*Warning! Contains spoilers for Happiness for Beginners*
Happiness for Beginners is a romantic comedy based on Katherine Center's novel of the same name. It tells the story of Helen (Ellie Kemper) who embarks on a wilderness survival course in the Appalachian Trial to try and find herself after her recent divorce.
Joined by an eclectic bunch of hikers, she ends up finding more than just herself when Jake (Luke Grimes) arrives. Although there's initial tension between the two, their connection runs deeper as they explore the wilderness.
So do Helen and Jake get together at the end of the movie?
Happiness for Beginners ending explained: do Helen and Jake get together?
Much like their eventful hike across the Appalachians, Helen and Jake's journey to love wasn't a walk in the park.
Jake is the best friend of Helen's little brother Duncan (Alexander Koch), and she encounters him at the start of the movie when she tries to give Duncan her house keys so that he can housesit while she's away.
There's chemistry between her and Jake, but Helen has no interest in him due to her being newly divorced.
She has another run-in with Jake when he unexpectedly arrives on the same hiking trip and a stunned Helen demands that they don't tell anyone that they know each other. The pair try their best to avoid each other on the trip, but they're brought together when Helen needs a doctor on the first day due to an injury.
Helen and Jake grow closer and a night in a tent together before Hugh's rescue mission makes their bond even stronger after they have a heart-to-heart about their lives.
After Helen finds him lost in the dark woods, Jake confesses to Helen that he has retinitis pigmentosa and is losing his eyesight, which is why he quit his job as a doctor. When they return to camp, Helen seems jealous of fellow hiker Windy's (Shayvawn Webster) crush on Jake after she kisses him.
The group come back for the trip and have a party at the hotel, where Helen sees Jake talking to Windy. Mason (Esteban Benito) informs her that Jake is apparently taken and has someone back home, although this isn't true.
Disappointed by the revelation, Helen leaves the party early as she struggles to deal with her feelings for Jake. Back home, Helen reads the romantic poem Jake gave to her.
Later on, Jake surprises Helen at Grandmother Gigi's (Blythe Danner) book club birthday party and tells him that she loves the poem, even though he didn't write it. He admits that he acted like a jealous boyfriend on their trip because he’s wanted to be her boyfriend for a long time and hopes that she will consider being with him.
He knows that his condition is something that can be difficult to deal with in the future, but the issue doesn't matter to Helen and she kisses him as they dance the night away together.
Happiness for Beginners is available to watch on Netflix now.
