'Doing Life' Movie Ending Explained And Summary: What Happens To Anika And Carousel?

Tyler Perry’s Doing Life revolves around Anika and Carousel, two individuals who cross paths unexpectedly and develop a special bond. Anika used to work at Holloway Correctional, but she dreamt of going to nursing school someday. She couldn’t afford to pay for school, and she hoped she would get a loan to make her dream come true. Anika was five months pregnant when suddenly a riot broke out in prison. The prisoners had taken down the guards and forced their way into Anika’s office. One of them grabbed hold of her and attempted to sexually assault her, but right then, Carousel White showed up. He too was a prison inmate, and he’d taken a liking to her, although he never got the courage to approach her. He risked his life to safely bring her to his prison cell, and locked her in there so that none of the prisoners could attack her. He ended up getting stabbed, but he didn’t move from the door to protect her. Anika was rescued by the military, but she remembered the face of the man who’d saved her from the prisoners, and she knew that she would forever be indebted to him.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Anika and Carousel start living together?

After the traumatic incident, Anika stopped working at the correctional facility, and she soon gave birth to her daughter, Nia. Since she could barely make ends meet, she eventually had to take up a job at the gas station. Her two sisters, Lisa and Trina, made it very clear that they wouldn’t be helping her, even if she needed to apply for a loan to pursue a nursing degree. Anika stayed with her mother, Cathy, who was terminally ill, looking after her in exchange for a roof above her head. Anika desperately wanted her life to change, she had big dreams but not enough money to pursue them. Looking after her newborn as a single mother was also quite challenging, and she was mentally prepared to not entertain any men in her life because she was terrified of being betrayed again. But then one day, she receives a letter from Carousel, who has been desperately trying to reach her because he wants to know how she has been doing since the incident, and he tries to convey that he has been thinking about her all this time. Anika calls Carousel her hero; if he hadn’t shown up that day at the right time, then both Anika and her unborn child could’ve faced severe complications. They continue exchanging letters, and they both look forward to finding out more personal details about each other’s lives. Carousel feels elated when he discovers that Anika is single, although he knows that she isn’t ready for anything romantic, he wants to believe that someday she might decide to give him a chance. Carousel is frustrated with his life behind bars; he was 15 when he was arrested for the attempted murder of a liquor shop owner. He deeply regrets his actions, and he strongly believes that whatever he did at the time was because of the company he kept, and he swears to never make the same mistake in his life. Carousel grew up with his grandmother, as his father had abandoned him and his mother had passed away. He was quite lonely growing up and he didn’t have anyone to guide him in the right direction. He felt this deep-seated rage inside him and he ended up joining a local gang to feel powerful.

One day, quite unexpectedly, Anika runs into Carousel at the park. He explains that he has been granted parole, but he has to return every night to the halfway house. All this time, they’ve been exchanging letters and talking over the phone, and finally they get the chance to speak to each other directly. It is a special moment for them, and although Anika is hesitant about entering a relationship with an ex-convict, she feels drawn towards Carousel. She lies to her mother every time she leaves home to spend time with Carousel, she feels guilty about the arrangement, but she knows that her mother won’t approve of a man who’s been to prison. But Anika can’t just cut ties with him; she has started to care about him, and regardless of his past, she knows that he’s a genuinely good person. One day, Carousel shows up at her doorstep to inform her that his phone has been stolen at the halfway house; he didn’t want her to assume that he’s ghosting her. Trina and Lisa were at home at the time, and they intentionally asked Carousel to come in and explain himself in front of their mother. Cathy is furious when she discovers that her daughter is dating an ex-convict. She is convinced that Anika is making the wrong call, and she warns her that Carousel will eventually abandon her, as most men do, and in the process, she’ll only make her life even more difficult. 

When did Cathy accept Carousel?

Cathy refuses to accept Carousel, since she doesn’t trust him and strongly believes that he will ruin Anika’s life. She asks her daughter to move in with him if she wants to, but she won’t ever accept their relationship. Moreover, Cathy felt insulted after Anika listed everything that she’d had to do for her mother when her sisters insinuated that she didn’t do much for the family. Carousel assures Anika that he will always have her back, and they decide to spend the night at Quinn and Denise’s place. Quinn, Carousel’s supervisor, has been supportive of him, and he and his wife welcome the young couple to stay at their apartment for as long as they need. With Anika gone, Trina and Lisa struggle to balance work and the responsibility of looking after their mother. They always belittled Anika’s contribution, but now they realize that constantly being present for their mother isn’t an easy task. 

Meanwhile, Carousel tries to convince Cathy that he truly loves Anika, and he doesn’t want her to be upset because of their relationship. Cathy insults him, telling him that her daughter deserves so much better than him, and he’s only ruining her life by refusing to walk away. Although Carousel is heartbroken, he doesn’t let her words get to him. Soon, Anika informs Carousel that her mother’s health has deteriorated, and her sisters have asked her to look after her. She adds that not only will she live at her mother’s now, but she has also told her sisters that they must let Carousel stay there as well. Even though he starts living in the same house as Cathy, she still refuses to talk to him. She calls him “convict,” constantly insults him, and is quick to remind him that her daughter deserves better. But one day, Cathy struggles to make it to the washroom, and she ends up crashing on the floor and soils her clothes. She feels extremely embarrassed and refuses to accept Carousel’s help, but he doesn’t give up, he wins her trust and takes her to the washroom and helps her get clean. That one incident helps change Cathy’s opinion of Carousel. She realizes that he is genuinely attentive and caring, and his affection towards Nia is pure and beautiful. She eventually learns about his past, and how he ended up in prison. She also discovers that he has a special interest in law. Cathy admits that she has been completely wrong about him. She even tells Anika that she perhaps felt jealous as well, because this is the kind of love she  too wished for. She finally accepts Carousel, and she tells her daughter to trust him because she knows he has a good heart. 

How did Trina fool her sisters?

Cathy was surprised when Carousel asked her for details about her case, Cathy used to work at a chemical plant, but she had no idea that she had been exposed to harmful chemicals and that ultimately left her terminally sick. Cathy and the other workers at the plant had been fighting a case against the plant owner, and they were yet to be compensated for putting their lives at risk. During his time in prison, Carousel took an interest in studying the law, and he’d provided legal help to several inmates. Even the letter he wrote to the parole board left them thoroughly impressed, and ultimately led them to grant him parole. So, Carousel has a pretty good idea about how the legal framework functioned, and when he finds out what Anika’s sister, Trina, has been up to, he gets furious. He stops by Trina’s salon and confronts her, he tells her that he has found out that she and the lawyer have devised a plan, with the lawyer making her the guardian of her mother’s money. Cathy has already been granted the settlement money, but Trina chose to hide it from her mother and took every penny for herself and her partner. Lisa, who trusted and supported Trina always, is left completely dumbfounded, she never thought her sister would betray her like this. 

Soon, Carousel receives a call from Anika and discovers that Cathy is gone. All her life she had struggled, and if Trina hadn’t stolen the money then at least her mother would’ve had the chance to live the final few days of her life in peace without constantly worrying about the piling bills. Anika is disappointed in Trina, not that she expected any better from her. Trina tries to justify herself saying that her mother would’ve spent the money, and she believes she deserves it because she’d been financially supporting her mother. She didn’t regret what she did, but she surely felt guilty about it. Anika and Lisa don’t know what to do, perhaps they’ll forever distance themselves from Trina. 

Whom did Carousel meet at the restaurant?

Carousel used to always paint when he was behind bars. One day, a prison guard took away all his paintings, and after he was released he discovered that one of his paintings was being sold at a gallery. He eventually connected with the gallery manager, Keke, and discussed how he’d been wronged. Carousel and Keke met at a restaurant to talk about compensation for the unfortunate incident. Trina had taken pictures of Carousel and Keke at the restaurant, and she’d shown them to Anika hoping her sister would feel jealous and lash out at Carousel, but that didn’t really happen. Anika was confident in her relationship, and although she was a little upset thinking about why Carousel didn’t discuss meeting someone, deep down, she knew he wasn’t cheating on her. When she directly asks Carousel about the meeting, he decides to introduce her to Keke. Anika learns about the stolen painting, and that Carousel is “owed a lot of money.” He makes it very clear that he isn’t looking for any settlement; he demands the money he rightfully deserves for his painting that has been sold. Keke hands him a contract and asks him to sign it to get the $8000 cash he has been demanding. Carousel goes through the contract and confidently states that the language is too vague, and there are typos in the first paragraph itself. He asks her to hand over the cash and he tells her that he will discuss the contract when he gets the rest of his money. Keke hands him the $8000 and tells him that she has a job opening for a paralegal position, and she encourages him to apply if he’s interested, since clearly he has the clarity and the attitude to get the job done well. 

What does the future have in store for Anika and Carousel?

Anika is surprised by the turn of events, as she discovers that her partner has made thousands of dollars from a painting and he has been offered a job that guarantees a good monthly income. The $8000 that he has been demanding was to pay for her nursing school; he has been meeting Keke to ensure that Anika gets the opportunity to pursue her dream. He even spoke to the nursing school and told them that an interested candidate is already on her way so that she can take admission that very day. Anika is thoroughly impressed by Carousel, she knows that he’s a good man but the fact that he has been working and planning to ensure that she gets to live her dream just goes to show how deeply he cares about her. Anika apologizes for even having had the slightest doubts about him, and they decide that it’s time that they take their hands off the brakes and go all in. They realize that, no matter what, they are on this journey together, and there is no point in holding back. They want to live together and build a future that they would be proud of. 

Doing Life comes to a happy ending with Anika and Carousel holding hands and walking towards their future. Anika will get to pursue her dream and become a nurse, while Carousel might just take up the paralegal job and make good money. Hopefully he’ll not give up on art and continue to make paintings for himself as well as for his clients. Most importantly, Nia will grow up in a loving household where both parents love and respect each other, they will successfully build the kind of life that they’ve always wanted for themselves, or at least that’s what we can hope for. 

...