film / 2009
The Lovely Bones
A murdered girl watches her family and killer from a dreamlike afterlife as grief and suspicion keep pulling the living apart.
Verified facts
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Director
- Peter Jackson
- Released
- 2009
- Based on
- The Lovely Bones
PlotGeeks explainer signals
Why read this explainer
Susie's afterlife view and her family's search unfold in different spaces. Keep their connection in mind when the story turns toward release.
PlotGeeks note
The family must continue without Susie while she remains attached to them. Moving on changes that bond without removing their grief.
Connected knowledge
Connected in PlotGeeks
Related explainers and browse pages for The Lovely Bones.
- Compare with The Lovely Bones (2002 book)
Compare what changes between the 2002 book and the 2009 film.
- Explore Family
Family can offer shelter, impose a role, or become the system a character must escape.
- Explore Grief
These stories show grief as an active force: it can distort judgment, deepen care, or keep a person fixed in the past.
Timeline
Major events
- Susie is murdered
George Harvey kills her, and she watches the search and her family's grief from the afterlife.
- Jack suspects his neighbor
The pursuit harms Jack and deepens the family's strain while Harvey hides the evidence.
- Lindsey discovers the notebook
Her search finds evidence of the crime, but Harvey flees before the police can capture him.
- Susie releases her unfinished life
After a final connection with Ray, she moves on as the family begins to heal.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
Susie Salmon is murdered by her neighbor George Harvey and watches the living from an in-between afterlife. Her father Jack becomes consumed by suspicion, while grief separates her family and Harvey conceals his violence behind an ordinary appearance. Susie's sister Lindsey finds evidence in his house, forcing him to flee before police arrive. Susie remains drawn to the life and relationships she lost, including Ray. As Harvey disposes of her body, she chooses a final moment of connection with Ray through Ruth rather than continuing to pursue her killer.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
Susie briefly reaches Ray through Ruth and kisses him before returning to the afterlife. Harvey disposes of her body and escapes the investigation, then later dies in an accidental fall. The family gradually rebuilds its life around her absence. Susie's departure depends on releasing her attachment to unfinished earthly life, not on witnessing a trial or recovering her body.
Original context
Why it matters
What the conflict reveals
Susie's afterlife keeps her connected to the family she has lost. Moving on requires her to release that connection without making the crime less serious.
Key turning points
Lindsey discovers the notebook
Lindsey's discovery identifies material evidence without delivering an immediate arrest. Susie's remaining choice concerns her own attachment to Ray and her family, which the investigation cannot resolve.
Character links
Who connects to whom
Character motivations
What drives the characters
Susie wants the ordinary love and recognition taken from her, while Jack wants an answer that can give his grief a target. Their needs cannot restore her life.
Adaptation
Book and film connection
Explore the story