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To all The Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han, is one of my favorite books. A shy girl writes love letters to her crushes, never intending to send them. Add an annoying little sister who likes to cause trouble, and suddenly, main character Lara Jean is dealing with the aftermath of five different boys thinking she is in love with them!
When I learned that the book would be made into a movie, I was overjoyed! But often with these situations, the movie doesn't live up to the book. Not the case here. This was such an enjoyable watching experience, and I'd like to break down why this was.
What I Liked:
Actors/Characters:With one notable exception, I loved the casting of this movie. The actress who portrays Lara Jean, Lana Condor, is perfect in the role. She plays LJ as sweet, but also dealing with anxiety over personal interactions. I could feel the worry as LJ enters the lunch room, first when she can't find someone to sit with, then as she has all eyes on her when she is on the arm of a popular boy.
Anna Cathcart plays younger sister, Kitty. She is wonderful, and is more likable than in the book. I think Kitty's behavior in the book is so mean and petty that I always want to throttle her! But in the movie, we see a different motive for Kitty to send the infamous letters out into the world. I LOVED that! You also see that Kitty is very caring towards Lara Jean as she keeps LJ company on a Saturday night. I just want to hug this kid for being so compassionate.
As Chris, Madeleine Arthur is just the right amount of rebel that I recall from the book. In the book, Chris smokes, stays out all night, and sleeps with boys. As befitting a light teen rom-com, the movie is more subtle about showing Chris being a non-conformist (we see Chris going off campus for Subway sandwiches).
The boys that Lara Jean has crushed on are all well cast. Noah Centenero plays Peter as a lovable jock, but who also has more going on than athletic ability. I loved how he and Lara Jean start out so awkwardly, but end up making a strong connection through their shared experiences of loss.
Next door neighbor Josh is also a sweet character as played by actor Israel Broussard. He is getting over breaking up with Margo (Lara Jean's older sister). I could feel his confusion when he realizes that Lara Jean actually had a crush on him.
What I Was Mixed About:
As much as I liked Lara Jean's friend Chris in the movie, there was also a missed opportunity. The book and the movie definitely re-enforce that teens can have a mindset that good girls don't have sex and bad girls do. I think in the book though, Chris is used as a bridge to show that girls can be good people AND be sexually active. By toning down Chris's character in the movie, we miss that message.
What I Didn't Like:
Casting:
Although the actress who plays Lara Lean's older sister, Margo, does a fine job, she looks much too old for the part. Margo is supposed to be a college freshman in the story, but actress Janel Parrish is thirty years-old! I wish they would have found an actress who was actually a teen to play this crucial role.  |
| Doesn't she look like the mom? |
What Was Missing From The Movie:
Two of the things I loved about the book were missing from the movie: Lara Jean's Korean heritage, and her obsession with making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. The book does such a beautiful job of incorporating the rich cultural traditions that the girls' Caucasian dad attempts to impart. But there is only a passing reference in the movie to the dad's trying to cook Korean food. The book is also filled with Lara Jean baking cookies. This showed how obsessive Lara Jean could be. She would be laser-focused on every detail of a recipe and then meticulously test out each variation. I missed this in the movie.
Overall, I found this to be a very entertaining adaptation of the book. This is playing on Netflix so most people can easily access this movie (and play it again and again). Don't miss a cameo from author Jenny Han as a teacher at the dance!
Rating:
Release Date: August 17th, 2018
Directed by: Susan Johnson
Adaptation by: Sofia Alvarez
Length: 99 Minutes
Platform: Netflix streaming
Recommendation: A highly entertaining adaptation of a beloved book. The movie retains the sweetness of the book along with the awkwardness of high school relationships.
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