Beginners (2010)

Beginners (2010) is a bittersweet, quietly funny drama about grief, family secrets, and the possibilities of new beginnings. Directed by Mike Mills and anchored by strong performances — especially Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor — the film follows 38-year-old graphic artist Oliver Fields as he reckons with the recent deaths of both parents and the surprising final chapter of his father Hal’s life. After Oliver’s mother dies, Hal, long married and private, comes out as gay in his seventies and embarks on a joyful, tender relationship with a much younger man. The revelation and the renewed closeness between father and son in Hal’s final year force Oliver to revisit his own emotional life. In the present, Oliver meets Anna, a free-spirited French actress (Mélanie Laurent), and their tentative romance becomes a way for him to test how to open himself up. The film uses flashbacks — some playful, some painful — and Oliver’s own sketches (“the history of sadness”) to weave past and present into a portrait of love, loss, and learning. Viewers can expect an intimate, character-driven story that mixes melancholy with warm humor. The film balances poignant, reflective moments with small, humane details (including Hal’s needy Jack Russell, Arthur) and quietly observant dialogue. Christopher Plummer’s performance is moving and frequently luminous; Ewan McGregor portrays Oliver’s guarded vulnerability with patience and subtlety. The soundtrack and visual touches support the film’s gentle, contemplative tone. If you watch Beginners you’ll likely come away feeling both sad and uplifted — moved by its frank, tender look at aging, sexuality, grief, and the way people can reinvent themselves late in life. It’s a thoughtful, artful drama that rewards viewers who appreciate understated performances, honest emotion, and bittersweet storytelling.

Actors: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent

Director: Mike Mills

Runtime: 105 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

6.8 /10 81 /100 7.2 /10 7.4 /10