Life in a Year - Characters & Cast

Initially, his motivation is to succeed academically to please his father. After meeting Isabelle, his primary motivation shifts to providing her with a lifetime of happiness in the short time she has left, which in turn leads him to discover his own desires and motivations outside of his father's influence.

Daryn begins as an obedient and disciplined son, focused solely on fulfilling his father's dream of him attending Harvard. His journey is one of awakening and rebellion. Through his relationship with Isabelle, he learns to question the path laid out for him and discovers his own passions. He transforms from a boy living for his father's approval into a young man who understands the importance of living authentically and for the moment. By the end, he has reconciled with his father on his own terms and pursues his dream of being a musician.

Her initial motivation is to live her remaining days on her own terms, keeping emotional attachments at a distance. As she falls for Daryn, her motivation becomes to experience genuine love and to push him to live his life authentically, ensuring he doesn't waste his potential by living for someone else.

Isabelle starts as a fiercely independent, guarded, and somewhat cynical character, a result of a difficult upbringing and her illness. While she acts as the catalyst for Daryn's change, she also undergoes her own development. Her relationship with Daryn allows her to open up, experience profound love, and find a sense of family and belonging she lacked. She also reconciles with her estranged mother, finding peace before her death. Her journey is about learning to let someone in and to accept love despite her tragic circumstances.

His motivation is to ensure his son's success and financial security, which he equates with a prestigious education and career. He wants to protect Daryn from what he perceives as distractions and hardships.

Xavier is initially presented as the primary antagonist to Daryn's happiness, a domineering father who relentlessly pushes his own ambitions onto his son. He is rigid and disapproving of Isabelle. However, his arc reveals that his actions stem from a place of love and a desire to provide his son with opportunities he never had. By the end of the film, after a major conflict with Daryn and witnessing the depth of his son's love for Isabelle, Xavier softens and they reconcile, with Xavier coming to understand and respect Daryn's choices.