Mia is the protagonist of A Copenhagen Love Story, a Netflix film that intricately explores love, personal growth, and the challenges of fertility struggles.
A flawed yet compelling character, she undergoes a tumultuous journey of self-discovery, grappling with her desires, fears, and emotional wounds.
Overview
Mia’s Introduction and Early Life
The story opens with Mia and Emil in love, but the film quickly rewinds to reveal how they met.
Mia, a successful writer, is celebrating the launch of her book when she first encounters Emil.
However, she barely notices him, instead engaging in a brief, reckless fling with a waiter—who turns out to be a high schooler.
This opening sets the stage for her initial immaturity and avoidance of deeper emotional connections.
Meeting Emil: First Impressions and Hesitations
Mia’s best friend, Gro, introduces her to Emil, whom she had initially brought to the book launch.
Emil, a divorced father, appears melancholic, which contrasts with Mia’s carefree and somewhat reckless nature.
She calls him old, only to realize they are the same age. Despite this, she reluctantly agrees to a date with him.
On this date, she learns that Emil has children, which plants a seed of apprehension in her mind.
When Emil inquires whether she uses personal experiences to shape her book’s protagonist, Rebecca, she confirms it, subtly hinting at her deeply personal connection to her writing.
Despite an awkward encounter with an ex of Mia’s, both of them find mutual appreciation in each other.
The Couple’s Evolution
Mia and Emil’s relationship begins to evolve as they continue dating.
Initially hesitant about Emil’s children, she contemplates ending things.
However, a heart-to-heart with her brother, Andreas, and his boyfriend, Mehmet, forces her to reflect on her own immaturity in relationships.
During their second date, Emil surprises her with a napkin flower, revealing his soft and thoughtful side.
He also demonstrates his sense of humour, which helps break Mia’s emotional barriers.
They share their first kiss, marking the beginning of a deeper connection.
As their relationship blossoms, they embrace each other’s quirks and imperfections, leading the film back to its opening scene.
They explore the city together and spend as much time possible with each other, and are visibly happy.
However, Mia’s doubts arise again when Emil chooses to keep her separate from his children initially.
Despite this, he speaks fondly of her to them, showing that he values her presence in his life.
Meanwhile, Mia’s editor speculates about her potential as either an evil or good stepmother, highlighting the societal stereotypes surrounding step-parenting.
She scoffs at the suggestion of capitalizing on her experience in a book, but the idea lingers in her mind.
The Primary Crisis: Struggles with Fertility and Emotional Turmoil
As their relationship progresses, Mia meets Emil’s children (and it goes great) and expresses her desire to have children, and Emil agrees.
However, nine months later, their attempts remain unsuccessful.
A visit to a gynaecologist reveals Emil’s declining sperm count, leading to emotional distress.
Despite her reassurance, the news creates tension between them.
After a school event, they take a pregnancy test, which comes back negative, deepening Mia’s frustration.
She confides in her friends, lamenting how she endures hormonal treatments while the issue lies with Emil.
Their struggles take a toll on their intimacy.
In an art museum, Mia insists on having sex to increase their chances of conception, but Emil, exhausted by the pressure, lashes out, calling her hysterical.
When they try to be intimate, the experience is painful and unsatisfying.
The continuous negative test results leave her increasingly anxious and vulnerable.
The Conflicting Points
Mia’s emotional instability reaches a peak when she gets drunk at a party.
Emil attempts to take her home, but they argue.
She calls him immature, while he insists that they should not have serious discussions while intoxicated.
In her frustration, she questions why Emil’s sperm doesn’t work with her, displaying her desperation.
She later finds herself in a near-cheating situation but stops before things escalate.
Seeking advice from Andreas and Mehmet, she receives conflicting perspectives, adding to her confusion. She attempts to confess her mistake to Emil but hesitates.
In a conversation, Emil expresses that her anger is pushing them apart.
Just as their discussion turns serious, his kids interrupt, reinforcing Mia’s feeling of being sidelined.
During another visit to the doctor, Mia bursts out in frustration, pointing out the unfairness of men being treated as secondary in fertility discussions—symbolized by Emil always needing to bring his own chair to appointments.
Her book takes on a more personal tone as she writes about her struggles with self-loathing and shame regarding infertility.
During an interview, she clumsily articulates her deep-seated fears, reflecting her internal conflict.
Emil, however, is uncomfortable with his fertility issues being included in the book.
At a dinner with friends, she casually mentions his low sperm count, making him visibly uncomfortable.
This further strains their relationship, as Emil feels exposed and unheard.
The Emotional Breakdown and Separation
Mia’s close friend, Gro, reveals that she does not want another child due to her traumatic first pregnancy.
This contrasts with Mia’s desperation, making her bitterly remark that she wishes she had Gro’s ability to conceive.
The film juxtaposes Mia’s pain with Gro’s struggles, illustrating different perspectives on motherhood.
The breaking point comes when Mia is advised to induce early menopause for medical reasons. Feeling overwhelmed, she spirals into deep frustration.
Meanwhile, Gro undergoes an abortion, and Mia envisions taking the expelled fetus for herself—a disturbing reflection of her desperation.
Emil, upon accidently reading her brutally honest writings, feels hurt and unheard.
He accuses her of fixating on the negatives, making the relationship suffocating.
Mia, dealing with menopause symptoms, Gro’s abortion, and her own struggles, lashes out.
Their fights intensify, and Emil expresses his need to step back.
At a kids’ Halloween party, Mia, overwhelmed by grief, screams, terrifying the children.
This is a result of her extreme frustration when her first round of IVF treatment calls to be unsuccessful, after her painfully long journey with conceiving.
That night, Emil prioritizes his kids over her again, reinforcing her fears of being secondary in his life.
She finally breaks down, packs her things, and leaves without answering his calls.
Mia’s Growth
She moves into her own home, acknowledging that she left before Emil could. She focuses on her writing but remains emotionally distant.
Meanwhile, Andreas and Mehmet successfully find a surrogate, underscoring how difficult it is for two Danish men to have children.
Mia, now detached from her previous desperation, realizes she no longer feels trapped by the need to conceive.
Andreas, however, calls out her pattern of self-sabotage, warning her that she pushes away good things in life.
Encouraged by his words, she attempts to date again but finds herself uninterested.
Seeing a man wrinkle a tissue reminds her of Emil, prompting her to seek him out.
At his art exhibition, Emil stands firm in his need for self-protection.
Their conversation reveals that her biggest flaw is her tendency to run away instead of confronting her problems.
They share a kiss, rekindling their connection.
The Ending Scenes
At a Christmas dinner, she bonds with Emil’s children, who playfully note that she used to be ugly.
When she learns that her editor, Rikkie, is pregnant, she takes a moment to grieve her own lost dream of pregnancy.
Emil, however, suggests trying again, emphasizing that they are in this together.
The film closes with Mia undergoing another IVF attempt. When the phone rings, she expects bad news—but it is Andreas instead.
The final revelation is that she is pregnant.
In an emotional ending, she asks in narration to Emil if he loves her even in difficult times.
He assures her that he does, cementing the idea that their love endures beyond struggles.
The story concludes with Mia, Emil, and the children embracing, symbolizing hope, resilience, and unconditional love.
Mia’s Writing: From Her Published Book to the newest creation
Mia’s writing is deeply tied to her personal experiences.
At the start of the film, she is already a published author, and her protagonist, Rebecca, is heavily influenced by her own life.
When her editor suggests writing about her stepmother experience, Mia initially scoffs at the idea. However, as her life takes dramatic turns, she begins working on a book titled Bonus Mom Comedy.
Throughout the film, she struggles with the book’s tone, changing its title multiple times.
Eventually, after embracing the emotional weight of her experiences, she settles on A Copenhagen Love Story.
This shift reflects her journey—from resisting her struggles to embracing them as part of her identity.
Gro as Mia’s Foil
Gro, Mia’s best friend, serves as a foil to her character.
While she is desperate to conceive, Gro actively resists having another child.
Gro had a difficult pregnancy with her first child, leading her to view motherhood as a form of entrapment.
When she undergoes an abortion, her response is visceral—she imagines taking the expelled foetus for herself, highlighting the stark contrast in their perspectives.
Gro’s struggles with bodily autonomy parallel Mia’s struggles with infertility, reinforcing the theme that motherhood is not a singular experience but a deeply personal one.
Despite their differences, Mia ultimately supports Gro, showcasing her emotional growth.
Concluding Thoughts
Mia is a layered character whose journey is defined by insecurity, self-sabotage, and eventual growth.
Her struggles with fertility, relationships, and self-worth paint a deeply human portrait of a woman navigating the complexities of love and motherhood.
A Copenhagen Story ultimately presents her as flawed yet evolving, demonstrating that love is not about perfection but persistence and understanding.
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