Plot
David Norris (Matt Damon) is a charismatic politician running for the United States Senate. He loses his early lead and is rehearsing the concession speech in the hotel bathroom, where he meets a mysterious woman. Having overheard his speech, she encourages him to be more original and honest. Immediately attracted to each other, they kiss, are interrupted, and Norris must leave to make the speech. Inspired by her, he goes off script and makes an honest speech that is widely praised.
Later, a mysterious man sits at a park bench and is instructed to make sure Norris spills his coffee. He falls asleep and fails in his task. Norris takes the bus to work and by chance again meets Elise (Emily Blunt), the woman from the bathroom, who introduces herself and gives him her phone number before she leaves. Norris is working at a venture capital firm run by his old friend and campaign manager, and arrives to work early. He is surprised to see his boss is frozen motionless and being examined by strange men in suits. They chase him, but no matter where he runs they catch up to him. Norris is taken to a warehouse, and Richardson (John Slattery) decides to tell him about the Adjustment Bureau. They have a plan for Norris and are determined to guide his life and keep him to that plan. The plan was made by someone they refer to as "the Chairman". They warn that if he tells anyone about them, even accidentally, he will be "reset", effectively lobotomised. The plan called only for him to meet Elise once and he is told to forget her and they destroy the phone number. Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) feels responsible having failed to intercept Norris, and tells him more about the Adjustment Bureau.
David fails to find Elise despite his attempts over the next three years. He rides the same bus every day hoping to see her again. He finally does see her one day and they are able to reconnect. The Bureau immediately tries to stop him from building his relationship with her and causes their schedules to bring them apart. David races across town, fighting the Bureau's special abilities to "control his chances" to ensure he will meet Elise again. The Bureau is able to use doors to travel great lengths across New York City during this chase.
Richardson does some research and discovers that David and Elise were meant to be together in an earlier version of the plan. He tells Harry that it wasn't his fault that this mess took place. Harry speculates on whether or not the plan is always correct.
David and Elise spend an evening at a large party, and connect when David tells her why he decided to become a politician after the loss of his mother and brother. They make love that night.
The Bureau decides to have Thompson (Terence Stamp) take authority on the adjustment of David Norris. He takes David to a warehouse and David argues that he has the right to choose his own path. Thompson lets him go and he runs to Elise's ballet recital. Thompson follows and reveals that not only will David's future as President be ruined if he stays with Elise, but her future as a dancer will also be diminished. To make a point he uses his adjustment power to cause Elise to fall and sprain her ankle. David, faced with hurting Elise in the long run, chooses to leave her at the hospital.
Eleven months later, David is running for election again, and sees an announcement of Elise's wedding in the newspaper. He gets in contact with Harry who agrees to teach him how to use the doors so he can stop Elise's wedding and avoid Thompson. He gives David his hat, which empowers David to use the doors, and the chase is on. David finds Elise in the bathroom of the courthouse where she is to be wed and reveals the Bureau's existence to her. They are chased by the Bureau across New York, using the doors as shortcuts, while the bureau uses the plan to track them. When David and Elise find themselves on Liberty Island, David decides to find the chairman to end the chase. He asks Elise if she will go with him, and she accepts. David turns the door handle to the left, which Harry instructed him not to do, and he enters the Bureau headquarters. The couple is chased through the Bureau until they are trapped on a rooftop above New York and they embrace passionately, assuming the worst is yet to come. When they release each other, the bureau members surrounding them have disappeared. Thompson appears, only to be relieved of duty by Harry, who tells David and Elise that the chairman decided to change the plan, because their love proved the plan could change.
Cast
* Matt Damon as David Norris
* Emily Blunt as Elise Sallas
* Anthony Mackie as Harry Mitchell
* Shohreh Aghdashloo as Mrs. Norris
* Michael Kelly as Charlie Traynor
* John Slattery as Richardson
* Anthony Ruivivar as McCrady
* Terence Stamp as Thompson
* Lauren Hodges as Robyn
* Lawrence Leritz as Court Officer
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