If you are looking for a movie with just as much drama in the real world as in the fictional, you are in the right place. Bookworms and movie enthusiasts alike have been in a frenzy over the past few weeks due to the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, “It Ends with Us.” This highly anticipated movie reached theaters Aug. 9 and has since been surrounded by controversy from all angles. Cast members and directors are pushing boundaries, fans have witnessed multiple rude interactions in interviews with the cast, and many accuse the movie of being tone deaf. So, what did this movie do right?
The long-awaited production has put the film’s cast under intense scrutiny, especially the main woman, Blake Lively. Some might say the backlash she is facing has reached even more attention than the movie itself. Between suspected feuding with Justin Baldoni, her co-lead and director, and body shaming a talk show host years ago, many fear that this production could mark the beginning of the end for her.
A video clip of Blake from 2016 circulated of her being congratulated on her baby bump by a journalist. She is then heard returning the favor even though it is evident that the journalist is not in a similar condition. She was also recorded invalidating pregnancy cravings when asked about them by reporter AJ Calloway who she then called a “sucker.” She claimed that they do not exist and are simply a way to manipulate men.
This 2014 interview clip can definitely be interpreted as insensitive to all pregnant women who are not as lucky when it comes to pregnancy symptoms.
Were these both remarks with not a lot of thought behind them? Yes, absolutely. Does she deserve for all of society to start hating her all at once? Probably not.
Normally, on press tours for upcoming movies, cast members are seen celebrating together and experiencing the joys of a new movie release. Not in this case. Lively and Baldoni have yet to be pictured together post-release, and it is evident that there is tension between the two. Additionally, Lively and Hoover do not follow Baldoni on Instagram, but they follow the rest of the cast on the platform.
Fans speculate that the beef between the two is due to many uncomfortable interactions on set. Page Six sources say that the star felt “fat-shamed” by the “Jane the Virgin” star after he made a comment about her weight. For context, Lively had given birth to her fourth child months before production began. However, it is important to consider the fact that Baldoni has a history of back issues and wanted to know how he should train himself to avoid causing pain.
Despite no comments on the drama from Lively, Baldoni has nothing but good things to say about her added feminine touch. He expressed that she “made the film better, from beginning to end.” He even said that she should be the one to direct the sequel if or when it should start production.
As a whole, the movie could have been interpreted in many ways. In one way, it looks like a movie romanticizing red flags and domestic violence in relationships, which is an extremely delicate and real topic. It basically glorifies the kind of man that you should run in the other direction from.
Due to this expected perception, the team reached out to domestic violence organizations for input. The resulting input led to a noticeable change from the novel’s original plot point. While in the book Ryle is still a part of the child’s life after her birth, the movie does not show Ryle again after the last hospital scene.
The promotion of the film should have been executed in a way to better represent the movie’s difficult topics. The trailer, set to Taylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet,” made the movie look to be about a romance in a cute little flower shop on the corner. Many were also rubbed the wrong way by Lively’s encouragement to show up to the movie with your friends and your florals. However, she says otherwise. “No experience can define you. You define you.”
Each person who had a part in the making of this movie knew what they were signing up for and were not surprised by the criticism they received. Sometimes they must appear a certain way to reach an audience who really needs to receive the message.
Regardless of the skeptics and critics, some viewers have finally found the courage to come forward with their stories of domestic abuse. Many have gotten themselves out of these impossible situations, which makes it all worth it.
“It Ends with Us” is currently only available to watch in theaters. However, it is expected to join streaming services like Netflix sometime in December.
If you need help or know somebody who needs help, please do not hesitate:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.7233
Georgia Tech Domestic Violence Support: 404.894.9000