- That's how close the Blake Lively movie is to the book.
With "Just One More Time" (Original: "It Ends With Us"), Colleen Hoover (44) has released not only a brave but also a very personal novel. The bestselling author tackled the sensitive topic of domestic violence. With the story of Lily, Ryle, and Atlas, she wanted to send an important message out into the world. The film for "Just One More Time" starts in German cinemas on August 15. How well does it stick to the book?
From "BookTok" to the big screen
"Just One More Time" is one of the most successful and controversial novels by bestselling author Colleen Hoover. While the novel was published in 2016, it became a worldwide phenomenon years later when it went viral on "BookTok," where bookworms gather on TikTok. The book was celebrated but also sparked controversial discussions. The sequel, "Just One More Time and Forever" (Original: "It Starts With Us"), was released in autumn 2022. Now, the success is being crowned on the big screen.
What "Just One More Time" is about
Lily Bloom (Blake Lively, 36) wants to leave her traumatic childhood behind and fulfill her dream of opening a flower shop in Boston. When she meets the charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni, 40), sparks fly immediately. For Lily, Ryle, who has only been interested in fleeting relationships so far, dares to enter a real relationship for the first time. But when Lily reunites with her childhood love Atlas (Brandon Sklenar, 34), Ryle shows a different side of himself. Lily finds herself in a situation similar to what her mother once faced.
Hoover had great and noble ambitions with her novel. The book is for women affected by domestic violence, "but also for all those people who cannot understand what goes on in women who are beaten by their partners and yet stay with them," as she explained in the afterword to her bestseller. She took her own parents' violent marriage as a model.
With a runtime of over two hours, "Just One More Time" is far from short for a romantic drama. Nevertheless, the plot often feels rushed and formulaic. Despite having to tell two love stories and needing enough time for the actual drama in the second half, relationships don't have enough time to develop and simply happen. Even the tender love between young Lily (Isabela Ferrer, 24) and young Atlas (Alex Neustaedter, 26), depicted in flashbacks, develops too quickly.
The biggest deviations from the book
The flashbacks to Lily's youth fit seamlessly into the plot. In the novel, Lily's struggle with her past, which also shows her life with her violent father, takes up much more space. The time issue led Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film, to slightly alter the ending. To make the film end exactly like the book, "too much would have had to happen in a small time frame," he explained to "The Wrap". This decision is one of the better deviations.
The film, like the book, adopts Lily's perspective but forgoes an off-screen narrator's voice. However, Lily also proves to be an unreliable narrator, especially when it comes to incidents that initially seem like mere accidents. Were they? Or weren't they? This question might also occur to some viewers. Incorporating Lily's perception, which is largely influenced by Ryle, into the staging is one of the successful changes in the film adaptation. This helps viewers understand why Lily makes the decisions she does.
Easter Eggs for Fans of the Source Material
The film adaptation clearly strives to convey the message of its source material, but it may only succeed in subtle undertones. Despite this, the plot is often too concise. Nevertheless, it essentially draws attention to the issue of domestic violence and is likely to spark similar controversy. Fans of the books will likely enjoy the film as well, even if many elements that serve as pivotal touchstones throughout the novel are merely presented as pleasant Easter eggs.
♪ Just one more time ♪ echoes through Lily's mind as she revisits her past relationships, particularly with Ryle and Atlas.In the film, the song is used to underscore the emotional turmoil that Lily experiences while navigating her complex relationships.
