Did You Catch These It Ends With Us Book vs Movie Changes?
Book to film adaptations can be a real challenge, especially for readers who want every detail. In It Ends With Us, based on the book by Colleen Hoover, the film includes some of Hoover’s original ideas while tweaking some specifics to the story. Here are some book vs movie concepts that were changed.
The Age Differences
A big difference for the film was the choice to age up the characters. In the book, Lily Bloom is 23 years old and has just graduated from college when she meets Ryle who is 30. The book also details Atlas to be a little over 2 years older than Lily. The cast of the film include actors significantly older than this. Blake Lively is 36, Justin Baldoni is 40, and Brandon Sklenar is 34.
The age difference makes sense for the themes and careers that these characters have. Ryle is a neurosurgeon and Atlas went to culinary school and now owns his own restaurant. The characters’ age makes sense for the film and was something that was changed from Hoover’s book.
Lily’s Letters
In the book, we are given a series of letters written by our main protagonist Lily Bloom. Used as a form of therapy, Lily’s younger self writes to none other than Ellen DeGeneres, though she never mails them. She writes about her chaotic life and evolving love for Atlas as a way to separate her thoughts from reality.
The film does show young Lily (played by Isabela Ferrer) writing in her notebook, and the readers can guess pretty quickly what that is supposed to represent. There is also a separate scene when Atlas and Lily are sitting on her couch, where we catch a quick glimpse of Ellen’s show playing on the TV. While the film does pay homage, it doesn’t go into further detail as to what Ellen represents for Lily.
Ryle’s Brother Storyline
Portrayed as an abuser and mental manipulator for Lily, Ryle’s character has his own demons he is fighting. The book gives more detail of revealing that a young Ryle was playing with his father’s gun and accidentally shot and killed his older brother Emerson.
In the book, Ryle was the one to tell Lily this story. This sequence was changed in the film when Ryle’s sister and Lily’s best friend Allysa (Jenny Slate) reveals the truth to her. It’s a heartbreaking side story that explains a little further into why Ryle is the way he is. He even says in the film that an experience like that “messes a kid up for life.”
Atlas’s Restaurant Name
The story of Atlas remained the same from the book with a few minor details changed, such as his restaurant's name. Originally called Bibs or Best in Boston, the film changed the restaurant’s name to Roots. Both names are significant for Atlas, as they both represent Lily’s character and his love for her. In the book, Atlas gives Lily a “Best in Boston” magnet, which she hangs on her fridge, only for Ryle to find out.
The film does a similar sequence from the book with the new restaurant name. When Ryle finds Atlas’s interview in a magazine, he connects the dots to discover the real meaning behind the name was for Lily. While Atlas’s restaurant had different names, the results were the same and ended in a massive fight for Ryle and Lily.
The Epilogue
The major difference the film held for me was the ending epilogue, or lack thereof. The book held more detail about what the characters were up to months after, while the film leaves us hanging. In the book, we see Ryle and Lily co-parenting with part time custody of Emmie (named after Ryle’s brother Emerson). We then get Atlas and Lily reuniting on the street with hopes that they get back together.
While the film ending was similar, it felt more rushed than the book. Ryle and Lily’s custody battle and co-parenting are not included. Instead, Lily takes her daughter and her mother to her father’s grave for a final goodbye. Then we see Lily and Atlas reunite at a farmer’s market where we assume they get back together.
