Who Told it Better? People We Meet on Vacation
It’s a question that’s been circulating for years and seems to pop up every time a new movie adaption hits theaters or streaming: “Is the book or the movie better?”. Since it looks like there are a few adaptations headed to the big screen soon (plus a ton I’ve never got around to reading/watching), I decided to start a new series I am cleverly naming: “Who Told it Better” where I am going to be reading the book then watching the movie and going down the rabbit hole to see which medium, in my opinion, did it best.
WARNING Major spoilers ahead!
Daniel Escale/Netflix
First off, let’s talk about the book: In depth characters, fun travel-themed antics, and an engaging storyline that had me mentally holding my breath to hear what happened two summers ago? Count me in! The book was a win for me (I’m not hard to please). I feel like Poppy and Alex were such well written characters and their personalities not only came out well on the page, but they were the realistic kind of characters who typically would not end up together but they made it work against the odds. I really enjoy Emily Henry’s writing style where it is a bit cheesy at times but still pulls you in and makes you want to root for the types of characters you would not normally go for (mildly annoying yet somehow loveable). I’m a sucker for some slow-burn, low-stakes yearning and this book CAME THROUGH. It is definitely another take on the “friends to lovers” trope but it’s done so well that it doesn’t feel tired. I started it and finished it in two days while at work and felt myself rolling my eyes anytime a work-related question came up: 'Excuse me, we are on Three Summers Ago, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something here?’ I wanted to shout. I enjoyed that the book lightly touched on trauma and working to overcome your past self in a refreshing way that didn’t seem to suck the energy out of the story.
Now the movie… First off: the casting, the wardrobes, the performances? All great. And if I had not read the book beforehand, I probably would not have disliked it. It was an… agreeable Netflix rom com that I undoubtedly would have made my Fiancé watch with me on a Friday night while curled up on the couch with our dogs. I probably would have enjoyed it, but I would not seek it out to watch again. If I had not read the book, it would have done what was intended which would be a solid success that you can bring up with coworkers and it would eventually leave your mind. No hate, that is kind of Netflix’s model when it comes to rom coms. But, that’s not what I went in expecting (that’s on me), I expected a pretty similar adaptation that was on the same level of the book in terms of making you feel deep emotions and connections to the characters but I feel like it fell kind of flat? It was hard to really get to know the characters and catch all the nuanced complexities of Poppy and Alex's 12 year relationship.
Image via Netflix
I was a bit skeptical of the movie when I was reading the book. I had trouble picturing Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blythe) nailing Alex’s trademark “sad puppy dog face” but it turned out I really did not even need to worry about that because it kind of never came? And while Emily Bader was absolutely pulling off that blue wig, I feel like Poppy’s character got presented as a little one note. Don’t get me wrong, I think the actors did great for what they were given. I guess I just did not like what they were given. Alex went from the stern yet loving/passionate character to kind of an asshole? I mean, proposing to Sarah out of spite over the pregnancy test INSTEAD of going and getting a vasectomy out of fear of ever putting Poppy in that position again? Character assasination. Poppy going from this free-spirited travel blog writing “It Girl” who was on the rise who eventually goes to therapy to figure her shit out before giving it another shot with Alex to... I don’t even know what you would call it, boring maybe? Unforgivable.
I know, we went from a book to a 1h 57m run time movie so cuts were going to have to be made, I completely understand that. I just feel like some of the scenes they cut were pivotal to the storyline and some of the stuff they added in definitely could have been cut to make room for more important scenes. Like the Sasquatch they bought and were constantly carrying around their first trip? Funny but kind of pointless, there were way better ways to show Poppy’s whimsyness. The skinny dipping scene on the beach? I’m all here for the mostly-naked Tom Blyth but there were better ways to show him coming out of his bubble on their trips. All of that I understood and did not turn my nose up at. But the real crime here? Condensing Italy and Croatia into one trip… It was a giant missed opportunity to see both characters so vulnerable and exposed and it honestly dulled the whole “yearning factor” a bit for me. One thing I feel the movie did not do a great job was putting Alex and Poppy’s emotional chemistry on screen. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both hot and the sex scene was fairly steamy. But that can only get you so far, I wanted to see more of the emotional intimacy that the book captured so well. That being said, not all added scenes were unnecessary and actually made me really happy that they got added in (looking at you cute dance scene in New Orleans).
In my mind, this would have really thrived as a limited series over a movie. I don’t hate a lot of the directions they took because I know a lot of it was probably because of time constraints so I try to consider that. Especially since Netflix has already pulled the trigger and greenlit two more of Emily Henry’s books: Funny Story and Happy Place clearly they are invested. Luckily, Henry will be writing the scripts for both projects instead of executive producing like she did on People We Meet on Vacation so maybe there will be a smoother transition to the screen on the next go.
All things considered, I did enjoy the Netflix movie but I do think the book told the story better. If you are looking for an award nominee or a rom com that will have you reaching for the tissues from happy crying… this probably isn’t the one for you. But if you are looking to have a glass (or bottle) of wine and have a few laughs while admiring how hot Jameela Jamil looks in her minute of screen time, it's perfect!