“Isn’t She Lovely”
Always and Forever, Lara Jean“Isn’t She Lovely” is the song Dan chooses for a father-daughter dance with Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty. Written by Stevie Wonder for his daughter when she was first born, it turns a planned sequence of dances into an expression of family affection: Dan dances with each daughter in turn, and tells Lara Jean, “I’m so proud of you,” calling her “My middle girl.”
Choice and Meaning
Trina proposes that the girls dance with Dan instead of her. She has already had her own father-daughter dance and does not want to repeat it; she thinks the occasion will mean more if the sisters take her place. The family practices the dance earlier in the week on the rented dance floor. Dan’s choice of “Isn’t She Lovely” connects the celebration to a song Stevie Wonder wrote for his daughter at her birth, making its subject—the love and wonder of a parent for a daughter—especially apt for this family gathering.
The Dance
The choreography gives each sister a turn with Dan: Margot dances first, Lara Jean cuts in next, and Kitty follows. Kitty and Lara Jean wait at the side, clapping in time, with Kitty eagerly anticipating her own moment to take over. Dan has practiced a few moves with Lara Jean; their crowd-pleasing step is to dance-walk side by side and shimmy together in unison.
Before letting Margot go, Dan pulls her close and whispers something that brings tears to her eyes. Lara Jean does not ask what he said, recognizing the exchange as a moment belonging to the two of them. When her turn comes, Dan tells Lara Jean he is proud of her and calls her his middle girl. Her eyes fill, and she kisses him on the cheek before handing him over to Kitty. Dan swings Kitty around as the harmonica begins.
Place in the Family Celebration
The song accompanies a scene of affection shared among the sisters and their father, while also preserving the distinct intimacy of each pairing. Margot’s private, tearful exchange with Dan remains unexplained; Lara Jean’s turn receives an audible declaration of pride; and Kitty gets the next dance. The sequence makes room for both family belonging and individual moments within it.
The song also precedes a turning point in the evening for Lara Jean: as she leaves the dance floor, she sees Peter standing beside the dogwood tree. The father-daughter dance thus belongs to the family celebration, but its ending opens directly onto the possibility of Peter’s arrival and the feelings he brings with him.
