In the upcoming musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!, based on the phenomenally successful stage hit of the same name, a young bride-to-be tries to find her real father — out of three men her mother fooled around with — while much of the cast sings ABBA’s hit songs of the 1970s.
20 year old Sophie (Seyfried) is preparing to marry her boyfriend Sky (Cooper) at her mother's hotel on an island in Greece. She seemingly has it all - a carefree life, a loving fiance, and happy friends - but one thing has been missing all her life: a father. Her only wish now is to be given away by her dad at her wedding. By reading her mother's diary she discovers that she has three possible fathers. Sophie then secretly invites all three men to the wedding in a desperate bid. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.
Plot20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) in her hotel ‘Villa Donna’, on the small Greek island of Kalokairi. She wants her father present at her upcoming wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper), but does not know his identity (I Have a Dream). Sophie confides in her friends Ali (Ashley Lilley) and Lisa (Rachel McDowall) about her potential fathers.
Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried After reading her mother's old diary, she has concluded he must be one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), or Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård) (Honey, Honey). She secretly sends wedding invitations to all three – under Donna’s name and that she expects to recognize her real father instantly, but when she meets all the men at once, she realizes she cannot tell which he is. She hides them from her mother and makes them promise not to reveal she invited them to the wedding.
Meanwhile, Donna bemoans to her newly-arrived friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) the troubles of running and repairing a hotel by herself (Money, Money, Money), although she insists she is happier alone. While making repairs, she accidentally discovers the three men and panics. While trying to get another look at them and fighting a losing battle of desire versus sanity (Mamma Mia!), she falls through the trapdoor in the roof, and the men convince her that their presence there is a coincidence, honoring their promise to Sophie. A horrified Donna asks the three men to leave the island.
Tanya and Rosie try to comfort Donna after seeing her upset (Chiquitita). Donna explains that the three potential fathers are on the island, dubbing it a ‘hideous trick of fate’. Tanya and Rosie, who used to be her backing dancers in ABBA-esque girl group “Donna and the Dynamos”, remind her of her free-spirited past, and they gradually cheer her up spectacularly (Dancing Queen).
Sophie visits the three men as they prepare to leave Kalokairi, persuades them to stay for the wedding, and listens to their memories of her mother (Our Last Summer). She returns to Sky and they talk about their love (Lay All Your Love On Me) on the beach, where he is ambushed by friends from his bachelor party.
That evening, “Donna and the Dynamos” recreate their act for Sophie’s bachelorette party (Super Trouper) to entertain the guests, and Bill, Sam and Harry end up at the party by mistake. The bachelorettes pounce on the unsuspecting men at the bar (Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!).
Sophie talks to Bill alone, who realizes he could be her father, (The Name of the Game) and agrees to give her away at the wedding. Meanwhile, the others also conclude that they could be her father. Sky's bachelor party invades the hen party (Voulez-Vous), and in the commotion, each ‘father’ separately tells her that he will give her away at the wedding. In the midst of the party, Sophie faints over her dilemma.
The following day, while Donna’s friends are trying to keep the men away from the wedding, Sophie and Donna argue, as Sophie believes her mother wants her to call off the wedding, while she still resents growing up unaware of her father’s identity.
Harry feels badly for missing Sophie's upbringing, and insists that Donna accept a large monetary gift to cover the “cost of the wedding”. Sam and Donna try to talk but are increasingly frustrated with each other, and they separately lament their lost love (SOS). Tanya rejects the playful advances of younger barman Pepper (Philip Michael) and some of Sky's other friends (Does Your Mother Know).
Sophie confesses to Sky what she has done, and he becomes unsure about their coming wedding, feeling sidelined by her ‘fathers’. A distressed Sophie asks her mother if she will help her dress for the wedding (instead of her bridesmaids) and Donna agrees, thrilled. Donna reminisces about precious times with her now grown-up daughter (Slipping Through My Fingers). Sophie asks her mother to give her away at the wedding.
En route, Donna rebuffs Sam, as she is still deeply hurt that he left her (The Winner Takes It All) because he was engaged to another woman. She then runs away to her daughter’s wedding on the hilltop.
During the ceremony, Donna reveals that Sophie’s father (although she doesn’t know who) is present, and then realizes Sophie had invited them all. The three men declare they are all thrilled to be Sophie’s potential father, and will gladly be ‘a third of a father each’. Sophie cancels the wedding, to Sky’s delight, so that they can go traveling together instead, as they still feel too young to settle down.
Making the most of the surroundings, Sam declares he is still in love with Donna, and proposes, explaining that after leaving her 20 years ago, he went to England to break off his engagement, but returned to Kalokairi to be told she was away dating another man (Bill). He went home and got married anyway, but he is now divorced. Donna eventually says yes after learning the truth (I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do).
While Sam and Donna celebrate with their newfound family and friends (When All Is Said and Done), Rosie pursues her attraction to the (initially reluctant) Bill, (Take a Chance on Me), and it is revealed that Harry is gay. As the crowd dances in the courtyard, a tremor breaks open its central mosaic, and a tall spray rains over the party (Mamma Mia! reprise). Sophie and Sky sail away on their travels (I Have a Dream reprise), leaving Sam and Donna to live happily ever after on the island.
During the end credits, Donna and the Dynamos perform "Dancing Queen", and the main cast join with Waterloo. Amanda Seyfried sings Thank You for the Music over the final credits.