This movie and article contain discussions of suicide.
This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Netflix’s Find Me Falling.
Summary
Netflix’s romantic comedyFind Me Falling, starring Harry Connick Jr., tells the story of a washed-up rock star named John Allman who finds his meaning after buying a cliffside home on the island of Cyprus, relaying important but flawed messages at the end of the movie. After settling into his house, John quickly learns that the cliff is a suicide hotspot.The grumpy, antisocial man quickly takes it upon himself to save people planning to attempt suicide. Despite this, he still wants to remain reclusive from the community, requesting that his groceries be delivered to his house.
This is how John meets a young musician named Melina, who dreams of a career in New York but works at her family grocery store. As Melina and John develop a bond through their shared love of music, John also reconnects with his old flame, Sia, the third lead in thecast ofFind Me Falling.As John and Sia attempt to rekindle their romance, he discovers the secret connection between Melina and Sia– which forces him to change how he thinks about community, love, and family by the film’s end.
Find Me Falling Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play In Harry Connick Jr’s Netflix Movie
Harry Connick Jr’s Netflix movie is filled with traditional and original music. Here’s every song that appears in Find Me Falling and when they play.
What John Hands Melina In Find Me Falling And What It Means
This Moment Solidifies John’s Change In Find Me Falling
After serenading Sia outside her apartment, John hands Melina an envelope that changes everything for all three characters. Inside the envelope is the sheet music that John wrote for the eponymous song he sang earlier inFind Me Falling. At the top of the sheet music, he writes a note encouraging Melina to follow her passion. This is a significant moment for John in two ways.
Firstly, earlier in the movie, he struggled to finish writing the song. However, with his rekindled love for Sia and his new relationship with his daughter Melina, he finds the inspiration to finish it. Secondly, he could have used that song to restart his career and leave the island. The prioritization of music over love is what split up John and Sia the first time around.John giving the song to Melina represents him realizing his previous mistake and choosing not to repeat it.
Ultimately, this small moment inFind Me Fallinggives Sia faith that this time will be different from before. It allows the couple to come back together after about two decades apart. The sheet music also passes the torch from father to daughter, springboarding Melina’s dreams of making music her entire life.
The Significance Of Anna’s Pregnancy
Anna’s Pregnancy Helps John See The Other Perspective
Towards the end ofFind Me Falling, a young woman named Anna goes to the cliff to die by suicide, but John convinces her to step away from the edge. After learning that she has nowhere to go, he allows her to stay the night sleeping on his couch, guarding the door to prevent her from returning to the cliff edge.Anna’s pregnancy serves as little more than a plot device to help John grow as a character.
Before meeting Anna, John is angry at Sia for keeping her pregnancy a secret from him; however, Anna helps him to see the situation from Sia’s perspective. She’s a scared, pregnant young woman who feels alone, just like Sia was after John left the island. Helping Anna quells his feeling of betrayal, allowing him to forgive Sia for keeping their child a secret. Moreover, Anna’s situation in theFind Me Fallingmoviegives John the opportunity to act like a father. He soon realizes that he needs to put Melina first in the same way he does Anna.
The Connection Between Melina And John Explained
Melina And John’s Familial Connection Is Foreshadowed In Find Me Falling
From the moment John and Melina meet inFind Me Falling,the two bounce off one another in a father-daughter type of way.John lectures her about being interested in someone too old for her, and she calls him an a**hole in Greek. Additionally, they look similar and have a shared love of music. It’s magical watching the moment when they bond for the first time while brainstorming music.
Later, Melina steals John’s lighter after he gives her a hard time about smoking, which seems like something a rebellious daughter would do. She obviously takes joy in pushing his buttons. Despite John’s early assumption that Melina is coming onto him, it’s obvious their relationship isn’t romantic.
The movie’s decision to keep theactual connection between John and Melina a secret until halfway through the film adds a layer of anticipation. This deliberate pacing allows the audience to piece together the puzzle at the same time as John, heightening the emotional impact of the reveal.The viewers getting attached to the two’s dynamic also makes it more devastating when John hurts Melinaby drunkenly blurting out the secret during their song.
Why Does John Move To Cyprus?
John Finds Comfort In The Location Where He Met His First Love
At the start ofFind Me Falling, John moves to Cyprus seemingly to escape after a failed revival of his career. He laments his inability to write more music and the fact that his last album did so poorly. However, it soon becomes clear that he has other reasons for choosing the island. John had previously visited Cyprus, where he fell in love with a woman who inspired his hit song “Girl on the Beach.”
As much as he tries to distance himself from everyone he meets,John secretly craves a similar emotional connection to what he had before.This explains why he opens up to Melina, intervenes with the people attempting to die by suicide, and asks Sia for another chance. By the end ofFind Me Falling, he once again has the love and community that inspired him. However, he doesn’t feel the need to flee from this support, settling into it instead.
The Significance Of The Cliff In Find Me Falling
The Cliff Plays As Big A Role As The Characters In Find Me Falling
The entirety ofFind Me Fallingis shaped by one filming location– a little house on the edge of a cliff that’s a suicide hotspot. John takes the house there, not knowing the location’s history. However, he quickly takes it upon himself to prevent people from dying by suicide there, despite being gruff and antisocial. His first idea to fix the problem is to build a fence to physically stop them from reaching the cliff. Despite his best attempts, people still come, pointing to John’s idea being a bandaid rather than a solution.
Manoli suggests that everyone choosing that location does so because they want the person in the house to save them. He suggests that they’re seeking connections to save them. John finally leans into this idea when interacting with Anna. Rather than yelling at her to leave, he shows her compassion. The movie suggests that this is the act of kindness and connection that will save people.
Find Me Fallingis correct in that suicide is preventable, and a conversation can help someone. Unfortunately, the filmrisks presenting this in a way that’s reductive of a complex issue. Suicidal ideation occurs for a variety of reasons, not just a lack of interpersonal connections. Moreover, Anna’s mental struggles in the movie are easily cured as soon as she goes home. People experiencing suicidal ideation need help with the underlying causes, preferably provided by a qualified mental health professional, for long-term recovery.
If you or someone you love is experiencing suicidal ideation, please reach out to theNational Suicide Hotline at 988or call your local crisis line. Many international hotlines and prevention resources are availablehere.
The True Meaning Of Find Me Falling’s Ending
Find Me Falling Emphasizes The Importance Of Community
John’s journey in this movie reflects the deeper meaning ofFind Me Falling’s ending. John starts out trying to push everyone away. By the end, he learns to embrace the idea of community and human connection. Instead of building a fence to keep people out, he creates a sign encouraging anyone considering suicide to come talk. He, Sia, and Melina became a family. John even stays close to Anna, her parents, and her baby. Ultimately, the ending ofFind Me Fallingrelays the message that everyone needs relationships and connections with others – whether platonic, romantic, or familial – to survive.
