Mamma Mia! The movie

On the fictional island of Kalokairi, 20-year-old bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) nervously posts three wedding invitations (”I Have a Dream”) to three different men. In response, from across the globe, they set off on their respective journeys.

Sophie’s bridesmaids and best friends Ali and Lisa (Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall) arrive and she shares with them a secret. Sophie has found her mother’s diary and learned she has three possible dads: New York-based Irish architect Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Swedish adventurer and writer Bill Andersson (Stellan Skarsgård), and British banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth). She sent their invites without telling her mother, believing that after she spends time with them, she will at last know who her real father is (”Honey, Honey”).

Villa Donna owner Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) is ecstatic to reunite with old friends and former Donna and The Dynamos bandmates, wisecracking author Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy multiple divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski), and reveals her mystification at her daughter’s desire to get married. At the Villa, Sophie introduces Tanya and Rosie to true love Sky (Dominic Cooper), and tells them about their idea of designing a website to attract tourists to the island. Donna explains her precarious finances (”Money, Money, Money”).

The three men arrive, and Sophie smuggles them to their quarters and explains that she, not her mother, sent the invitations. She begs the men to hide so Donna will have a surprise at the wedding: seeing the old friends of whom she “so often” favorably speaks. They overhear Donna working (humming “Fernando” to herself) in the storeroom below and the men swear to Sophie they will not reveal her secret.

However, Donna spies them and is dumbfounded to find herself face to face with the three former lovers she could never forget (”Mamma Mia”), and is adamant that they cannot stay. She confides in Tanya and Rosie (”Chiquitita”) a secret she has kept from everyone — she is uncertain which of the three men is actually Sophie’s father. Tanya and Rosie rally her spirits by getting Donna to join in with the female staff and islanders accompanying a musical number (”Dancing Queen”).

Sophie finds the men aboard Bill’s yacht, and they sail around the island of Skopelos (”Our Last Summer”) and tell her stories of Donna as a carefree girl. Upon their return, Sophie musters up the courage to speak with Sky about her ploy, but loses her nerve. Sky and Sophie sing passionately to each other (”Lay All Your Love on Me”), but are interrupted by the bachelor party that has descended upon Sky to kidnap him for his last night of freedom.

At Sophie’s bachelorette party, Donna, Tanya, and Rosie perform in a surprise one-night-only event as Donna and The Dynamos (”Super Trouper”). Sophie is delighted to see her mother rock out, but becomes nervous when the festivities are interrupted by the arrival of Sam, Bill and Harry. She decides to get each of her three prospective dads alone to talk.

While her girlfriends dance with the men (”Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”), Sophie achieves her aim, finally learning from Bill that the old woman who gave Donna the money to invest in her Villa was his Great Aunt Sofia. Sophie guesses she must be her namesake and that Bill must be her father. She asks him to give her away and to keep their secret from Donna until the wedding.

Over the moon, Sophie returns to the party. But her happiness is short-lived as Sam and Harry each tell her they must be her dad and will give her away (”Voulez-Vous”). A shocked Sophie can’t tell them the truth and, overwhelmed by the consequences of her action, faints on the dance floor.

In the morning, Rosie and Tanya reassure a frantic Donna they will take care of the men. Donna confronts Sophie in the courtyard, mistakenly believing Sophie wants the wedding stopped. Sophie angrily says that all she wants is to avoid her mother’s mistakes and storms off. An upset Donna is accosted by Sam, full of fatherly concern at Sophie getting married so young. Donna dresses him down, and both realize they still have feelings for each other (”SOS”).

Meanwhile, on Bill’s boat, Bill and Harry are about to confide in each other, but are interrupted by Rosie. Similarly, down on the beach, Tanya and young Pepper (Philip Michael) continue their flirtations from the previous night (”Does Your Mother Know”).

With her plans falling apart and wedding in jeopardy, Sophie knows it is time to come clean to Sky and ask for his help. He reacts angrily to his fiancée’s deception and Sophie must turn to her mother for support. As Donna helps her daughter dress for their wedding, the rift is quickly healed and Donna reminisces about Sophie’s childhood and how quickly she’s grown (”Slipping Through My Fingers”). Then and there, Sophie decides the only parent she’s ever known is the only one who should give her away. As the staff and bridesmaids accompany Donna and Sophie to the chapel, Sam intercepts Donna and begs her to talk. She reveals the deep pain she felt over losing him (”The Winner Takes It All”).

After the ceremony begins (”Knowing Me, Knowing You” during the wedding march), Donna confesses to Sophie that her father is present but he could be any of the three candidates, whom Sophie now admits to having invited. The three men concur that they would be quite happy to be one-third of a father for such a girl as Sophie. She then tells Sky that they should postpone their wedding and travel the world, as they have always wanted. It appears that preparations have been in vain until Sam steps in and proposes to Donna. She accepts (”I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do”) and the couple go through an impromptu ceremony. In this scene, it is revealed that Harry has also partnered up with one of the Greek background men. Harry’s sexual orientation is hinted at in a few other places throughout the movie.

At the wedding reception, Sam sings to Donna (”When All Is Said and Done”), which prompts Rosie to make a play for Bill (”Take a Chance on Me”). All the couples present proclaim their love and, magically, water from Aphrodite’s fountain of love bursts through the crack in the courtyard at Villa Donna (”Mamma Mia” reprise).

The story concludes as Sophie and Sky bid farewell to Skopelos island and sail away to a new life together (”I Have a Dream” reprise).

During the principal credits, Donna, Tanya, and Rosie reprise “Dancing Queen”, followed by “Waterloo” with the rest of the cast. Finally, Amanda Seyfried sings “Thank You for the Music” over the end credits.