Nine years have passed since the events of Before Sunrise. Jesse has written a novel inspired by his time in Vienna with Celine, and the book has become a minor success. The last stop of his book-signing trip across Europe is Paris, and there she comes to see him. Jesse has a short time before his plane departs, and invites Celine to share it with him. Jesse is married and has a child, and Celine has a boyfriend, but, as becomes clear in the course of their talk, both are not very happy. Now in their early thirties, they look back at their meeting with both longing and regret; at first, however, they simply accept the mistakes of the past. However, the nine years apart, and the divergence of their paths in life, have revealed the significance of their initial, brief encounter.


The film's conclusion is memorable. They return to Celine's apartment, where he plays a CD by Nina Simone. While imitating the singer, Celine says (with emphasis) to Jesse, "Baby ... you are gonna miss that plane." The shot turns to Jesse, who's smiling at her like a man gloriously happy for the first time in years. The camera slowly draws in on his face and he answers, "I know." The scene fades to black. The future of their relationship may be unclear, but it's clear Jesse is staying, at least for a while longer.