To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before has taken millions of hearts since its release on August 17, mine included. I think I’ve watched the movie about 10 times now, 11 including the time I rewatched it to write this article.
As a fan of both the books and the movie, I have a lot of conflicting opinions when it comes to talking about TATBILB. Countless discussions involve me ranting about everything that’s wrong with it AND raving about how cute the movie (and actors) are.
LOVE: Lara Jean Song Covey IS AN ASIAN AMERICAN!!!
You have no idea how excited I was to be reading a book with an Asian girl as the lead. Most YA novels hardly feature people of color, and we get to experience LJ’s Korean culture through the meals her dad (tries) to cook.
FUN FACT: Lara Jean was almost casted as a white character!! Lana Condor, who plays LJ, revealed in an interview with *insert video link here* that only one production company was willing to make TATBILB with an Asian-American lead. They wanted to WHITEWASH an ASIAN character (sound familiar?) but thank goodness they didn’t.
LOVE: Lana Condor is the PERFECT Lara Jean
Noah Centineo said it best: Lana’s facial expressions and reactions are SO Lara Jean, we forget she’s just playing a part! The casting director did a really good job with choosing such a talented actress to portray an iconic character.
FUN FACT: Lana Condor made her acting debut as Jubilee from X-Men: Apocalypse! She is currently filming Deadly Class, a tv series that will air in 2019 on SYFY. Check out the trailer here:
LOVE: Peter Kavinsky’s moves set the standard for boyfriends everywhere
The real question is: are we in love with the character, or the actor playing the character? Answer: BOTH!!! A lot of Peter K’s smooth moves originated from actor Noah Centineo’s portrayal of his character. And yes, we’re talking about THAT SCENE. In an interview with ET, the director said that Noah came up with the pocket spin scene during rehearsals, and they decided to stick with it in the film!
LOVE: The undeniable chemistry between our fave couple
As much as I would love for Peter K/Noah Centineo to be mine, I ship Covinsky/Contineo WITH MY ENTIRE BEING. After watching countless interviews, the pair has undeniable chemistry on and off the screen. A perfect example of this relationship was Lara Jean’s phone wallpaper. Lana and Noah were actually taking a nap on set and a crew member snapped a pic, which the director ultimately decided was going to be LJ’s background. They became very close friends throughout filming, but they are not dating (sadly).
FUN FACT: Lana has a boyfriend!! Anthony De La Torre is an actor too, and he played Young Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. They’ve been together for years now, so the cute interaction you see between Lana and Noah is really just the fake dating situation IRL.
LOVE: Lara Jean’s entire closet
90’s fashion was already making a come back, but after seeing the outfits Lara Jean wore, those statement pieces are flying off the shelves even more! I personally love LJ’s style and am currently transforming my wardrobe to incorporate some of her cutest outfits.
FUN FACT: Gica Tam (@gicatam) has painted a lovely collection of every Lara Jean outfit from the movie here:
HATE: Margot & Kitty
I feel like Margot and Kitty could’ve had stronger personalities. In the book, Kitty sent the letters out of spite (rather than the good intention of getting LJ a boyfriend). She was also a lot meaner, as opposed to the teasing Kitty that was shown in the movie. Margot was also more judgmental and didn’t believe in Lara Jean as much as movie Margot did. However, the movie made up for it by showing us a sister dynamic that supported and loved each other no matter what.
HATE: Yakult product placement
Every Asian kid who grew up on this drink KNOWS it’s not Korean. Kudos for cultural awareness, but I think the movie could have gone without it. Instead of Yakult being their “thing,” book Peter and Lara Jean’s special snack was a special donut that was only available at a bakery that opens at 6am. Waking up that early to get breakfast for me? Much more romantic than driving all the way across town.
HATE: Josh got kicked to the side
Josh definitely had a larger part to play in Lara Jean’s love story—he had a fighting chance! After Margot had left and he received the letter, Josh didn’t let LJ push him away. He caught serious feelings for her once he realized their history, but by then it was already too late…because she fell for Peter K already.
HATE: Missing antique store
In the novel, Peter’s mom owns an antique store, which is probably the only thing Peter and Lara Jean initially had in common. They also went on their first “real” date together when Peter had to pick up furniture as errand for his mom. Lara Jean found a whole bunch of vintage stuff, and the pair had some genuine fun together. Oh, and Peter bought Lara Jean the gold locket necklace she’s been pining over since it appeared in his mom’s store.
HATE: Where was Stormy?!?
Because Margot encouraged her to, LJ started volunteering at a retirement home where she meets the lively Stormy. Stormy became an influential person in her life, giving her boy advice and encouraging her to live her life for herself! Movie LJ had to go through her issues alone; though she had Margot and her dad for a cool minute, nobody really gave her any empowering advice.
HATE: The movie was too short!
1 hour and 39 mins?!?? THEY COULD’VE ADDED A LOT MORE TO THE STORY IF THEY HAD JUST 20 MORE MINUTES. Peter K and Lara Jean’s relationship seemed a little rushed, and a few key events from the book were missing. During Halloween, Peter K dressed up as SPIDER-MAN while Josh and Lara Jean were Harry Potter characters (cue the jealousy). And during Christmas, Peter gave LJ the locket she wanted so much.
At this point, we’re all just waiting for the sequel to come out so we can GET SOME ANSWERS!!! And obviously, to see John Ambrose McClaren steal the show.
GIFs courtesy of: Giphy