What was in the red envelope in The Life List? Details explored

By Rajasini

Modified Apr 02, 2025 18:38 GMT

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The Life List is a Netflix romantic dramedy that premiered on March 28, starring Sofia Carson as Alex Rose. Based on Lori Nelson Spielman’s book, the film is about a young woman who embarks on a personal journey to complete the "life list" she created as a teenager.

The journey takes her through uncharted territory, family secrets, and a search for happiness within herself, and it all ends on a touching note.

In the movie, Alex Rose is dealing with the death of her mother, Elizabeth. To help her, Elizabeth gives her a list of goals that she wrote when she was 13. This life list shows what she wants to achieve, and finishing it is the key to a mysterious inheritance. Alex learns some surprising things about herself and the people around her as she goes on this journey.

In The Life List, the red envelope is revealed at the end of the emotional movie. When Alex opens the red envelope, she finds her inheritance: her mother's house. This represents a strong emotional connection and closure for her.

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The Life List: Alex’s journey and the red envelope

Alex's journey starts with a big surprise. After Elizabeth, Alex's mother, dies, she is left to figure out what her mother's will says. Elizabeth's lawyer, Brad Ackerman, reads the will and finds that Alex is not the main beneficiary.

Alex is shocked by this news because she had always thought she would inherit a big share of her mother's successful cosmetics business. But Brad tells Alex that Elizabeth left her a red envelope that she would only give back to her if Alex met the goals on the "life list" she made when she was a teenager.

There are twelve challenges on the list, ranging from personal and emotional growth to professional success. Alex learns more about herself as she completes each goal, such as teaching a class at a women's shelter and trying her hand at stand-up comedy.

Along the way, she faces the truth about her family, such as finding out who her biological father is and making up with her dad after a long fight. The last goal, though, is the hardest to reach: falling in love.

Alex changes, and the red envelope becomes a sign of that transformation. This is not only the material inheritance she thought she would get, but also the emotional inheritance of making her mother's wishes come true.

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So what’s inside the red envelope?

The Life List (Image via Netflix)

At the end of her journey, Alex faces the final test: can she find true love? She completes all the other goals on her list but doesn’t manage to fulfill this one, as her romantic relationships don’t work out.

But the red envelope holds a surprise: Alex inherits her mother's house. Alex has always had a strong connection to the house she grew up in, especially more so because it holds the last memories she had with her mother.

She also learns an important fact that her mother thought it might not be possible for her daughter to find true love while she was in a hurry.

Alex had many memories in that house, and now that she has it, she also has a piece of her mother's love and wisdom. Elizabeth set up a trust to pay for the house's upkeep because she knew that Alex's job as a teacher wouldn't give her the money to do so.

This thoughtful gesture from Elizabeth highlights her understanding of Alex’s sentimental nature and the importance of the house in Alex’s life.

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The Life List: Family secrets uncovered

A still from The Life List (Image via Netflix)

Finding out about family secrets, especially about Alex's biological father, is one of the most important parts of The Life List. Alex learns throughout the movie that her mother had an affair with a musician named Johnny, which is how she got pregnant.

Alex is shocked by this news because she always thought that her father, Samuel, was her biological parent. Alex starts to fix her relationship with her adoptive father, Samuel, as she goes on her journey to meet Johnny.

A big part of Alex's personal growth is how emotionally complicated her family is. She blamed her father for their challenging relationship for years. Over the time, she learns the truth about how she was conceived and what Samuel did for her mother. With this new knowledge, Alex is able to make peace with her father and reconnect with him.

As Alex works through her life list, she faces problems in her love life. Her relationship with Garrett is breaking down. At first, she thought Garrett could be the one. Garrett cares more about his lifestyle than getting to know Alex better, which makes Alex unhappy.

While this is going on, Elizabeth's lawyer, Brad, is still there for Alex and helps him out. Alex starts to see that Brad has all the qualities her mother looked for in a partner as their friendship grows. Elizabeth had asked Alex to consider four important questions before choosing a man to love:

"Is he kind? Can you tell him everything in your heart? Does he help you become the best version of yourself? Can you imagine him as the father of your children?"

Brad meets all of these criteria, and Alex comes to the realization that he is the one she truly loves. This insight marks a turning point in the film, as Alex finally recognizes that love is not something to be rushed or forced.

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Alex’s journey to true love: Brad and beyond in The Life List

A still from The Life List (Image via Netflix)

Toward the end of the movie, Alex finally decides to talk to Brad about her feelings for him. This moment of being open and vulnerable is the pinnacle of her emotional growth in the movie. Brad has been there for Alex in every step of her journey.

Alex's story shows that love is more than just finding the right person. It's also about learning to love yourself and know what you want and need.

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The Life List is available to stream on Netflix.