Natalie’s life is going according to plan until she meets a man named Adam who changes everything. He tells her that he can help her achieve her dreams and that she doesn’t have to go through with anything she doesn’t want to. Natalie is hesitant at first, but after getting to know Adam better, she realizes that he is the only one who can help her achieve her goals. She decides to take his advice and follow him into the unknown.
Natalie wishes to settle down in Los Angeles with her best friend after graduating from college. Her plan begins with her relocating to Los Angeles to establish herself as a creative animator. Given that it is their final night of college, she and Gabe participate in an act of spontaneity, leading to the pair having sex. This prompts Natalie to get a pregnancy test while the graduation celebration rages outside.
She is relieved to find out that she is not pregnant, but aware that she will not be able to stick to her 5-year plan if she becomes pregnant.
Moving to LA
Natalie’s life is changed when she learns that her alternate timeline counterpart, Gabe, was successful in completing the test and is now living in the present. She must decide whether to abandon her dreams of having a child of her own or continue to pursue them with him. When she returns home, her mother and dad are shocked that their own plans have now been disrupted, but eventually they calm down and allow Natalie to stay with them while assisting her with the newborn. Gabe continues to be involved and accepts his share of responsibility.
Natalie travels to Los Angeles with her best friend Cara in the meantime, in the alternate reality. She lands a job with her idol, Lucy, while having a meaningful relationship with a good-looking producer named Jake. She believes she is on the right track, but is unaware that plans occasionally don’t work out.
Both timelines suggest that the events unfold over a period of five years, which interestingly converges with the time frame that Natalie had created for herself within her five-year plan. She shows up in the exact place at the same moment in both timelines, but with unique experiences and similar lessons. Natalie was anxious about the pregnancy test reports since she thought they might push her plans for the future off course. However, we witness that her plans ultimately crumble even within the timeline where she’s not pregnant. ..
Natalie is an aspiring animator who unsuccessfully tries to impress her idol Lucy with her portfolio. She falls in love with Jake, but he leaves for 6 months to start filming his motion picture. When he returns, they break up. ..
What happens when Natalie becomes a mother?
Natalie experiences similar regrets after making the decision to keep her baby in the alternate timeline. She had planned on moving to Los Angeles and starting a new life, but now she is home with her child and unable to pursue her dreams. This decision has affected her life in a negative way, as she was supposed to be progressing according to her 5-year plan. ..
Natalie’s life changes after she becomes a mother, as she no longer has a life of her own. Her daughter, Rosie, becomes the center of her universe. Natalie must face challenges and panics as a result of this change, which makes her feel more isolated and lost.
In this timeline, her romantic life is a complete mess. Although she is unquestionably in love with Gabe, she is reluctant to jeopardize their harmonious friendship during that time, keeping her daughter Rosie in mind. She wonders, what if they start dating and later split up? What impact will that have on their child?
Natalie’s return to drawing has led her to explore her motherhood experiences in her work. Rosie is the inspiration for her latest project, which she submits to SXSW.
The Set Path
Natalie heads home after attending SXSW and begins to explore her voice after learning that her writing lacks originality. She spends a lot of time working on her idea before submitting it to the festival.
Natalie has a successful track record when it comes to her film projects. In both time periods, she completes a movie without following the traditional five-year plan. Additionally, in both cases she finds love. In the first timeline, Jake visits her at the film festival to check out her work. Natalie decides to take a chance on Gabe and they start dating. In the alternate timeline, Natalie confesses her feelings for him and they begin dating. ..
Natalie returns to the spot where it all began for her. It will be fine, Natalie tells herself as she looks in the mirror. Regardless of what occurs or whether she becomes pregnant or not, her life will unfold exactly as it should. Natalie is convinced that she will always show up precisely where she is meant to be, regardless of whether it takes a different route. She cannot, therefore, be certain that her plans will be successful, no matter how many she ends up making. While it may frighten her to choose something she hasn’t anticipated or is foreign to, situations will follow its very own course, and she’ll be capable of figuring it out eventually.
How does Look Both Ways end?
At the end of the movie, we see Natalie still clutching the pregnancy test. We are not given information about what could have happened, so anything is possible. She could be expecting and decide to have the child, she could still recognize her aspirations despite her worries that they will be lost or she could decide to not have the child and then move to LA, which would change the course of her life. Or maybe the test could be negative, liberating her of any moral responsibility for making a difficult decision. ..
Natalie’s story is one of resilience and hope. Despite the many challenges she faces, she never gives up on her dreams and continues to fight for what she believes in. The movie leaves the choice regarding Natalie’s fate to the viewers by not providing a clear answer. Whatever happens next, her story will continue to inspire others to never give up on their dreams. ..
We took a look at Look Both Way’s story and found some key details that we didn’t mention in our recap. Let us know in the comments below if you think we missed anything!
