Me Before You (2016)
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A young woman's life is changed when she becomes the caretaker for a wealthy man paralyzed after a motorcycle accident.
The story
In the fictional English town of Stokebridge, Louisa "Lou" Clark is hired as a caretaker for Will Traynor, a once successful banker and active sportsman now tetraplegic after being hit by a motorcycle two years ago. Will's mother hopes Lou will lift Will's depressed and cynical spirits. While Will is initially cold towards Lou, she persists in her role. As the two grow closer, Lou discovers that Will is cultured and worldly, contrasting with her own simple life. However, Lou eventually learns of Will's plan to travel to Switzerland for assisted suicide, leading her to attempt to change his mind by organizing adventures to show him that life is still worth living.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the fictional English town of Stokebridge, Louisa "Lou" Clark is hired as a caretaker for Will Traynor, a wealthy man who became tetraplegic after a motorcycle accident. Though initially cold, Will and Lou grow close as she helps him navigate his daily life. Lou learns that Will plans to undergo assisted suicide in Switzerland in six months and begins a series of adventures to convince him to stay. During a trip to Mauritius, Will tells Lou he still intends to die, wanting her to live a full life rather than a 'half a life' with him. Heartbroken, Lou quits as his caregiver. After her father convinces her to visit him, she finds he has already left for Switzerland and follows him to be with him in his final moments. Following his death, Lou finds a letter in Paris where Will leaves her enough money to follow her dreams and encourages her to live abundantly.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Thea Sharrock
- Writers
- Jojo Moyes · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Emilia Clarke · Lou; Sam Claflin · Will Traynor; Janet McTeer; Charles Dance; Brendan Coyle
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- disability; assisted suicide; romance
- Setting
- Stokebridge, England; Mauritius; Paris; Switzerland
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel by Jojo Moyes
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews but grossed $208.4 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 55% · scale: approval rating · review count: 177; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 36; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in various historic locations across the United Kingdom, including Pembroke Castle in Wales and Chenies Manor House in Buckinghamshire, England.; The costume designer, Jill Taylor, chose 'quirky' shoes for Lou based on the book.; The film's release date was moved several times between 2015 and 2016.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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