Jasmine Francis disembarks in San Francisco after a flight from New York City. She takes a taxi to her sister Ginger’s apartment, where Ginger is dismayed to learn that Jasmine traveled first class despite claiming to be broke. Jasmine has recently suffered a nervous breakdown and, having incurred heavy debts, has been forced to seek refuge with her sister. Blue Jasmine 2013 full
A series of flashbacks reveals that Jasmine’s husband, money manager Hal Francis (Alec Baldwin), was arrested for defrauding his clients. Ginger and her husband, Augie, were among Hal’s victims; he swindled them out of $200,000 in lottery winnings that Augie had wanted to start a business with, and their marriage fell apart. Hal committed suicide in prison after being publicly disgraced. Jasmine’s stepson Danny dropped out of Harvard and severed all ties with Jasmine, believing her to be complicit in Hal’s crimes. Following Hal’s death, Jasmine began drinking heavily and abusing anti-anxiety medication. She also developed a habit of talking to herself about her past.
Ginger is now dating a mechanic called Chili, whom Jasmine detests for his lowbred and coarse manners. She considers becoming an interior designer because of her “great taste” and past experience in decorating her homes. She wants to take online courses, but having no computer skills, she decides to take a class in computers to gain basic proficiency. With no income, she grudgingly takes a job as a receptionist with a dentist, who harasses her with unwanted sexual advances. When he assaults her, she fights him off and quits.
Jasmine’s situation improves when she meets a wealthy widower, Dwight, at a party. Dwight is a diplomat aspiring to become a congressman. She poses as an interior designer, telling him that her husband was a surgeon who died of a heart attack. Dwight is impressed by her stylishness and invites her to decorate his new home. Ginger begins a romance with Al, whom she met at the same party. She breaks up with Chili, who begs her not to leave him