After the official trailer for “Regretting You” dropped, viewers likely had more questions than answers when it comes to the Colleen Hoover story’s premise.
The second book by Hoover to be adapted for the big screen, “Regretting You” follows 17-year-old Clara Grant (Mckenna Grace) and her mother, Morgan (Allison Williams), in the aftermath of tragedy.
Clara is the daughter of Morgan and Chris Grant (Scott Eastwood), who had her when they were still in high school. Morgan’s sister, Jenny, is newly engaged to her former high-school sweetheart Jonah (Dave Franco) after they reconnected, had a one-night-stand and welcomed a baby boy named Elijah.
But the family’s close dynamic is shattered when Chris and Jenny are killed in a car accident together, leaving Morgan and Jonah to reckon with why they were together in the first place. Meanwhile Clara, heartbroken by the death of her father and aunt, embarks on a relationship with Miller (Mason Thames), a boy from her school.
In true Hoover fashion, “Regretting You,” which comes just over a year after her first movie adaptation, “It Ends with Us,” takes viewers through twists, turns and plenty of swoonworthy romance.
The movie hit theaters Oct. 24. After the credits roll, here’s your guide to any lingering questions.
🚨🚨🚨Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the end of “Regretting You.”
What Was Going on Between Chris and Jenny?
Chris, Clara’s father and husband to Morgan, and Jenny, Morgan’s sister who was engaged to Jonah, were having an affair at the time of their death.
It is revealed Chris was driving Jenny’s car before the accident, even though their respective partners thought they were both at work.
After the accident, Morgan and Jonah track down the location of Chris’s car and find it parked outside of a hotel.
Jonah goes inside and finds Jenny’s bag in a hotel room, which was packed with lingerie. This confirms to Morgan that her husband and sister had been having an affair and sends her into a fury.
Later in the film, Jonah finds a stack of letters Jenny had written to Chris in an old toolbox. Morgan and Jonah realize the letters are quite dated, confirming the affair had been going on for a while.
Who Is Elijah’s Father?
The revelation of the affair calls into question the paternity of Jenny’s 1-year-old son, Elijah.
After the accident, Jonah shows up to Morgan’s house and starts to bang on the front door. He announces that Elijah “has his smile,” referring to Chris.
Although never explicitly confirmed, it is implied for the rest of the film that Elijah is actually Chris’ biological child.
After the initial shock of discovering that Elijah is not his child, Jonah leaves Elijah in the care of Morgan. Jonah does not see Elijah for a few days, until Clara — whom Morgan has intentionally kept in the dark about her father and aunt’s affair — shows up to his house and tells him to go and get his child back.
Jonah realizes that even if he is not Elijah’s biological father, he loves him and wants to raise him as his son. Jonah runs to Morgan’s house and apologizes for leaving Elijah and promises to never leave again.
As Morgan supports Jonah with Elijah, their close friendship from high school resumes and gradually turns romantic. Eventually, it’s revealed that when they were teenagers, Jonah had asked Morgan if “they had it wrong,” implying he thought he and Morgan were supposed to be together, instead of Morgan and Chris, and Jenny and Jonah.
Does Clara Find out About the Affair?
One of the first scenes of the movie establishes the close relationship between Clara and her aunt Jenny. While running late for family dinner, Clara calls Jenny to tell her a story about Miller, a boy from school who later becomes her boyfriend. She ends the call by saying, “Don’t tell my mom.”
Their mother-daughter relationship is also strained by Clara’s dreams of studying acting, which Morgan doesn’t believe is a responsible choice.
So when Morgan uncovers the affair, she tells Jonah that Clara can never find out about it, as she does not want to ruin Clara’s memories of her dad and aunt.
When Clara arrives home one evening and walks in on Morgan and Jonah sharing their first kiss, she storms into her room upset. Unaware of their shared history, Clara assumes that her mom and her aunt’s fiancé had moved on.
Clara avoids her mother for a few days, until one morning when Morgan helps her overcome a hangover. As they are sitting at the kitchen table, Morgan finally reveals to Clara that Chris and Jenny had been having an affair.
How Does ‘Regretting You’ End?
After learning the truth, Clara is able to more healthily pursue her relationship with Miller, and Morgan finally begins a long-awaited relationship with Jonah.
The final scene of the film sees Clara returning home from acting rehearsal to find her family, friends and now boyfriend Miller in front of a projector screen.
Jonah and Morgan sit on a coach together, with baby Elijah laying next to them. The two share a kiss and watch as Miller begins a speech.
Miller announces he has been accepted off the waitlist to a film school, the same school Clara plans to attend for their acting program the next year.
Miller and Clara are overjoyed to be attending the same college, and he plays a short film that he made for Clara. In the film, Miller shows videos of him and Clara from the past year, and he asks Clara to be his date to prom.
After the film, Morgan pulls Clara aside to say she supports her dream to study acting in college, despite her initial doubts. Morgan tells Clara she has an incredible talent, and that she will be able to succeed. The mother and daughter finally embrace.
