon the 2011 novel There You’ll Find Me written by Jenny B. Jones. Brian brilliantly captures Ireland’s rough and raw soul and incorporates the heart-warming lines from the original novel. The perfect blend swoons your heart and gives you immense pleasure to witness such an endearing love story and a fable of self-discovery.
‘Finding You’ Plot Summary
A young violin player, Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid), fails her audition at the New York music conservatory. Finley desires, and her mother convinces her to give her best in the last audition in the upcoming fall. To uplift Finley’s mood, her mother suggests a change in scenery. Finley opts for the Semester Abroad Program, the same course her late brother Alex took.
Finley visits the coastal village in Ireland and, on her plane journey, coincidentally meets a popular movie star Beckett Rush (Jedidiah Goodacre), who stars in a fantasy dragon film franchise. Beckett tries to extend a hand for friendship, but Finley remains reserved due to her disliking towards celebrities living in a bubble.
At the airport, Finley’s relatives cum host, The Callahans family, receive her and take her to the lodge where Alex lived during his visit to Ireland. By chance of fate, Finley and Beckett cross paths again. The Callahan host Beckett as well, who lives under their roof to find peace from his passionate fans and Paparazzi.
Nora, the lodge owner, hands Alex’s sketchbook to Finley, in which she finds a drawing of a cemetery cross with her name scribbled at the bottom. Finley gets curious about the sketch and tries to locate the cross with the hope of finding her dead brother’s message. In the meantime, as a part of her Irish Studies classes, Finley is assigned to nurse a senior citizen. When she reaches the nursing home, she finds a grumpy older woman, Cathleen Sweeney (Vanessa Redgrave). Finley tries to get a re-assign, but unfortunately, she gets stuck. Among all odds, she will try to survive, thrive, and find music in the journey. It’s the choices that will redefine her art.
What happened between Cathleen and her sister Fiona?
When Finley visited Cathleen, she found undelivered letters in her drawer. Cathleen sent those letters to a woman named Fiona Doyle. Nora informed Finley that Fiona was Cathleen’s blood sister, but they weren’t on talking terms. In her youth, Cathleen stole her sister’s fiance, Charles, and married him. However, a few years later, she left him, and he drank himself to death. The whole town looked upon Cathleen bitterly. But that was not the actual truth.
Later in the film, Cathleen told Finley that her father was in huge debt. To save their house, he arranged Fiona’s marriage with a wealthy Charles Sweeney. But Charles was physically abusive, and to save her sister, Cathleen married him. She left the man when she had a chance, but he was already an alcoholic, and thus, Cathleen had little part to play in his demise.
Cathleen had bone cancer, and her last wish was to attain forgiveness from Fiona. Eventually, Finley bridged the gap between the conflicted sisters.
Finley & Beckett’s Relationship
Finley condemned Beckett for living a dual life. Beckett’s father was manipulating his career and his love life and using him as a puppet. Finley wanted Beckett to take a stand and do whatever he wanted to do in life, but all her Ted-talk went down the drain. After the festival, Beckett’s rumored girlfriend, Taylor, leaked Finley and Beckett’s pictures to stir in the media.
Beckett’s father asked him to choose Taylor over Finley, as their rumored relationship was deemed beneficial for his upcoming films. Additionally, Beckett was going to sign a three-picture deal with the studio, and his father couldn’t let him ruin the golden opportunity. Finley was disheartened after she found out that Beckett lacked courage.
By the end, Beckett faced his father and notified him that he would do one last picture to support the crew. After that, Beckett would join college and live his life as per his accords. His stance mended his relationship with Finley. Together, they found the cross that Alex sketched in his book. It motivated Finley for the last audition at the New York music conservatory.
‘Finding You’ Ending Explained
Finley was leaving for New York when she got the news of Cathleen’s deteriorating health. Sympathetically, she chose the old lady over her audition and visited her instantly. In her last moments, Fiona showed up at the nursing home to meet her sister, therefore, fulfilling her last wish. Fiona forgave Cathleen, and the two sisters cherished each other. Cathleen died in peace.
After learning about Cathleen, the New York music conservatory allowed Fiona even after the deadline. In her audition, she played the violin with all her heart, feeling all those intricate moments she experienced during her visit to Ireland. The energy, the sentiments, and the magic she created in the auditorium couldn’t be expressed in words. Fortunately, she was accepted. She continued her relationship with Beckett, who began college in New York. It was a “happily ever after” for the charming couple.
Finding You is a 2021 coming-of-age Romance Drama Film written and directed by Brian Baugh. It is based upon the young adult novel There You’ll Find Me authored by Jenny B. Jones.
