The Idea of You Plot Summary
Soléne is a single mother who is forced to take her daughter – Izzy and her friends to Coachella after he ex-husband leaves for a sudden trip. There, Soléne accidentally meets Hayes, a popular singer from the boy group August Moon at Coachella. She then goes back to her life only for things to take a chaotic turn when Hayes shows up at her art gallery.
Hayes ends up buying all of her artwork. Soléne takes Hayes to her house, to help him escape the paparazzi and they end up making out. Soléne realises that she is too old for the 24-year-old pop star and asks him to leave. Hayes leaves his watch behind as a means to meet Soléne again.
Soon, Hayes and Soléne start hooking up in between his gigs. Soléne keeps her affair with Hayes a secret from her daughter and agrees to join Hayes and his band while they’re on tour.
What happens when Soléne learns the truth about the Coachella performance?
Soléne feels a sense of inferiority complex when she hangs out with Hayes and his bandmates who all have younger girlfriends. One day when the group is in France, Soléne learns that the song Hayes dedicated to her at Coachella was a group gimmick to win women over.
She is shocked when she finds out that Hayes had already performed the song for a different woman in the past, as a way to get her to fall for him. Hayes tries to make Soléne see that he wants a future with her but Soléne ends things with him.
Do Soléne and Hayes get back together?
Soléne gets back home and tries to focus on her life with Izzy as well as work. She starts missing Hayes and finally comes to terms with the fact that she is actually in love with him. Soléne realises her mistake and goes to see Hayes.
The two get back together and decide it is only right to make things official publically because Hayes was a pop star. Moonheads (fans of Hayes’ band) as well as news portals start calling Soléne a cougar and assume that Hayes has mommy issues.
Why does Soléne leave Hayes?
Soléne tries to avoid the negative comments and continues to date Hayes but she realises the consequences of her actions when Izzy starts getting bullied in school. Soléne’s ex-husband and Izzy’s father have an argument with Soléne that makes her realise how her relationship with Hayes was affecting her daughter. She decides to permanently break up with Hayes.
Hayes offers to quit his singing career but Soléne insists he should fulfil his dreams. A while later, Hayes comes to see Soléne. He leaves his watch behind at her house and asks her to take her time before coming back to him. Hayes tells Soléne that he will wait till Izzy is out of school and till Soléne is free of any responsibility that holds her from living her life to the fullest.
Do Soléne and Hayes have a happily ever after?
As the years go by, Soléne tries to put her focus on her work and tries to be there for her daughter. Meanwhile, Hayes is now a solo singer and is thriving in his musical career. One night, Soléne is flipping through the TV when she sees Hayes performing on a talk show.
During his interview, Hayes mentions that he is looking forward to taking some time off after his tour to meet his partner. Soléne is happy for Hayes but cannot help but break down into tears, assuming he has moved on.
How does The Idea of You end?
A while later, Soléne is at her gallery when Hayes shows up there and their eyes meet. The film ends with Soléne breaking down into tears when she realises that the woman Hayes was talking about on TV was her.
Read More: The Idea of You (2024) Movie Review