Clara is a 2018 science fiction film.
It stars Patrick J. Adams as Dr. Isaac Bruno, a bitter, jaded astrophysicist on a quest to find extraterrestrial life while increasingly alienating his students and colleagues in the process. He hires an assistant, itinerant artist Clara (Troian Bellisario), and together they discover a promising exoplanet that may indeed harbor life. Clara is quite the opposite from him in terms of personality. Even so, as they work together the pair begin falling in love and Clara slowly breaks through Isaac's shell while they pursue an earth-shaking find.
Examples in this film include:
- Ambiguously Brown: Clara is clearly not white, but her ethnicity remains unclear. She's played by Troian Bellisario, who was born to a white father and black mother.
- Bittersweet Ending: Clara dies from her illness, but her work with Isaac has helped to discover extraterrestrial life, and he's become a happier person from being with her.
- Canada Does Not Exist: Except for the mere mention that it's set in Toronto, the film never displays any signs that this is Canada.
- Character Title: The film is named for the deuteragonist.
- Cynicism Catalyst: It's revealed that the source of Isaac's bitterness was his infant son dying. Though not explicit, it's implied this is why he's an atheist and sees no meaning in the universe.
- Death of a Child: Issac and his now ex-wife’s son didn’t live past childhood, causing their divorce.
- Grief-Induced Split: Isaac and his ex-wife lost their son at a young age, which caused their marriage to collapse. He still hasn't made peace with the loss by the beginning of the film.
- Hollywood Atheist: Isaac clearly doesn't believe in any kind of higher power, and dismisses the idea that the universe has an innate meaning or purpose. Additionally, he's quite bitter and unfriendly at first to most people. However, we don't learn if he was an atheist before or after losing his son, which later is shown to be why he's bitter.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Clara is a downplayed version. Though not so energetic or wacky, she's far more loose and optimistic in comparison to Isaac (a bitter, unhappy man). By working with her and becoming a couple, he gets over the loss of his son that caused this (though she dies).
- Manly Tears: Isaac cries in sadness mixed with joy at hearing a Bob Dylan song he listened to with Clara sent by the aliens after she's died.
- No Full Name Given: Clara's last name is never revealed. She's only called by her first name.
- One-Word Title
- Opposites Attract: Isaac and Clara are very much opposites in their outlook on life. Nonetheless, they fall for each other working together and get into a relationship.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Isaac had a son with his ex-wife, who died young. Their marriage collapsed over it, and by the time the film starts he still hasn't gotten over losing him.
- Relationship Upgrade: Around midway into the film, Isaac gets together with Clara after they fall for each other and have sex. Previously, she had just been his assistant, though they both grew steadily closer.
- Romanticism Versus Enlightenment: Clara is spiritual, carefree and sees meaning in the universe's patterns, a positive Romantic view. Isaac is a strict materialist, uptight and insists such patterns are random, as a negative Enlightened view.
- Secretly Dying: It turns out that Clara has an autoimmune disease that she's dying from. We see her taking some medication early on, but she's later hospitalized and dies there. She kept this from Isaac, who didn't realize it until a friend pointed this out.
- Took a Level in Kindness: At the start, Isaac has become a bitter, unfriendly man due to losing his son. By the end, through knowing Clara, he's gotten over it and sees the brighter side, becoming much kinder to other people.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: How did aliens living far off in another solar system learn of Isaac and Clara's song, or pick it up to send back? With no other explanation, this possibly implies they're closer than the humans think, possibly already on Earth.
