The Idea of You has been the talk of the town ever since its trailer was released. This is not surprising considering its unique premise and the dedicated fans of the book. Despite its mixed reactions, the film has managed to do excellently, receiving gleaming reviews from critics as well as fans. With the way it has been perceived, it is only natural for the book to gather attention as well.
The movie strayed away from the source material quite a bit. Not only was the entire ending of the story changed, but Anne Hathaway’s character, Solène, was also fundamentally different. One would assume it would get a lot of hate from fans because of this. However, such was not the case.
It would seem that the intention behind the changes has led to a more supportive reaction from fans.
The Idea of You Director Had One Vision
Recently, the director of The Idea of You, Michael Showalter, gave an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he went into great detail about the protagonist of the film, Solène. The majority of the movie keeps its focus on Anne Hathaway‘s character, more specifically looking at how society treats and disregards older women. This message of the movie was very much reflected in her character, but not in the way many might think.
When it comes to this genre, it is quite common for the female protagonist to be portrayed as a dwindling flame who was set ablaze when the male protagonist waltzed into her life. While such an approach is common, it can be seen as quite patriarchal, with the man coming and saving the woman from the barren horrors of her life.
“It was important to me that she not be a damsel in distress and that she not be dormant s*xually and is being woken up s*xually. She is already s*xual. She just makes the choice to be s*xual with Hayes.”
When Showalter was deciding on his approach for the film, one thing was clear; he did not want to do this. He instead wanted Hathaway’s character to have her own, very vivacious life. When she meets Nicholas Galitzine’s character, she decides to be with him, exploring her emotions and not her s*xuality. Such an approach was quite different from the book.
How Did The Idea of You Book End?
When a publication is being adapted into a different medium, changes in the story and some parts of it are inevitable. When it was announced that The Idea of You would be getting a live-action adaptation in the form of a film, many fans were curious about the changes it would make. It would seem that on top of Solène’s character, many were curious about the ending.
When the book was originally released in 2017, many fans were unsatisfied with its end, with tragic romances always hurting the viewer more than a complete love story. The book ends with both characters parting ways, with Anne Hathaway’s character never moving on and Hayes never looking back.
With the story getting another shot in a different medium, fans wished that this would be changed into something more upbeat, and thankfully for them, such a decision was made. Rather than ending the story with sad and lonely themes, Michael Showalter chose to instead make it a happy one, with the two finding their way back to each other. It is safe to assume that fans of the story found this to be much more satisfying.
The Idea of You is available for streaming on Prime Video.
