SPOILERS are ahead for the film and book The Idea of You. You've been warned. So, if you've made it past that intro, it's safe to assume that you streamed the Amazon Prime rom-com The Idea of You this weekend. The movie centers around a romance between the 40-year-old Solène and the 24-year-old boy band member Hayes Campbell — and so does the 2017 Robinne Lee novel that it's based on. Film adaptations of books are often different from the source material, and The Idea of You follows suit in that regard. In fact, the film's entire ending is a huge change from how the book concluded.
Long story short: In both the book and the film, Solène and Hayes initially break up. In the book, they stay that way — but, in the film, they reunite five years after breaking up. Robinne Lee, the author of the novel, shared her thoughts on this substantial shift with Entertainment Weekly. She mentioned that she was not involved in the film's production and had not met the director, Michael Showalter. However, her husband was one of the film's producers and kept her informed about the changes made by the director.
Robinne Lee expressed understanding of the director's decisions, acknowledging the considerations of box office success and audience preferences. She mentioned that while she hoped the film would stay true to her original story, she recognized the need to cater to viewers' expectations. Despite the deviation in the film's ending from the book, Robinne Lee stands by the book's conclusion, emphasizing that a happier ending was not the narrative she intended to convey.
According to Robinne, the book's ending was crafted to highlight the theme of women prioritizing others' happiness over their own. She aimed to create a sense of authenticity, portraying the protagonist's journey as a reflection of real-life experiences where relationships can lead to personal turmoil. The character's growth and eventual decision to let go of the romance were integral to the story's message.
Robinne Lee's perspective sheds light on the complexities of adapting written works to film and the creative choices involved in storytelling. While the film version of The Idea of You diverges from the book's ending, both iterations offer unique insights into relationships and self-discovery.
