Better Nate Than Ever Plot Synopsis
Better Nate Than Ever focuses on lovable 13 year old Nate Foster. He’s an unpopular kid from Pittsburgh who has big dreams of becoming a Broadway musical star. Given he can’t even land a role in his school’s drama production, he teams up with best friend Libby and decides to hitch a ride down to New York, trying his hand at Broadway instead. There’s a new Lilo and Stitch musical about to take place and Nate is determined to make it big.
But will he make it? What obstacles will he face along the way? We reveal all in our article!
What happens to Nate in New York?
Nate heads up to New York with Libby and together, they head to the auditions for the Lilo and Stitch musical. Nate immediately bags himself a call-back, but in order to attend that, he needs to stay the night in New York. He says goodbye to Libby, realizing this isn’t her dream and encouraging her to head back home. Meanwhile, Nate stays in the Big Apple that night.
That’s a problem, given he doesn’t actually have any money. So naturally, Nate heads outside and starts busking, dancing through the New York streets. He makes a good deal of money and goes viral across Tik Tok too.
Anthony catches wind of this and speaks to Libby, who makes it back home in time for him to interrogate the girl and find out where his brother is. Of course, Nate is still in New York, but he runs into Heidi, his aunt, again and she agrees to take him in for the night.
Once there, the pair connect and Heidi reveals that she’s never forgotten his birthday, unveiling a whole stack of cards for him. Eventually Heidi agrees to help him out for the audition.
Does Anthony stop Nate from making it to his audition?
Anthony and Libby arrives in New York, where Heidi realizes that Nate has lied to him this whole time. His mother hasn’t actually approved the trip after all. Uh oh!
A teary-eyed Nate urges Anthony to let him have this one thing (the audition), pointing out that he’s always been ashamed of him. Heidi also encourages Libby to be an agent too, pointing out the logistics surrounding this – and how it maybe right up her alley.
Nate eventually rushes to the final call-back while Libby, Anthony and Heidi follow from afar. Nate arrives at the audition but ignores the judges and decides to read every single line himself. The director calls him out for this, while all the other kids watch from the wings and begin giggling.
Does Nate overcome his anxiety in his audition?
Libby and Anthony do eventually show up and watch from the audience while Heidi has second thoughts about her audition, deciding to go and see Nate perform instead.
Nate bombs to begin with but with all hope lost, Anthony speaks up and admits that Nate doesn’t actually embarrass him. This has been the crux of Nate’s own inner turmoil for much of the film. Hearing Anthony’s support from the crowd, it gives him confidence to actually sing properly and knock his audition out the park.
With the audition over, the gang head back home again in Anthony’s car. Libby believes she’s “found her thing” as Nate tells Libby he “loves her like a sister”, squashing any potential romance that may have been hinted very early in this film. That’s, of course, underlining the earlier explanation halfway through the movie, where Libby gets on the bus home, with the old lady promising to “explain on the way” regarding Nate’s feelings.
How does Better Nate Than Ever end?
Nate is called into the principal’s office, where his parents are waiting. Nate thinks he’s in trouble but it’s actually good news. It turns out he’s got the part for Stitch in the Broadway musical! He’s been signed up to do two matinees a week and potentially more if they need him. Libby is working as Nate’s agent too and joins him up to New York, where the whole family support Nate’s dream.
What happened between Heidi and Sherrie?
Heidi and Nate’s mum, Sherrie, fell out a while back, mostly thanks to a big disagreement. Heidi missed her sister’s wedding because she had her first ever Broadway audition. Heidi put her dreams ahead of her family and because of that, she’s felt too ashamed and awkward to speak to Sherrie since. However, she admits to Nate that she really looks up to her mum. She’s slightly jealous that Sherrie has been able to have kids and raise a family.
Meanwhile, Sherrie is actually jealous of her sister following her dreams, given she never actually had any of her own. So essentially the whole situation is one big misunderstanding, something that can easily be resolved with a big talk and a cup of tea!
Read More: Better Nate Than Ever Movie Review
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