Marry Me in Yosemite

Zoe Best is a successful photographer whose publisher, Harris, tasks her with creating a breakout book on Yosemite National Park within a tight two-month deadline. Intimidated by the legacy of Ansel Adams, Zoe travels to the park and meets Ranger Sage Morning Star, who recommends Jack Hawkins as a guide. Zoe first encounters Jack in the woods, where he is bizarrely 'conducting' an imaginary orchestra to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Initially, Jack is a 'confirmed bachelor' and a 'grouch' who refuses to help her. However, after Zoe gets her foot stuck in a rock crevice and is nearly attacked by a bear, Jack rescues her and agrees to a five-day guiding contract. As they tour iconic locations like Yosemite Falls and El Capitan, Jack provides scientific and ecological context while Zoe focuses on the artistic 'soul' of the landscape. They visit Sage and her grandfather, Kosimay 'Kos' Wilson, who educate Zoe on the history of the Ahwahnechee people and the tragic displacement of Indigenous tribes from the valley. Zoe eventually asks Jack to co-write the book with her, leading to a deeper bond. During a camping trip to Tenaya Creek to find a rare angle of Half Dome known as the 'Face of Tears,' Jack delivers a poetic monologue about falling in love with the 'details' of a person. Despite their growing feelings, a conflict arises when Zoe tells Jack his essays are too scientific and 'textbook' for her coffee table book. Jack, feeling his perspective is undervalued, abruptly quits. Zoe returns to Chicago but finds she cannot finish the project without Jack's voice. Jack eventually realizes his feelings for Zoe and arrives at her hotel with revised, more accessible essays. The film concludes with Zoe proposing to Jack, followed by a wedding ceremony in Yosemite where they celebrate their union and their next collaborative project at the Grand Canyon.