As an avid reader and watcher of romantic comedies, I can say with confidence that a romance by Netflix can be VERY hit or miss. Book adaptations, especially, are always vulnerable to flopping, and for any fan of Emily Henry, the People We Meet on Vacation film was a scary one to anticipate. A let-down would have been heartbreaking. In many ways, we were given all we could’ve asked for – aesthetically, it was perfect – but the plot definitely lacks some depth in comparison to the book.Â
It is always inevitable that a film will change or leave out aspects of the book it is based on – you can never go into an adaptation with high expectations, and you definitely can’t expect a copy-and-paste. People We Meet on Vacation is no exception. The two-hour time limit meant that some context was sacrificed, and some plot elements were changed entirely by the film. Some of these changes are minor, such as Poppy being formally invited to the wedding, but some aspects were crucially different. The film reworks the infamous trip to Croatia, cutting out this vacation destination and combining two vacations’ worth of context into one location – Tuscany. Changing and removing vacations does more than just alter the story setting; it condenses the timeline and makes Poppy and Alex’s relationship appear more shallow. Since the book centres around slow-burning romance, it may have been better suited to a short series adaptation rather than a film, to avoid rushing the progression of the relationship.
That is not to say that the on-screen couple don’t display chemistry, because they absolutely do. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth are not only attractive to watch, but they clearly knew their characters and played them well. Their connection prevailed even with a lack of time and context. If you have ever been disappointed by character casting, you will understand the relief and ecstasy of having these two actors chosen to star in a romantic comedy. Alex and Poppy could easily be badly portrayed, but their characters were done justice by the film’s depiction. In light of Poppy’s character feeling like she is too much, Emily Bader’s portrayal of her as lovably bold and quirky rather than just irritating is particularly commendable. She successfully rejected the nonchalant female ideal by allowing an outgoing female lead to flourish (not to mention her outfits were stunning).
Tom Blyth also did an amazing job (the dancing scene, HELLO), though his character, Alex, was given restricted context. The reasoning behind his homebody character remains unexplained in the film, which neglects his grief and his upbringing. The film depicts Alex as having just one brother (David), rather than three, whom he helped raise after his mother died. This context is very influential in his character and his attraction to Linfield, and is pretty important in not making him appear to drag Poppy down for her differing lifestyle. Without the relevant reasoning behind Alex’s disposition, he veers very closely to the status of a typical killjoy.Â
Maybe I’m too easily pleased, but I still enjoyed this adaptation a lot. My enjoyment wasn’t lessened by any rushing or forgotten context, but then I have read the book and can fill in the gaps. We were given an entertaining story played out by stunning actors, and whoever created the soundtrack knew exactly what they were doing. I’m not a Rotten Tomatoes expert, but I know enough to understand that a 76% rating means they found the film pretty fresh too. People We Meet On Vacation is brimming with sunshine and holiday vibes, so if you are looking for a summer romcom, this is definitely your first port of call. This adaptation is absolutely worth a watch, but perhaps a read first. Â
Editor: Neva Lynch