Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Plot summary

Me Myself I (1999) Plot Summary & Timeline

Me Myself I (1999) movie poster

Me Myself I is a 1999 comedy and romance film directed by Pip Karmel, running 1 hour 44 minutes. This page retells the whole story in 495 words (about 2 minutes to read) and covers 14 key events in order, 4 characters, where and when it is set and 4 themes. Looking for the cast, ratings and where to stream it? See the movie page for Me Myself I.

to read the plot summary
2 min
key events in the timeline
14
characters profiled
4
themes explained
4
Me Myself I (1999) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 44m
Director
Pip Karmel
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Original language
English
Studio
Gaumont
No spoilers

What Is Me Myself I About?

The premise of Me Myself I in 279 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.

In a gently observed contemporary world, a solitary journalist marks her birthday alone, feeling the quiet ache of unfulfilled companionship. The film opens with her sifting through a box of old photographs, a simple act that sparks a lingering curiosity about a path she never took. The atmosphere is intimate and wistful, inviting the audience to share in the quiet contemplation of life’s “what‑ifs.”

Pamela Drury is introduced as a driven, serious reporter whose professional focus often eclipses her personal desires. When she spots a picture of Robert Dickson, the man who once proposed, the memory of that decision lingers like a soft echo. A chance encounter with an intriguing stranger, Ben, adds another layer of longing, as she glimpses—a fleeting, almost cinematic vision—of a family life that seems both foreign and alluring. An unexpected accident then serves as a catalyst, pushing her toward an alternate version of her own story.

The tone of the film is reflective and subtly bittersweet, balancing moments of humor with an undercurrent of melancholy. The world feels both familiar and slightly askew, as if reality has tilted just enough to reveal parallel possibilities. The visual style mirrors this duality, using warm, domestic lighting against the cooler hues of a bustling newsroom, highlighting the tension between independence and connection.

Through Pamela Drury’s interactions with Robert Dickson and Ben, the narrative explores the delicate dance between career ambition and the desire for intimacy. The alternate self, Pamela Dickson, hints at a life where the same choices led elsewhere, underscoring the film’s central meditation: that every path holds its own rewards and regrets, and the heart may hold room for both the solitary and the shared.

Full plot

What Happens in Me Myself I?

The complete story of Me Myself I, from the first scene to the last, in 495 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.

Spoilers ahead

Pamela Drury is a single, serious journalist who feels the ache of loneliness on her birthday and quietly wonders what life might have been like if she had chosen marriage and children. As she browses a box of old photos, she reconsiders why she ended things with Robert Dickson thirteen years ago, weighing the path she chose against the path she didn’t.

Her curiosity is sparked by a chance encounter with an interesting man, Ben, who she follows to his home and glimpses through a window—a glimpse of a happy, fulfilled family that contrasts with the life she leads. Soon after, a sudden accident changes everything, and the driver proves to be Pamela herself, though she is Pamela Dickson, a version from an alternate universe in which she married Robert years earlier.

Pamela Dickson’s car crash sets off a surreal turn: she takes Pamela Drury to the Dickson family home, and the two of them talk in the kitchen. Then, before long, Pamela Dickson’s children come home and she disappears, leaving the unmarried Pamela Drury in a house she doesn’t recognize with three children she doesn’t know. The two realities begin to pull at the seams, and the lives of the women start to diverge in the days that follow.

In Pamela Dickson’s world, life looks different: she is stuck in a dull marriage and writes lightweight pieces for a mainstream ladies’ magazine, while Pamela Drury continues to chase serious journalism. She meets Ben again, but this time he was never married and still mourns the loss of a great college love. At first, Pamela Drury feels drawn to rekindle a relationship with Robert, but the pull of married life and the friction that comes with it soon strain their bond. An affair with Ben unfolds, and he confronts her with the truth—that she has a husband and children—leaving him hurt and disappointed.

As the two stories unfold, Pamela Drury gradually grows to embrace the idea of a family and re-energizes her marriage, even as Pamela Dickson, living the single life, realizes she misses her husband and children and eventually returns to them. In a restaurant bathroom moment, the two women switch back to their former lives: Pamela Dickson has been living as the single, career-focused Pamela Drury and discovers she’s drawn to the family she left behind, while Pamela Drury becomes reacquainted with the life she once desired and gains a fresh appreciation for the balance of independence and connection.

Ultimately, the two paths converge in a quiet acknowledgment that both lives hold value. Pamela Drury ends with a renewed sense of purpose and an appreciation for career and independence, while Pamela Dickson’s choices lead her to dating Ben again, even as she remains tethered to the world she left behind. The film leaves the viewer with a thoughtful sense that both single life and family life offer meaningful rewards, and that the heart can hold room for both, depending on the path taken.

Timeline

Me Myself I Timeline: Every Key Event in Order

14 key events in the order they happen, from “Pamela Drury's lonely birthday” to “Final realization: both lives have value”. 13 events name a place, across 12 locations.

  1. 1

    Pamela Drury's lonely birthday

    On her birthday, Pamela Drury is alone and quietly reflects on the life she chose. She wishes she had married and had children, a longing that underscores the rest of the story. The moment sets the mood for the extraordinary events to come.

    When:on her birthday Where:Pamela's apartment

  2. 2

    Old photos spark reflections about Robert

    While sorting a box of photos of old boyfriends, Pamela Drury wonders why she broke up with Robert Dickson thirteen years earlier. She ponders how that choice shaped her life and what might have happened if things had gone differently. The reflection foreshadows the parallel paths the film will explore.

    When:present day Where:Pamela's home

  3. 3

    Pamela follows Ben and sees a happy family

    Pamela spots an intriguing man named Ben and follows him to his home. Through his window she glimpses a family that looks content, triggering envy and curiosity. The moment hints at choices that could alter her own future.

    When:that evening Where:Neighborhood; Ben's home

  4. 4

    Car accident introduces a switch of fates

    Pamela Drury is hit by a car while crossing the street, a crash that abruptly changes everything. In the collision the driver is revealed to be Pamela Dickson, her alternate-universe counterpart. The accident triggers the parallel-life phenomenon that drives the plot.

    When:moments after following Ben Where:city street

  5. 5

    Pamela Dickson brings Pamela Drury to the Dickson home

    Pamela Dickson takes Pamela Drury to the Dickson family home, and the two talk in the kitchen. The conversation forces both women to confront the stark differences between their lives. The encounter plants the seed for the life-swap that follows.

    When:immediately after the accident Where:Dickson family home; kitchen

  6. 6

    The kids arrive; Drury is left alone in a new life

    Pamela Dickson's kids come home and she vanishes, leaving Pamela Drury alone in a house she does not recognize with three children who assume she is their mother. The children are unaware of the switch, adding a layer of confusion and responsibility for the unprepared Drury. This marks the beginning of Drury inhabiting an unfamiliar family life.

    When:soon after the kitchen scene Where:Dickson family home

  7. 7

    Alternate life: dull marriage and a mourning Ben

    In this alternate life, Pamela Dickson is married and writes lightweight articles, a far cry from Drury's serious journalism. She reconnects with Ben again, but in this timeline he remains single and mourns a great love that was lost before graduation. These revelations redefine the two paths that now exist within one person.

    When:in the alternate timeline Where:various locations

  8. 8

    Drury tastes married life with Robert and grows restless

    Pamela Drury is briefly pleased to be with Robert again after so many years, but the married life soon feels constraining. She quarrels with Robert and feels the dynamic slipping away, exposing how easy it is to lose her sense of self. The discontent pushes her toward Ben and the other life.

    When:later in the alternate timeline Where:Robert's home

  9. 9

    Affair with Ben and the truth revealed

    Pamela Drury begins an affair with Ben, hiding that she has a husband and children. Ben visits and learns the truth, walking away angry and disappointed. The affair tests loyalties and forces both women to confront what they have become in their swapped lives.

    When:during the affair Where:Drury's home; Ben's visits

  10. 10

    Drury rediscovers family life and rekindles hope with Robert

    Pamela Drury eventually embraces the idea of having a family again and rekindles her feelings for Robert. The renewed bond enlivens their marriage and makes her reassess what she values. This marks a turning point in her personal growth within the alternate timeline.

    When:later in the alternate timeline Where:Robert's home

Show the other 4 events of Me Myself I
  1. 11

    Swap back: the restaurant bathroom reveal

    In a restaurant bathroom, Pamela Dickson reappears and the two women switch back to their original lives. The abrupt exchange ends the alternate existence and leaves each woman to live with the consequences. The twist underscores the fragility and value of the lives they inhabit.

    When:in the restaurant Where:restaurant bathroom

  2. 12

    Dickson life continues; Ben and Pamela swap beginnings

    Pamela Dickson resumes life as the single woman who had been living as Pamela Drury, yet she misses her husband and kids and returns to them. She has begun dating Ben, who is now divorced from the woman she saw through the window. The relationships remain entangled in parallel fashion.

    When:after the switch Where:Dickson family home; Ben’s circle

  3. 13

    Drury returns to single life with newfound perspective

    Pamela Drury returns to single life with a new appreciation for career independence and personal choice. She learns that while she was gone, Pamela Dickson started dating Ben, who is divorced from the other life’s woman. The experience broadens her view of what could be possible.

    When:after the switch Where:city apartment

  4. 14

    Final realization: both lives have value

    In the end, both lives offer appealing possibilities, and Pamela Drury recognizes the value of pursuing her career and independence while acknowledging the happiness found in family life. She moves forward with a renewed gratitude for what she has, and a tempered sense of what could have been. The story closes on a note of balanced appreciation for choice and circumstance.

    When:present

Characters

Who Are the Main Characters in Me Myself I?

4 characters, among them Pamela Drury (Rachel Griffiths), Robert Dickson (David Roberts) and Pamela Dickson: who each one is and the part they play in the story. 3 of them link to the actor’s page.

  • Rachel Griffiths as Pamela Drury (Rachel Griffiths) in Me Myself I

    Pamela Drury (Rachel Griffiths)

    Played by Rachel Griffiths

    Single, serious journalist who spends her birthday alone and contemplates marriage and children. She reflects deeply on life choices and longs for both professional success and personal fulfillment, leading to introspective and transformative experiences.

    • 🎭 Drama
    • 💼 Career-focused
    • 💔 Loneliness
  • RD

    Robert Dickson (David Roberts)

    Played by David Roberts

    Pamela Drury's former lover and later husband figure in one timeline. He embodies steady commitment and emotional depth, becoming a focal point for renewed romance and conflict as their paths cross again in a second life.

    • 💞 Romance
    • 🕰️ Past relationship
    • 🏡 Domestic life
  • PD

    Pamela Dickson

    Alternate-universe Pamela who marries Robert and leads a dull, conventional life with a different career. Her life contrasts with the journalist Pamela’s ambition, highlighting how choices shape happiness and fulfillment.

    • 💍 Married life
    • 🗺️ Alternate life
    • 🧭 Family
  • B(

    Ben (Sandy Winton)

    Played by Sandy Winton

    A compelling man who becomes a love interest for Pamela in one timeline and a symbol of lost possibilities. He mourned a great love in college and is tested by the truth of Pamela’s two lives, revealing resilience and the pull of different paths.

    • 💔 Lost love
    • 🔀 Timeline shift
    • 🧭 Complex relationship
Setting

Where and When Is Me Myself I Set?

Me Myself I is set in Australia, Dickson family home, city streets and restaurant bathroom (Late 1990s to early 2000s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.

When

Late 1990s to early 2000s

The narrative unfolds in a contemporary late-1990s to early-2000s setting, focusing on adult relationships, careers, and family dynamics. Technology and social norms reflect the era, framing the tension between independence and commitment. The time period supports a story about choice, longing, and the possibility of alternate life paths.

Where

Australia, Dickson family home, city streets, restaurant bathroom

Set largely in Australia, the story centers on the intimate space of the Dickson family home and everyday urban locations. Key scenes unfold in a kitchen, on city streets, and a restaurant bathroom that become stages for life-changing encounters. The setting emphasizes a modern, lived-in world where personal choices ripple across two parallel lives.

  • 🏡 Domestic settings
  • 🌍 Australia
Themes

What Are the Themes of Me Myself I?

4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Identity, Love vs Career and Alternate Realities.

  1. 01

    Identity

    The two Pamela lives reveal how identity can be shaped by choices, circumstances, and chance. The film uses doppelgänger moments to explore inner desires versus public roles. It asks what remains constant when lives diverge and where true self lies. The debate between self-actualization and settled happiness drives the narrative.

  2. 02

    Love vs Career

    Romance and career pull Pamela in different directions, showing that happiness can be found in both single, ambitious life and committed family life. The alternating timelines test loyalty and honesty, forcing the characters to confront what they truly want. The film treats love as a catalyst for personal growth rather than a guarantee. It suggests that fulfillment can come from embracing either path.

  3. 03

    Alternate Realities

    Switching worlds highlights how fragile plans are and how quickly love can shift when circumstances change. The parallel lives reveal the costs of longing for what could have been. The tale treats fate as something that can be influenced by choices, not just luck.

  4. 04

    Time and Growth

    Time acts as a mirror for growth; choices ripple through years, altering relationships and self-perception. The film demonstrates that appreciation for different life options can coexist, shaping gratitude for the present. The narrative uses the alternate life device to encourage empathy for both sides of a decision.

Tone & mood

What Kind of Film Is Me Myself I?

Bittersweet in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.

Tone
Bittersweet
Pacing
Steady
Story
Moderate
Intensity
Medium
Ending
Bittersweet

A reflective and bittersweet romantic comedy that gently explores the universal question of 'what if', blending a touch of melancholy with hopefulness as a woman intimately compares two divergent life paths.

  • reflective
  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • dreamlike
  • intimate
  • nostalgic
  • alternate timeline
  • what if
  • midlife crisis
  • career vs family

Quiz

How well do you remember Me Myself I? Test yourself on the story.

Take the quiz
Where to watch

Where to Watch Me Myself I

Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Streaming availability in the US, powered by JustWatch logo

Read next

Movies Like Me Myself I With a Plot Summary

6 films close to Me Myself I in story and themes that have a full plot summary here: Me Myself I (2000) and Me, Myself and Her (2015) lead.

All plot summaries

Missing a Movie Plot Summary?

Tell us which film you want explained next: the full story, the timeline, the characters and the ending.

Request a summary
FAQ

Me Myself I Plot Questions

5 quick answers about Me Myself I, taken from the plot summary, character guide and setting on this page and the film’s credits.

What is Me Myself I about?

In a gently observed contemporary world, a solitary journalist marks her birthday alone, feeling the quiet ache of unfulfilled companionship. The film opens with her sifting through a box of old photographs, a simple act that sparks a lingering curiosity about a path she never took.

Read the full plot summary

When and where does Me Myself I take place?

Me Myself I is set in Australia, Dickson family home, city streets and restaurant bathroom (Late 1990s to early 2000s). The narrative unfolds in a contemporary late-1990s to early-2000s setting, focusing on adult relationships, careers, and family dynamics.

The setting explained

Who are the main characters in Me Myself I?

The story follows Pamela Drury (Rachel Griffiths) (played by Rachel Griffiths), Robert Dickson (David Roberts) (played by David Roberts), Pamela Dickson and Ben (Sandy Winton) (played by Sandy Winton).

All the characters

What are the main themes of Me Myself I?

The summary picks out 4 themes: Identity, Love vs Career, Alternate Realities and Time and Growth.

The themes explained

Who directed Me Myself I?

Me Myself I (1999) was directed by Pip Karmel and runs 1 hour 44 minutes.

Pip Karmel’s films

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app