How the Last Scene of ‘Third Person’ Gives the Movie a New Meaning

Third Person is a romantic drama film written and directed by Paul Haggis. It tells three love stories taking place in three different parts of the world that gradually become inter-connected by the end of the movie.

Paul Haggis is known for his award-winning movies like Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005) and so naturally, audiences had high expectations from this 2013 film.

However, the ending of the movie left many viewers puzzled and hence, it didn’t gain as much popularity as Higgis’ previous works.

The final shot of Third Person is of Michael, played by Liam Neeson, writing his novel in a dim-lit hotel room, thus signifying that the entire movie was a part of the novel.

We also hear a little boy who seems to be Michael’s son whispering “Watch me” in the background. It is a figment of Michael’s imagination as he remembers the last words his son said to him before drowning in a pool.

Keep reading to find out how the three love stories were representative of Michael’s own life.

1. What is the premise of Third Person?

The first love story is one that takes place in Paris. Michael Leary (Liam Neeson) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who has recently left his wife Elaine (Kim Basinger) and is with his lover Anna Barr (Olivia Wilde), his mentee. The two have an on/off relationship that is threatened by the secrets they keep from each other.

The second love story takes place in Rome. Scott Lowry (Adrien Brody) is an American businessman who sells knock-off clothing and is on a trip to Italy. He falls in love with a Romani woman, Monika (Moran Atias), who needs his help to pay off the kidnappers who have taken her daughter.

The last story happens in New York. Julia Weiss (Mila Kunis), an ex-soap opera actress turned maid, has recently lost custody of her only son after being accused of harming him. She spends the movie relentlessly trying to convince her ex-husband Rick (James Franco) that she has changed so that he will allow her to see their son again.

2. How does Third Person end?

Paris: Anna betrays Michael by seeing another man behind his back. This man is revealed to be her father with whom she has an abusive relationship. Michael takes his revenge by writing about Anna and her father in his latest novel, without taking her permission.

Rome: It is revealed that Scott was responsible for his seven-year-old daughter’s death when he stepped away to take a business call while she was swimming and hence didn’t save her from drowning. This is also the cause for his wife leaving him.

Scott’s past explains why he so desperately wants to help Monika. He questions her intentions multiple times but still gets the money for her. It turns out that Monika’s daughter is real; the three of them drive away together in a white car in the end.

New York: When all of Julia’s attempts to get even visitation rights fail, she decides to go to Rick’s apartment and try to reason out with him. However, he refuses her request and almost drags her out of his apartment. The son sees Julia and runs to hug her before the apartment’s elevator closes, leaving Rick behind.

By the time Rick runs down to the entrance, Julia is gone. All this chaos makes Rick reconsider his decision. He leaves a message for Julia’s apartment saying that she could spend the next night with their son. However, Julia has already left her apartment by this time and so, she never hears the message.

3. What does the ending of Third Person mean?

Throughout the movie, the question we are asking ourselves is: how are all these stories inter-connected?

This question is answered at the very end. Until then, we only get subtle hints like transition shots from one story to another, or Michael and Julia writing on the same piece of paper, or the scene where the white roses from Anna’s room seem to have teleported to the hotel that Julia works at.

The only firm connection we are able to make between the stories is when Julia’s lawyer Theresa (Maria Bello) is revealed to be Scott’s ex-wife. Otherwise, all other connections don’t make sense because everyone is in a different city. We can only assume that the director did this for cinematography purposes.

But, the major connection between them all is that every single story is a fictional one created by Michael for his novel. The movie starts and ends with the same scene: Michael typing away at his desk in a hotel room. These stories are his way of narrating what happened in his own life and are his way of coping with the consequences of his actions.

We find out that Michael is the one who has lost a child in a drowning incident similar to Scott’s, except for the fact that he had a son, Robbie, and he stepped away to take a call from his mistress. This is confirmed when his ex-wife calls him to give her feedback on his new novel.

The reason why we keep hearing Robbie say “watch me” is because he was trying to get his father’s attention by showing him that he could swim. All Robbie wanted was to not be neglected by his father, and in the end, it became the very cause of his death.

The three stories in Michael’s novel all revolve around the lack of trust between the couples, symbolizing his wife’s lack of trust in him after he cheated on her and let their child die. The stories also involve parents (Julia, Scott, and Monika) with children whom they have either lost or are close to losing, similar to Michael’s situation.

The color white is also seen multiple times in the movie, like Anna’s dress, the white roses, and Scott and Monika’s car, because like Michael says, it is a symbol of trust and belief.

When all the characters except Michael slowly fade away and disappear at the end, it means Michael has finally come to terms with what has happened. He is no longer a “third person” in a story about himself.

4. About Third Person

Third Person is a  romantic drama film written and directed by Paul Haggis. It premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival and was released in theatres on June 20, 2014. 

The movie has an ensemble cast comprising Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Moran Atias, Kim Basinger, and Maria Bello.

The film tells three inter-connected love stories that take place in Paris, New York, and Rome/Taranto.