The Lovely Bones (2009) Ending Explained
TL;DR:
The Lovely Bones (2009), directed by Peter Jackson and based on Alice Sebold's novel, follows 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) who is murdered by her neighbor George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). The film explores her afterlife in a surreal "in-between" realm as she watches her grieving family seek justice. The ending sees Susie's family gradually healing while her killer escapes earthly punishment but meets a symbolic, karmic fate when he's accidentally killed by an icicle. Susie finally moves on to her personal heaven, finding peace after helping her loved ones-especially her sister Lindsey-expose Harvey's crimes and her father Jack (Mark Wahlberg) release his anger.*
The Ending Explained in Detail
The climax of The Lovely Bones is a poignant blend of closure and lingering injustice. After Susie's murder, her spirit remains trapped in the "in-between," a limbo-like world reflecting her unfinished emotions. She witnesses her father's obsessive pursuit of Harvey, her mother Abigail's (Rachel Weisz) temporary abandonment of the family, and her sister Lindsey's (Rose McIver) bravery in uncovering evidence against Harvey. The family's grief fractures them, but by the end, they begin to reconcile. Susie's father accepts her death after a heart attack forces him to let go of his rage, while her mother returns, symbolizing the family's slow healing.
Harvey, however, never faces legal consequences. Instead, the film delivers a cosmic reckoning: while attempting to lure another victim, he slips on ice and is fatally struck by a falling icicle. This moment is loaded with symbolism-nature itself punishing him, mirroring Susie's earlier voice-over about the universe's balance. Susie, now at peace, enters her personal heaven, a wheat field where she reunites symbolically with her first love, Ray Singh (Reece Ritchie). The final shots show her family moving forward, with Lindsey now grown and Susie's voice affirming that she'll always love them.
Unresolved Questions & Possible Answers
Why doesn't Harvey face legal justice?
- Possible Answer: The film prioritizes emotional resolution over procedural fairness, emphasizing that some evils evade human systems but meet fate in other ways.
- Alternative: Susie's arc is about releasing vengeance; Harvey's accidental death avoids glorifying retaliation.
What is the “in-between” realm?
- Possible Answer: A purgatory for souls tethered by trauma or love, unique to each person (Susie's resembles her desires and fears).
- Alternative: A metaphor for the grief process - Susie lingers until her family begins healing.
Does Susie's heaven imply an afterlife?
- Possible Answer: Yes, it's a personalized paradise reflecting her innocence and unmet desires (e.g., the gazebo from her dreams).
- Alternative: It's a dying hallucination, a final comfort before oblivion.
Symbolism & Themes
The icicle killing Harvey ties into the film's recurring motif of nature as a moral force. Earlier, Susie describes the universe as "a balance," and Harvey's death-sudden, unplanned, and ironically mundane-reflects this. His fate contrasts with Susie's gentle ascension, underscoring the film's theme that love outlasts violence. The wheat field heaven mirrors her lost human experiences (like her first kiss), suggesting the afterlife compensates for life's stolen moments. The family's fractured then repaired dynamics highlight resilience, though some critics argue Abigail's redemption feels rushed.
Personal Opinion
The Lovely Bones is visually stunning but tonally uneven, veering between fantasy, thriller, and family drama. The ending's ambiguity works emotionally - Susie's release is cathartic-but Harvey's lack of legal comeuppance may frustrate viewers craving justice. Saoirse Ronan's performance anchors the film, though the middle act drags. The afterlife sequences, while creative, sometimes distract from the raw grief story. Overall, it's a flawed but moving exploration of loss, with an ending that prioritizes spiritual closure over narrative tidiness.
Final Thought: The film's power lies in its portrayal of grief's nonlinear journey - Susie's family doesn't “move on” but learns to carry her memory differently. The ending, bittersweet and open-ended, lingers like a ghost.