The Chaperone (2011)

The Chaperone (2011) Full Recap

After spending seven years in prison, a man named Ray gets ready for his release tomorrow. He calls a radio presenter named Dr Marjore to talk about how her show has truly helped him on his path to self-discovery. Dr Marjore commends him for making a lot of progress while in prison, and Ray says he's now a changed man. He adds that he can't wait to get out because he's looking forward to meeting someone special.

Marjore says it might take a while for things to work out, but as someone disturbs Ray just as he's about to respond, he ends the call and beats up the person. The next day, Ray packs his things and gets ready to leave prison. He gives one of the prison guards a book written by Marjore, saying it helped him a lot on his path to self-discovery. However, the guard doesn't believe that the book really helps, and he says that Ray will probably end up back in prison.

Ray says he's now changed, and the guard follows him out of the gate. Ray looks happy to be free, and as he walks toward the bus stop, one of his old friends, Larue, drives right next to him and offers to give him a ride. Ray just ignores Larue and pretends not to see him. Larue then says he knows that Ray is probably pissed about what happened before he went to jail, and that he wants to make it up to his old friend.

Larue adds that he can drive Ray anywhere because he believes he owes his friend that much. Ray then stops and says he wants to drive. Larue looks confused, but since he doesn't want to argue about anything, he gets out of the car and allows Ray to go in. Almost immediately, Ray locks the other doors and drives away, leaving Larue stranded in the middle of the road.

That night, Ray arrives at his apartment and looks at an old photo of his ex-wife, Lynne, and their daughter, Sally. Just before going to bed, Ray says he can't wait to meet them tomorrow. The next day, Ray drives Larue's car to Lynne's new house. When Lynne sees him, she looks shocked and asks what he's doing there.

Ray says he's a changed man, and that he came to see Lynne and Sally just like he promised. Lynne doesn't seem to care about this, and she tells him to leave. As Ray is about to respond, Sally arrives home from school and sees him at the entrance. She looks shocked and asks if he's who she thinks he is.

Ray then confirms that he's her dad, and he says she looks much bigger. He still tries to give her the teddy bear he got for her, but she just walks past him and heads into the house. Ray looks disappointed, but Lynne says she doesn't know what he expected after he abandoned them for years. The next morning, Ray goes to Sally's school and runs to meet her just as she arrives.

He begs her to give him a chance to be her dad again because he's now a different person. However, Sally says she doesn't care about him, and that he can go to a new state if he really wants a fresh start. She adds that she'll continue to pretend like he doesn't exist. As she walks away, Ray looks disappointed but suddenly hears some fireworks going off inside the school premises.

It eventually turns out that two boys are fighting, and Ray quickly separates them. Almost immediately, the principal shows up with a teacher named Miss Miller to thank Ray for helping with the situation. Miller then asks who Ray is, and he introduces himself as Sally's dad. Miller looks shocked and says it's nice to finally meet him, because she only knows Lynne.

As Ray is about to mention that he spent the last seven years in a federal prison, Sally interrupts him and tells Miller that her dad works for the federal government. Miller looks impressed and asks if Ray knows about the upcoming school trip. Ray says he has no idea, and Miller mentions that the students are going on a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art to check out the dinosaur exhibit there. She adds that there's currently a need for a chaperone, and she's sure Ray will be a good fit.

Sally doesn't like this, and as she walks away, Ray follows her. He then mentions that if things are going to work out between them, he needs Sally to give him another chance. Sally says she doesn't even know him, and that she won't go on the school trip if he's coming along. Ray looks disappointed, but he doesn't know what else to say.

That night, Larue visits Ray and says he has already forgotten about the car because he knows he owes Ray. He adds that he's sorry for how things turned out years ago. Ray still seems pissed, and he complains about how Larue set him up to be arrested during a bank robbery. Larue says he regrets it, and that's why he has come with another offer.

He says he can't allow the best getaway driver in the world to live in a really old house. As he talks about going to rob another bank, Ray looks pissed and nearly hits him. Ray also talks about how he spent seven years in jail and lost everything he had, including his wife and daughter. Larue realizes that Ray is still pissed about what happened years ago, but he says he's sure that his old friend will come around for the job because they've always done things together since they were young.

The next morning, Ray heads to Lynne's house and meets her boyfriend, Dr. Etman. As Ray introduces himself as Lynne's ex-husband, Etman feels insecure and randomly mentions that he's a doctor. Ray doesn't seem to care, and Lynne eventually shows up. She says that Ray can't just keep coming to the house because Sally doesn't want to see him.

Ray says he wants Lynne to help him get closer to his daughter because he's now a changed man. Lynne says she and Sally are doing fine without him, and that she's even a nurse now. She adds that she had to go to school as a single mother, and that Sally is not the same girl Ray used to know because she was deeply hurt when he left. Ray says he's ready to do anything to earn a second chance, and Lynne says he has to show that he can be responsible and reliable.

She asks if he even has a job, and Ray says he'll get one. After going to different places to try to find a job, Ray is unable to get one, especially because he's an ex-convict. As he gets frustrated, he calls Marjore and complains about how things haven't been going smoothly since he got out. He adds that his ex-wife and kid are doing much better without him, and he doesn't think they'll give him another chance.

Marjore then encourages him to continue trying to earn a second chance, especially with Sally, but Ray laments that he thinks Sally has forgotten that he's her dad. Shortly after, Ray returns to his apartment and sees the building on fire. Ray looks disappointed because everything he had was inside the building, and he decides to pay Larue a visit. When he gets to Larue's bar, he says he's ready to work with Larue again.

Larue looks pleased about this, and he gives Ray some money just to appreciate him for changing his mind. The next day, Ray drives Larue and two other robbers, Goldy and Del, to the front of a bank. Larue then tells Ray to get ready to drive away because they'll be out in less than five minutes. Elsewhere, Lynne drops Sally off at school for the trip to New Orleans.

After Sally gets out of the car, she joins the queue near the school bus, and her crush, Josh, stands right behind her. Coincidentally, the bank being robbed is not far from Sally's school, and Ray sees her about to enter the bus. He then thinks about a moment from the past when he taught Sally how to drive as a kid. Almost immediately, Ray decides to ditch Larue and the others because he doesn't want to miss out on spending time with his daughter.

He throws the car keys near the flowers outside the bank and walks toward the school bus. When he gets there, he meets Miller and asks if she still needs a chaperone. Miller says she does, and Ray sits next to another teacher named Stanley. Elsewhere, Larue and the others leave the bank with some money, but as they enter the car, they notice that Ray isn't there.

As they look shocked and start wondering what to do next, they also realize that Ray left with the key. Since they can already hear sirens heading toward the bank, they leave the car and run away. Del runs toward the school bus with the bag of money while Larue and Goldy head in the other direction. Larue eventually notices that Del is going elsewhere, and he looks confused.

Del eventually bumps into the bags near the school bus while the driver, Nick, is arranging them. As Del seems to be in a hurry, he just drops the bag and runs away. Larue and Goldy look confused when they don't see Del with the bag after getting past the school bus. However, they just forget about him and try to escape through another road.

Meanwhile, Sally isn't happy to see her dad on the bus, and she tells him to get down. Ray says he won't do that because he doesn't want to lose her again, but Sally implies that staying will only make things worse. Ray insists on staying, and Sally returns to her seat looking pissed. Elsewhere, Del gets hit by a cop car while trying to escape, and he passes out immediately.

Larue and Goldy, on the other hand, are able to escape after stealing someone's car. As Ray sees cops in the area, he looks scared and tells Nick to drive away quickly. After the bus leaves the school premises, Larue and Goldy see Ray sitting just by the window. This leaves them shocked, but Larue immediately follows the bus.

As he tries to overtake the bus, he hits an oncoming truck and looks pissed. Larue and Goldy then abandon the car and hijack the truck so they can track down the bus. Back at the bank, a detective named Carlos is informed that the keys to the getaway car have been found, and it has been sent to a lab to get a match for the prints. Elsewhere, Ray leaves his seat and begs Sally to keep an open mind about his attempts to make things better.

However, Sally says she doesn't care about him, and that she'll pretend like she can't see or hear him. Almost immediately, a boy named Ted shoots a spitball to land on Ray's face. Ray seems pissed and tells Nick to stop the bus. After Nick does this, Ray scolds Ted and collects the straw from him.

He also introduces himself to all the kids and says he's the chaperone. He adds that the bus is too noisy, and he wants the kids to shut up. The kids look scared and immediately stay silent after hearing this. As Ray returns to his seat, Miller says it's actually against the school rules to tell the kids to shut up.

Ray looks confused, but Miller says it's because the school wants to avoid lawsuits. Miller adds that it's important not to be strict because it doesn't stop the kids from misbehaving. Ray doesn't get this, but he agrees to let Miller handle things next time. Elsewhere, Carlos and his partner head to the hospital to meet Del.

On the way, Carlos and his partner talk about the results of the fingerprint scan on the keys. Carlos’ partner says that just because Ray's prints were found on the keys doesn't mean he'll go to jail again. Carlos doesn't agree with this, and he says that Ray probably ditched the others when he saw that things weren't going well inside the bank. He adds that when he arrested Ray seven years ago, Ray said he'd turn his life around, but it's clear that he hasn't done that.

When the detectives get to Del's room, he's unable to say much because he's badly injured, but he still mentions the school bus. Meanwhile, Larue and Goldy are unable to track the school bus, and they decide to call the principal. When the call goes through, Larue asks about the school trip and says he wants to know where the kids are headed so he can give his niece her drugs. The principal says he's not supposed to disclose such information over the phone, but Larue threatens to sue the school if anything happens to his niece.

Following this, the principal mentions that the kids are going to make a first stop at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Elsewhere, Carlos and his partner get more information about Larue and Goldy stealing a car and hijacking a truck. The detectives also learn that the criminals were going after a school bus, and they decide to find it because it might lead them to Ray. Meanwhile, Ray leaves his seat again and tells Sally that he's sorry for being strict earlier.

As he mentions that he wants to make the most of the moment, Sally seems pissed and says that he's only driving them further apart by staying on the bus. Almost immediately, Josh comes over to thank Ray for getting the other kids to stay quiet because he has now been able to read his book. Sally looks pleased and implies that Ray did a good thing. As Josh then returns to his seat, Ray jokes that he's happy to see that someone appreciates what he did, but Sally doesn't respond.

Shortly after, the bus arrives at the museum, and Miller tries to get the kids to listen to her. As they just ignore her, Ray helps her shout at them to pay attention. He also mentions that anyone who doesn't obey Miller will be sent to detention. The kids look scared again, and a girl named Meredith insults Sally by saying that her dad is a loser.

When they enter the museum, an official informs Miller that the docent assigned to the kids isn't around. As Miller wonders what they'll do next, Ray says he can fill in for the person because he loves dinosaurs. Miller looks pleased, and Ray takes the kids around to show them different dinosaurs. Suddenly, he sees Larue and Goldy inside the museum, and he tells Miller and Stanley to take all the kids back to the bus.

Miller says they still have enough time to look at other dinosaurs, but Ray insists that they all have to return to the bus. After this, Ray goes to the bathroom to hide, and when Larue and Goldy come in, he beats them up. Larue and Goldy believe Ray set them up, but he says he changed his mind and left the scene to meet his daughter. Goldy doesn't believe this, and he accuses Ray of working with Del to get the money on the bus.

Ray looks confused, but he denies this and tells them to stay away from him and his daughter. Ray then heads outside and tells Miller that they have to leave. Miller looks confused, and Sally asks if there's a problem. Ray says everything is fine, and that he just wants them to get to their next destination early.

Miller says they can't leave without Nick because he isn't around yet. Ray then offers to drive, and he says he's sure Nick will find his way to their hotel. Miller still looks confused, but she enters the bus before Ray drives away. As Larue and Goldy leave the museum, they see that the cops are checking out the truck, and they decide to ditch it and get a cab.

After a while, Ray drops the kids off at the next place on their itinerary. He then checks the bags and finds the one with the money. Coincidentally, Larue calls Ray to accuse him of stealing the money. Ray denies this and says he has found the money and would like to return it. Interestingly, Larue and Goldy are standing across the street, and Ray says he'll bring the bag to them.

As he walks toward them, Ray sees Carlos and his partner inside a car, and he steps back. Unfortunately, the detectives see Larue and Goldy, who assume that Ray has set them up again. Before the detectives can catch them, though, they run away and eventually head to a warehouse owned by a criminal named Kevin. After breaking into the warehouse, Kevin asks what they want, and Larue says they need his help.

Elsewhere, Josh hears Sally singing a song by his favorite artist, and he takes the chance to talk to her. Sally says the artist is also her favorite, and Josh seems pleased because she's not like the other kids who like weird music. Josh then says he likes Sally's dad because it's obvious that he cares about her and wants to spend time with her, unlike most parents. Sally doesn't really have anything to say, and Meredith eventually approaches Josh to try to steal his attention.

However, he ignores her and continues talking to Sally, who looks happy. Almost immediately, Lynne calls Sally to ask about the trip. As Sally talks about Ray being the chaperone, Lynne doesn't hear her because Etman is playing loud music. She eventually says she'll call Sally later, and the call ends.

Shortly after, the kids get back on the bus, and Miller thanks Ray for making them leave the museum earlier because it gave them enough time to enjoy the last place. She adds that she sometimes gets too attached to her schedule, but Ray has helped her realize that she doesn't have to do that. Ray says it's not a problem, and they soon arrive at the hotel where they'll be staying. Nick already happens to be around, and Ray says sorry for leaving him at the museum.

He also takes the bag of money and heads to his room. There, he gets a call from Larue, who seems pissed that the detectives almost caught him. He also threatens to hurt Sally, but Ray says there's no need for that because he's willing to return the money. Almost immediately, someone knocks on the door, and Ray places Larue on hold.

As he opens the door, he sees Sally, who says sorry for being too hard on her dad since he entered the bus. She also asks if he would like to get something to eat, and he says he'll meet her in the lobby in a few minutes. After this, Ray closes the door and tells Larue to meet him in front of the hotel. Larue seems scared that Ray might set him up, and he tells Ray to come to the warehouse instead.

Ray says he'll be there in two hours, and even though Larue doesn't like this, he ends the call. Larue then tells Goldy that they can't just sit back and let Ray trick them again. Elsewhere, Ray goes to Josh for advice on the right things to talk about with his daughter. Josh seems happy to help, and he gives Ray some tips.

After this, Ray tells Miller that he'd like to go out with Sally for a while. Miller doesn't have a problem with this, and she says she's sure that Sally will be in good hands. Following this, Ray leaves with Sally, and they stop at a nearby music factory. There, Ray talks about Sally's favorite artist, and she looks impressed.

When they eventually sit together, Ray talks about how he had time to reflect on everything he did while he was in jail. Sally asks why he robbed the bank, and he says it's one of the many mistakes he has made in his life. He adds that he grew up with the wrong people and wanted to get Lynne and Sally everything he thought they deserved without having to work for it. Sally then complains that he didn't send her a letter in his first five years, and he explains that he thought she was better off without him.

He adds that it wasn't until he started listening to Marjore that he realized he had to do better. Sally says his absence really affected her, and that Lynne even cried for months after he was gone. Ray says he's really sorry, and that he wants to make things right. Elsewhere, Carlos and his partner arrive at the hotel to ask Miller if she has seen Ray.

Miller says she has, and Carlos informs her that Ray just got out of prison and is a suspect in a robbery case. Miller looks scared and mentions that Ray is currently out with his daughter. Meanwhile, Sally and Ray get back to the hotel, and she says she enjoyed spending time with him. Ray says he also enjoyed it, and he tells her to go inside to meet her friends.

As Sally enters the hotel, she sees a news report about Ray being a suspect in a robbery case. Meanwhile, Ray calls Marjore to tell her about the progress he has made with his daughter. Marjore sounds proud of him, but Ray is forced to end the call when Sally comes over to meet him again. She accuses him of being a criminal because he's now on the news, but Ray says he had nothing to do with the robbery.

He adds that Sally has to trust him because he really wants to make things right. Elsewhere, Etman gets ready to propose to Lynne, but she suddenly sees the news report about Ray hijacking a school bus, and she leaves the house to find her daughter. When Sally and Ray return to the hotel, they see that there are cops around. Ray then tells Sally to bring him the bag inside his room.

Sally immediately heads there and secretly brings out the bag. However, Nick grabs it from her and puts it into the bus’ luggage compartment because he thinks the kids are about to leave. Sally eventually asks for the bag, and as he gives it to her, she heads over to meet Ray. After Ray collects the bag, he says he'll try to make things right by returning the money.

He also tells Sally to go back to the hotel because he doesn't want her to get hurt. Sally looks sad, but Ray thanks her for helping him. When Sally returns to the hotel, she gets kidnapped by Larue and Goldy. Ray also gets to the warehouse and realizes that Larue has set him up to be beaten by Kevin and his men.

Luckily, Ray is able to beat them up, and he eventually gets a call from Larue, who mentions that he has Sally with him. Ray sounds pissed, but Larue tells him where to get his daughter back in exchange for the bag. Ray soon gets there in a cab, and he tells the driver to drive his daughter back to the hotel immediately she enters the car. After this, he tells Larue and Goldy to release his daughter, and they do just this.

As Sally enters the cab, the driver leaves immediately. However, as she turns back, she notices that the bag she gave her dad is the wrong one. She then realizes that Nick probably mixed up the bags, and she tells the cab driver to go back, but he refuses to do this because Ray gave him clear instructions. Meanwhile, Larue and Goldy refuse to believe that there was a mix-up with the bags, and they decide to leave the scene with Ray so they can teach him a lesson.

A while later, Sally arrives at the hotel and meets Carlos, who asks where her dad is. Sally says she has no idea, and she also defends Ray by telling the detectives that her dad was on the school bus when the robbery was going on. Carlos doesn't believe this, and he says that Ray won't be on the run if he were innocent. Just then, Sally is taken to a room to meet the other kids and wait until the case is resolved.

When Josh sees her, he says it must be weird for her to hear the bad things that her dad did. However, Sally says her dad is innocent, and Josh believes her. As Sally says she needs to track her dad's phone, Ted hears them and asks if they're planning an escape op. Another boy named Simon also offers to help because he has his own tracking software.

The Chaperone (2011) Ending Explained

After figuring out Ray's location, Ted creates a distraction so that Sally can escape with him, Josh, and Simon. Interestingly, Meredith also follows them, and when they get out of the hotel, Sally tricks Nick into leaving the bus. Following this, the kids enter the bus, and Sally quickly drives away. She doesn't happen to be a good driver, but she still manages to drive toward Ray's location at a nearby amusement park.

When she gets there, she tells her friends that her dad is a good man, even though he might’ve made mistakes in the past. She also begs them to help her, and all the boys agree to do whatever she wants. Meredith says she won't go anywhere because she's scared, and they leave her on the bus. Inside the park, Larue and Goldy torture Ray because they believe he tried to set them up a few times.

They also assume that he stole their money, but Ray says he's not that kind of person anymore. Almost immediately, the kids set off fireworks in different parts of the park, and Goldy quickly heads over to check what's happening. Ted shows up and tries to confront Goldy, but when he sees a gun, he runs away. Goldy then runs after Ted, but Simon throws some beads on the ground to trip the criminal.

As Larue goes to find Goldy, Ray calls Marjore and drops his phone on the ground. The kids quickly come to his rescue, but before they can leave together, Larue and Goldy stop them. Ray then shows them the bag of money that Sally and her friends brought along. Larue and Goldy look pleased, and they talk about robbing the bank and setting Ray up for the one that got him incarcerated years ago.

Surprisingly, Marjore hears this while she's on air, and the cops are immediately alerted to the situation. Before Larue and Goldy can leave, the cops arrive and arrest them. Ray feels vindicated, but as he's about to leave with the kids, Carlos shows up to arrest him. Ray says he didn't do anything, and Carlos’ partner also mentions that Ray is innocent because Larue and Goldy somehow confessed to their crimes on Marjore's show.

Almost immediately, Lynne arrives and slaps Ray for putting Sally in danger. Sally tries to explain that her dad is innocent, but Ray says he deserves the slap for abandoning his family years ago. Sally still pleads on her dad's behalf, and Lynne forgives him. A while later, Ray gets back with Lynne and grows closer to his daughter.

He also gets a job to replace Marjore and advise people on her show. One day, he gets a call from Larue, who says he's having a hard time adjusting to his new environment. Ray then advises him to confront his situation, be truthful, and sleep with his back against the wall. Larue doesn't think this will be helpful, and he looks disappointed because there's already someone trying to bully him.

After Ray gets released from prison, he decides to rebuild his relationship with his ex-wife and his daughter. Unfortunately, things don't turn out as expected, and he considers going back to his old life as a getaway driver for a group of robbers. He eventually changes his mind at the last minute so he can spend time with his daughter, and this ultimately saves him from going back to jail or losing his family again.