‘Drinking Buddies’ Ending Explained: Beer and Friendship All the Way
Welcome to Ending Explained for ‘Drinking Buddies,’ a romantic comedy-drama movie directed by Joe Swanberg. The movie was released in 2013, which means that this year marks the tenth anniversary of this independent film. The main actors that star in the movie are Olivia Wilde as Kate, Jake Johnson as Luke, Anna Kendrick as Jill, and Ron Livingston as Chris.
The movie is special because it was almost completely improvised, with much of the unscripted dialogue. All that resulted in genuine and sweet chemistry and interactions between characters. It was like a group of friends deciding to make a movie, drinking beer, and discussing their lives. There are no plot twists or cliffhangers, just an hour and a half of lighthearted interactions, with a few complications along the way.
The movie follows Kate and Luke, friends/colleagues that are fond of each other and enjoy drinking beer. They support each other when needed and enjoy fun moments together as well, but all of that becomes a bit complicated along the way. ‘Drinking Buddies’ show how friendship and romance can sometimes intersect unexpectedly, and our choices can profoundly impact ourselves and those around us.
What is the ‘Drinking Buddies’ movie about?
We meet Kate and Luke as good friends and colleagues working together in the craft brewery in Chicago. They both seem easygoing and share a passion for sampling beers. At work and after it, the two of them like to spend time together and get along really well. But that is it; they are just friends in separate relationships even though their partners might not be right for them.
During a work-related party at the brewery, Kate introduces her boyfriend, Chris, to her colleagues. And as much as he tries to be polite, it is clear that all of that is not really his thing, and he finds the most amusing talking with Luke’s girlfriend, Jill, about culture and art. On the other hand, Kate and Luke share their own jokes and tease each other whenever possible.
When Chris invited Luke and Jill for a weekend getaway in his cottage, the difference of interest was also apparent. Chris and Jill enjoyed early mornings and hikes, while Kate and Luke liked sleeping late and goofing around. And while the two friends had fun together, playing cards and making a humongous sandwich, Chris and Jill kissed in the middle of their picnic in the forest.
They ignored the kiss afterward and continued their vacation like nothing happened. Later, Luke and Kate felt bored in the cottage, so they decided to light a fire on the beach and try to fall asleep there.
When the weekend was over, Chris decided to break up with Kate as it became clear they were too different. Kate got to work the next day and was ready to get hammered after work, and she happily invited everyone to join her. Everyone seemed happy for her to finally be free. Everyone but Luke: he seemed genuinely concerned about her, but she did not want to talk to him about it.
Jill wanted to reopen the marriage topic with Luke, but he did not like the idea of putting that kind of pressure on himself right now. He knew that he wanted to marry Jill, just not right now. The next day, Luke discovered that Kate had ended up with one of their colleagues after a night out and was mad about it. Eventually, they worked that out.
Jill was also surprised to hear that Kate and Chris broke up and urged Luke to think about marriage again while she was in Venezuela. With Jill away, Luke spent most of his time with Kate, talking, helping her move, and drinking beer.
What happens with the drinking buddies at the end?
Moving did not go so well. Luke injured his hand on a nail pointing out of the couch and fought with an impatient driver who did not want to wait for Kate and Luke to put the couch inside the truck. Eventually, colleagues from work came to help Kate move the rest of the stuff, and Luke still struggled with his bleeding arm.
After the move was over, Kate and Luke’s friendship became increasingly complicated as they found themselves in situations that blurred the lines between friendship and something more. Luke’s affection for Kate started turning him into a jealous guy, and Kate felt pressured by that. They fought and left things between them unclear.
Jill returned home earlier from her trip and admitted to Luke that she and Chris kissed on a weekend trip. Chirs forgave her. The next day at work, Kate was in a bad mood because of her fight with Chris. However, when lunchtime came, they sat together and, without saying a word, made each other realize they would be just fine. Their friendship remained, and so did the mutual passion for beer.
The movie depicts situations that are not unusual in the real world and demonstrates that relationships between people can sometimes become complicated. However, as long as there is mutual respect and understanding, there is nothing that can’t be solved.
