Sweet November is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Pat O’Connor, starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. It is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name, and it tells a tender, melancholic story about love’s power to awaken the human spirit — even when time is running out.

The film follows Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves), a driven, ambitious advertising executive who lives by his schedule and career. His life is neat, controlled, and emotionally hollow. Everything changes when he meets Sara Deever (Charlize Theron), a free-spirited, unpredictable woman who lives life on her own terms. Their encounter begins by chance at a driving test — and quickly evolves into something transformative.

Sara has an unusual proposition: she asks Nelson to move in with her for one month, promising that the experience will change his life forever. At first, Nelson resists, but curiosity — and something deeper — draws him in. Over the course of November, he discovers joy, spontaneity, and a kind of love he never thought possible. Sara encourages him to shed his perfectionism, laugh more, and reconnect with what truly matters.

But as their relationship deepens, Nelson begins to sense that Sara is hiding something. Her mysterious avoidance of the future and her moments of weakness reveal a painful truth — she is terminally ill. Sara refuses to let her illness define her life; she wants each month to be devoted to a different person, helping them rediscover themselves before her time runs out. November, it seems, is Nelson’s month.

What follows is a heartbreaking journey of love and loss. Nelson’s transformation from a cold, work-obsessed professional to a compassionate, open-hearted man is both inspiring and tragic. He wants to stay with Sara beyond November, but she insists on parting ways before he sees her illness consume her — a decision that preserves the purity of their love but devastates them both.

Charlize Theron’s performance as Sara is luminous — full of warmth, humor, and quiet sadness. She captures the spirit of a woman determined to live freely in the face of death. Keanu Reeves, understated yet moving, portrays Nelson’s emotional awakening with sincerity and restraint. Together, their chemistry carries the film with bittersweet grace.

Visually, Sweet November bathes its San Francisco setting in golden light, echoing the warmth and impermanence of its central relationship. The cinematography and soft score create a dreamlike tone — part romance, part elegy.

Thematically, the film explores love, mortality, emotional rebirth, and the courage to live fully. It asks how much of life’s beauty comes from its impermanence — and whether a brief, authentic connection can mean more than a lifetime of safe detachment.