To a reader, there are few things more terrifying than finding out that a beloved book is being adapted for the screen. On one hand, it’s wonderful to know that others have enjoyed the book so much that studios want to adapt it, and it’s amazing to see authors get the flowers they deserve. On the other, it’s far too easy for creators to make adaptations that don’t respect the source text. And, for a reader watching that adaptation, that is the most disappointing feeling there is.
However, Netflix’s recent release of “People We Meet on Vacation” — based on the Emily Henry book of the same name — is the kind of adaptation that readers can only hope for. It doesn’t just respect the source text; it actually manages to elevate it, which is a rarity. But these are the kinds of adaptations audiences want, especially for romcoms, which is a genre that Hollywood historically hasn’t prioritized.
The movie isn’t a shot-for-shot recreation of the book; there are always some changes that must be made in the name of creating an adaption. However, all the changes made were done so carefully and deliberately, all with the intention of honoring the original story while still breathing new life into it. The movie, like the book, follows best friends Poppy Wright (Emily Bader, “Fresh Kills”) and Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth, “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”) over the span of ten years. Unfolding as a dual timeline, the film switches back and forth between the past — summers where the two friends traveled on vacations all around the world — and the present, where Poppy and Alex are no longer speaking. Everything comes to a head when they reconcile for Alex’s brother’s wedding in Barcelona, which is the first time they’ve seen each other in two years.
The changes from the page to the screen are relatively minor. We see fewer vacations between the two characters, but all the best scenes and moments from their trips are still present in the film, even if they take place in different locations or in slightly different ways. The climactic wedding takes place in Barcelona rather than Palm Springs. Alex’s on again, off again girlfriend is his high school sweetheart rather than a girl he meets in college. We occasionally miss Poppy’s inner monologue, but its absence sets the characters on the same footing in the film — we know and understand both of them equally. In other words, none of those minor changes really matter when you consider the heart of the story. The film changes some details of Poppy and Alex’s estrangement, and even though that may seem like a major change — one that is unforgivable to a fan of the book — it’s just the opposite.
The film tightens up the story in a way that has the source material sing onscreen, rather than just exist. While the book benefits from smaller intimate glimpses into Poppy’s life and her relationship with Alex, the movie benefits more from larger themes like friendship, loneliness and love. All of these themes impact the viewer without needing to get granular; the film creators don’t need to spell things out in a way that a book often does because the cinematography does all the heavy lifting. The film doesn’t lose itself in minutiae and, instead, rethinks the story in a way that is accessible onscreen. As such, whether you’re a fan of the book and know how everything shakes out or if you’re new to the story, the movie delights.
In terms of the acting, Emily Bader shines as Poppy. Something about her just — for lack of a better word — pops onscreen. Poppy is a quirky character and, as such, any actress playing her could run the risk of becoming “too much” (which, as it happens, is Poppy’s greatest insecurity). But Bader makes Poppy’s every quirk charming and endearing, from her outrageous fashion choices to her boisterous movements. Her wide smiles, twinkling eyes and easy humor make her the exact kind of romcom lead that viewers love to love. This is a story about opposites attracting and, as such, Tom Blyth is the perfect foil to Bader’s Poppy. He has a silent, stoic facade, but his eyes say it all. In every interaction between the two characters, all it takes is the smallest glance at Blyth to see just how much Alex adores Poppy. While she’s the only one who can’t tell, us viewers pick up the depth of his feelings in a millisecond. Props to the casting director for these picks. One of the most daunting parts of adapting a book for the screen is selecting just the right actors to embody these beloved characters, and I don’t think anyone else in the world could have done a better job than Bader and Blyth.
One of the most wonderfully unexpected components of the film was the story that was told through colors and lighting. Netflix has a history of using color and light to create a beautiful effect in films, and “People We Meet on Vacation” was no exception. Soft, honeyed yellows limn the characters in their happiest, most carefree moments, while icy blues hang overhead in the moments with conflict. It serves especially well to create a visual distinction between the “vacation” scenes and the “real life” scenes.
This color-coding seamlessly translates to the characters’ costumes. When Poppy and Alex’s relationship is light and problem-free, the characters are often wearing warm colors to signify their joy, but when they’re desolate and apart from one another, we see them wearing more sterile whites, grays and blues. The climactic moment of the film, where the two characters finally give in to their feelings for each other, occurs against a cinematic backdrop of sunset colors. The lighting amplifies a sense of vulnerability within the characters, bringing all their insecurities and feelings to the forefront of their conversation. It’s a highly intense, dramatic moment that is so overwhelmingly powerful that it’s hard to take your eyes off of the scene. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the overall look of a film being mundane. But when you watch a film that uses every tool to tell a story — the acting, the lighting and the dialogue — you feel more like you’re getting the experience that the storytellers intended from the beginning. You’re not just supposed to watch a movie; you’re supposed to experience it. And that is certainly the case in “People We Meet on Vacation.”
The beauty of the film can be defined in one particular moment — author Emily Henry’s cameo. She sits in a crowd, in a small moment, just watching the story unfold with pride in her eyes. And that’s how it felt to be a lover of this book while watching the movie. I never felt the urge to say “well in the book, it happened this way” (which I have been known to do many times when watching other book-to-movie adaptations). It just feels like the movie was made for the fans. It was made so they, like Henry, could just look on in pride as a beloved book becomes a beloved movie.
In recent history, production companies and studios have been hesitant to create romcoms when blockbuster action movies are such a draw, and actors have shied away from romantic roles in fear of being typecast. But audiences want romcoms — and “People We Meet on Vacation” is proof of that. We want to sit with our friends, watch a story about love and walk away feeling nothing but pure, all-encompassing joy. And, given the success of this film, it appears that we are finally entering a romcom renaissance — and, even moreso, the era of romcom book-to-movie adaptations — that many of us have been patiently waiting for.
Daily Arts Contributor Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu.
