My Happy Ending (2023) Movie Ending Explained: Why Does Julia want to end her treatment?

Life is too short to live with regrets. Life is not perfect; it is flawed, but that is what makes it unique and beautiful. This realization of life is important to live it fully and profoundly. With “My Happy Ending (2023),” director duo Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit attempt to capture the very essence of life and its beauty.

Please Note: The following section contains spoilers about the movie. If you haven’t watched the film yet, it’s advised to skip this part.

My Happy Ending (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:

In “My Happy Ending,” Andie MacDowell’s character, Julia Roth, a renowned actor, faces a hidden struggle with colon cancer. Determined to keep her illness private, Julia chooses to seek treatment anonymously at a public hospital in Britain. There, she encounters three remarkable women undergoing chemotherapy: a relentlessly optimistic individual, Mikey portrayed by Sally Phillips, a Holocaust survivor, Judy played by Miriam Margolyes, and a young mother, Iman portrayed by Rakhee Thakrar.

As Julia endures her treatment, she gains profound insights into the realities of chemotherapy through her interactions with fellow patients and their unique experiences. The women form a deep bond, finding solace and distraction in imaginative role-playing exercises that help them cope with the pain and challenges of their treatments.

They refer to these role-playing exercises as “having a vacation.” Judy, Mikey, and Iman all take Julia to their respective vacations. First, they go on Judy’s holiday, where they embark on an adventure to find a frog and collect its venom. The venom is believed to purge toxins when applied to an open wound, making it an old tribal ritual that Judy enjoys. However, during this fantasy role-playing, Judy suddenly breaks the news that the tumor in her body has started to shrink. Overjoyed by the news, Mikey’s excitement startles the frog they meant to catch, causing it to flee.

Judy becomes greatly distraught by this, but she can’t hold onto her grudge for long as Julia’s manager Nancy comes to see her. Nancy is not aware of Julia’s condition, having only found out when Julia called her for help in securing a private room at the hospital. Nancy promises Julia that she will look into the matter and resolve it, then leaves the common room. Meanwhile, during Dr. Hanson’s rounds, he reveals to Julia that she has stage 4 colon cancer, devastating her.

At that moment, Nancy returns and takes Julia to the private room she just arranged. However, Julia feels uncomfortable after entering the room and goes back to the common room. There, she resumes role-playing with the other three women. This time, it is Mikey’s turn for a vacation. As they dive into Mikey’s vacation, they find themselves in a wild carnival where everyone dances to music. Unfortunately, the vacation is cut short when Iman’s husband arrives with their children to retrieve the blue dummy she mistakenly took.

After they leave, everyone suggests that Julia go on her personal vacation. However, this turns out to be a bad idea, as she envisions herself attending her daughter’s wedding in a wheelchair with a shaved head, which terrifies her. Frightened by this vision, she calls the nurse and asks to have the IV removed from her body, deciding not to continue with chemotherapy. However, Dr. Hanson disagrees with Julia’s rushed decision and refuses to stop her chemo. An angered Julia rings some bells and accuses Dr. Hanson of holding her against her will.

Soon, she learns that Nancy insists that Dr. Hanson and the hospital authority continue Julia’s treatment until her shrink arrives. After discovering this, she becomes furious with Nancy and humiliates her for no reason, breaking Nancy’s heart, leading her to leave the place.

My Happy Ending (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:

Why does Julia stop her treatment?

Judy, Mikey, and Iman console Julia in the tough situation she is facing and suggests that they go on one last vacation together. But this time, it should be somewhere she truly loves, not somewhere she feels obliged to go.

As part of their plan, they arrive at a picturesque place surrounded by mountains and a sunlit valley. A long table filled with 25 years’ worth of carbs awaits them. Julia is overjoyed and struggles to express herself, thanking Judy, Mikey, and Iman for their support. She realizes the true meaning of life.

Meanwhile, Nancy returns and reconciles with Julia. Dr. Hanson also arrives, attempting a last-ditch effort to dissuade Julia from abandoning treatment. However, at that precise moment, Julia’s daughter video calls her to discuss her wedding shopping. Julia talks with her daughter with much excitement and realizes how distant she had been from life before her cancer diagnosis. She manages to gather herself, not letting her emotions overwhelm her and ends the call.

Seeing this, Dr. Hanson realizes that Julia no longer needs chemotherapy. She has reconciled with life and now seeks to enjoy its beauty. So, Julia decides to terminate her treatment and return to her normal life, leaving the hospital.

Read More: Everything Coming to Hulu in August 2023

My Happy Ending (2023) Movie Trailer

My Happy Ending (2023) Movie Links: IMDb
My Happy Ending (2023) Movie Cast: Andie MacDowell, Tom Cullen, Miriam Margolyes, Tamsin Greig, Sally Phillips, Rakhee Thakrar

Where to watch My Happy Ending