Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2019 novel, Regretting You follows a strained relationship between Morgan (Allison Williams) and her daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace). After a tragic accident exposes a cheating scandal between Morgan’s husband, Chris (Scott Eastwood), and her sister, Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald), everything spirals. The film follows the two parallel romances of Morgan and Jonah (Dave Franco), recovering from grief while discovering a second chance at love, and Clara’s chaotic teen love story with Miller (Mason Thames). This movie has cheating, young love, second chances, big dreams, and unimaginable grief.Â
After the messy reception of It Ends With Us, another Colleen Hoover book turned movie, my expectations were low. Yet as a fan of the book, I dragged my roommates to the early screening on Oct. 23, where we got a pre-show interview, live performance of one of the songs, and a bunch of freebies, including a heart-shaped “No Regrets” necklace designed by Mckenna Grace.Â
The true star of the movie? Lexie. Played by Sam Morelos, Clara’s best friend was the comedic lifeline the movie needed. Every time she opened her mouth, the whole theater laughed out loud. Her iconic delivery of “just because there’s a goalie doesn’t mean you can’t score” should be included in a master class. Ultimately, the actors carried this adaptation. Every actor fit their role perfectly and delivered the complex emotions the story needed to make up for the softened storyline.Â
Compared to the novel, the movie definitely lacked emotional depth. Changing Jonah’s two-day disappearance to two weeks minimizes the grief and shock of learning his son isn’t biologically his. Both Morgan and Jonah felt less depressed on-screen than they did on-page. Also, in the book, Morgan is the one suspicious about Elijah’s paternity, but the movie alters the dynamic when Jonah gets the reveal. With any 350-page novel squeezed into a two-hour movie, some themes get lost, and to give credit, this adaptation does stay closer to Hoover’s plot than her last movie.Â
One of the most frustrating mysteries in both versions is what Jenny actually wrote to Chris during the affair. In the book, Morgan shreds the letters, and in the movie, Morgan and Jonah burn them together to symbolize closure. Either way, we still don’t know what they said, and the audience is required to fill in the blanks. Â
The rom-com moments were adorable. Miller’s two-year promposal video package had the theater screaming. The romantic gestures from both couples delivered on the romance, from watermelon Jolly Ranchers to moving the city limit sign just for pizza; these gestures raised the romance bar.Â
The movie does slip in a few odd product placements, the most obvious being the scenes inside the AMC theaters, but the strong music choices more than make up for it. Alongside popular songs, I discovered a few new favorites. Clara singing along to “Writing’s On The Wall” by ROLE MODEL had me adding it to my playlist immediately. And of course, the movie ends with Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan’s “Everything, Everywhere,” which perfectly captures the emotional story.Â
Is this the best movie of the year? No. Did I have a great time? Absolutely. If you were a fan of the book, you’ll appreciate the loyalty to the plot. Even with its flaws, Regretting You makes you feel something and is a fun escape with your friends.Â