Netflix’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel “People We Meet on Vacation” was released Jan. 9. Directed by Brett Haley and starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, the movie delivers the joys of summer vacations in the bleak winter.
The plot follows Poppy Wright (Bader) and Alex Nilsen (Blyth) as they take yearly summer trips and toe the line between friendship and romance.
The movie includes an incredible soundtrack featuring artists like Robyn, Boygenius, Cigarettes After Sex and Taylor Swift. The film also switches between the past and present throughout New Orleans, Tuscany and Barcelona. This quick pacing keeps the film engaging and captivating for audiences.
Additionally, the movie also adds new scenes that build momentum within the plot and provides book fans with a surprise to look forward to.
However, I believe the book is better than the movie.
I can acknowledge that books contain a significant amount of detail, which can be difficult to translate and adapt into a two-hour movie; nonetheless, the adaptation’s exclusion of key characterizations and plot details made it fall flat for me.
I found the portrayal of Alex to be a prime example of this. In the book, Alex is a dynamic character living with the trauma of his mother’s death during childbirth and the responsibility of stepping up to raise his brothers while his father grieved.
Because of this, he is regimented and consistent with routines, clothes and time management. Alex also holds a deep-rooted fear of getting close to people and then ultimately losing them, like he experienced with his mother.
In the movie, though, Alex’s mother is mentioned once and then never again. Without this information and explanation for Alex’s uptight ways and fear of losing loved ones, he comes across as unflawed.
An example of this comes across in his devotion to Poppy. In the book and the movie, Poppy has a pregnancy scare while on one of their yearly summer trips; this trip includes significant others.
Alex is there to comfort her and reveals later in the book he was concerned about her and how frightened she was that he got a vasectomy because he does not wish to see her upset.
While many readers argue the vasectomy detail comes across as creepy, it is an example of Alex’s utter devotion to those he loves and his fear of losing those close to him, especially through pregnancy and childbirth.
There are also other minor character changes like the exclusion of Alex’s medically complex cat named Flannery O’Connor, after the American novelist, the lack of mention of Alex’s involvement in the Indiana University creative writing MFA program and the removal of three of Alex’s younger brothers.
Alex is not the only character to go through major changes in adaptation.
Poppy’s family and friends are altered in the movie mainly to remove her brothers, Prince and Parker, as well as her closest friend other than Alex, Rachel.
Poppy’s family is eccentric and their house and traditions reflect that. In the book, the house is described as cluttered and chaotic, while in the movie, the house is toned down to look like a stereotypical suburban home.
The movie also omitted details about her family’s unique traditions, such as a talent show and a game called “Shark jumping” where someone lies about the plot of a movie and another person guesses what was real and what was fake. I believe since most rom-coms are not more than two hours, these details were cut for time
In the book, Poppy’s family plays a huge role in her character as she feels greatly overprotective of their quirks and wants other people to love them like she does. In the movie, Poppy is represented without close companions whether that be family or friends and therefore loses a bit of her humanity.
As a massive fan of the book and the Emily Henry universe, it’s safe to say I was disappointed by some of the major changes to the plot and the characters. However, if you are in the market for a fun, summery rom-com, this movie is for you.
