The 2003 film Cold Mountain, directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renée Zellweger, tells the story of a Confederate soldier who deserts his unit and attempts to return home to his loved ones. Along the way, he meets a variety of characters who help (or hinder) his journey. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actress for Zellweger. Cold Mountain is a beautiful and poignant movie with an ending that is well worth watching.
At the end of the movie, a series of tragic deaths take place. So how do the characters fit in with each other in the future? We’ll try to make sense of it by explaining the movie’s plot to understand its denouement. So, without further ado, let’s begin!
Cold Mountain Plot
On May 20, 1861, North Carolina seceded from the Union, and the young men of Cold Mountain enlisted in the Confederate States Army. W.P. Inman, a carpenter, is one of them. He has fallen in love with Ada Monroe, the preacher’s daughter who has come from Charleston, South Carolina, to care for her father. The war interrupts their courtship, and they share their first kiss on the day Inman departs for battle. Ada promises to keep an eye out for him.
Three years later, Inman survives the Battle of the Crater. He then consoles a dying Cold Mountain acquaintance while fellow soldier Stobrod Thewes plays a tune on his fiddle. Inman is later wounded in a skirmish, and as he lies near death in a hospital, a nurse reads him a letter from Ada, in which she begs Inman to return home to her. Inman heals and deserts, setting out on a long journey back to Cold Mountain.
A Skirmish
Inman comes across the corrupt preacher Veasey and prevents him from drowning his pregnant slave lover. Veasey, exiled from his parish, joins Inman on his journey. They later meet a young man named Junior and dine with him and his family. Junior summons the Confederate Home Guard, who arrests Inman and Veasey and other deserters. Veasey and the group are killed in a skirmish with Union cavalry, while Inman is left for dead. Inman is discovered by an elderly hermit living in the woods, who nurses him back to health. He eventually meets a young widow named Sara and her infant son Ethan and spends the night at her cabin. Three Union soldiers arrive the following day, demanding food. They kidnap Ethan and attempt to rape, Sara, forcing Inman and Sara to kill them.
Ada’s Father Dies
Ada’s father died in Cold Mountain, leaving her with no money and few resources to run their farm in Black Cove. She survives thanks to the generosity of her neighbors, particularly Esco and Sally Swanger, who eventually send for Ruby Thewes (Stobrod’s daughter) to assist her. Ruby moves in, and the two become close as they restore the farm to working order. Meanwhile, Ada keeps writing letters to Inman in the hopes that they will reunite and renew their romance.
Teague’s Crimes
Captain Teague, the leader of the local Home Guard who covets Ada and her property and whose grandfather once owned much of Cold Mountain, has several tense encounters with Ada. Teague and his men murder Esco, then torture Sally to coax her deserter sons out of hiding and murder them. Ada and Ruby save Sally, who has been traumatized and has become mute. Stobrod has come to Cold Mountain with fellow deserters and musicians Pangle and Georgia, who plays the banjo and mandolin, to celebrate Christmas.
Cold Mountain Trailer:
Cold Mountain Ending Explained
Stobrod and Pangle are cornered by Teague and the Guard while camping in the woods one night, while Georgia secretly watches; Pangle inadvertently reveals they are deserters, and the Guard shoots Pangle and Stobrod. Georgia flees and informs Ruby and Ada, who returns to find Pangle dead and Stobrod badly injured. Stobrod and the women seek refuge in an abandoned Cherokee camp. Ada goes food hunting and runs into Inman, who finally returns to Cold Mountain. They return to the base and spend the night making love.
Teague and his men surround Ada and Ruby as they return home, having captured and tortured Georgia for information on their whereabouts. In a gunfight, Inman kills Teague and most of his posse. He then pursues Teague’s lieutenant, Bosie, and they trade quickdraws. Bosie is killed, but Inman is killed instantly. Ada locates and consoles Inman, who passes away in her arms. Years later, it is revealed that Ada’s night with Inman resulted in the birth of a daughter, Grace Inman and that Ruby married Georgia and has two children.
The family spends Easter at Black Cove with Stobrod and Sally. The ending of Cold Mountain is both sad and hopeful. The main character, Inman, dies in the process of trying to return home to his love, Ada. However, Ada has found her own strength and resilience during Inman’s absence, and she is able to build a new life for herself. While Inman’s death is tragic, Ada’s story is one of hope and determination.
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