“If we’re meant to meet again, we will.”
synopsis
Jonathan and Sara meet by chance while shopping for gloves during the holiday rush in New York. Feeling an undeniable spark despite being attached to other people, they decide to leave their future to fate—exchanging minimal contact information and trusting destiny to reunite them if they’re meant to be together. Years later, both engaged to others, they separately attempt to track down that brief encounter before it’s too late.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
This is romantic fatalism turned into confection. John Cusack plays earnest pursuit well, and Kate Beckinsale adds airy mystique. The film leans heavily on coincidence and cosmic choreography, and whether it works depends entirely on your tolerance for destiny narratives. It’s charming, snowy, and structurally improbable—but occasionally disarming in its sincerity.
First snowfall and a willingness to suspend statistical probability.
Absurdist's Corner
Leaving your romantic future entirely to the randomness of secondhand book margins and circulating currency requires Olympic-level optimism.
fun facts
The restaurant Serendipity 3 became a romantic pilgrimage site after the film.
The movie was shot partly before and partly after September 11, giving it an unintentionally nostalgic New York atmosphere.
The glove motif was inspired by classic romantic meet-cutes.