To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

"If this wasn't what he wanted, then why did he come to the field of desire?"

It seems I was just writing about how rare the good Rom Com is these days. Well, it's time for me to put my foot in my mouth a bit, because there's a new young adult Rom Com that just dropped on Netflix. And it's all the rage. And of course I had to watch it. So, here we are.

Summary:

Lara Jean writes love letters to boys who will never receive them. It's her coping mechanism: A way to get past a crush or to move on from unrequited love. Only. Those letters got mailed. And now she's in a harebrained fake relationship (replete with an actual contract) with Lacrosse star, Peter, to try and salvage her personal life. But of course that doesn't freaking work.

Pros:

MORE REPRESENTATION!: I loved Crazy Rich Asians and I loved that we got actors of asian descent to play almost all of the roles in the film. To All the Boys I've Loved Before doesn't go that far out on the limb, but Lara Jean (played with great charm by Lana Condor) is from a mixed race family. Her father, a wonderful John Corbett, married a Korean-American woman and had three daughters. I think what I like the most is the normalization of her asian-ness. She isn't some kind of cultural avatar, or spokesperson for Korean Americans. It's just a part of her. And her classmates never comment on it. She's just a kid. And her family is just a family.

What a Pair: I would watch every movie about Peter and Lara Jean ever. They are goddamned cute together. The actors, Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, have real chemistry, great comedic timing, and a knack for imbuing the proceedings with heart and pathos. Seriously. I'd watch another movie about them just being in love. And I'm a thirty-one year old dude.

Gorgeous to Look At: The shot comp in this movie is gorgeous. Frames are balanced, centered, and feature wonderful sight lines and levels. Director, Susan Johnson, and director of photography, Michael Fimognari, know how to place their actors in frame to create dynamic, fun images. The color is also magnified: greens and blues and yellows and oranges pop off the screen and make everything vivid and beautifully striking. The camera is dynamic, too, zooming and panning, and it feels like a character in the action: a dutiful guide through this story.

Location Location Location: The location scout for this movie earned their damn pay. Oregon, where the film takes place, comes alive in all its strange charm. There are wonderfully modern homes, with quirky diners, and a high school campus rife with innovative backgrounds and wonderful imagery. And I'll be honest, Lara Jean's room is gorgeous, and I kind of wish I had a room like it.

Super Dad: John Corbett's Dr. Covey is an awesome dad. He loves and cares for his daughters but never becomes that creepy, over-protective father that is so problematic in YA Rom Coms. He even gives his daughter a care package of condoms, and responsibly, and respectfully, talks with her about sexual health. He doesn't approve, but wants her to be prepared. He is a single dad that never uses the loss of his wife as a crutch: their family is surviving and thriving. I forgot how good John Corbett is: effortless and charming. I'd like to see more of him.

Cons:

No Risks: This film never really takes any risks. Peter is a great guy. Lara Jean is a great girl. Their romance is absolutely wonderful, but it never really feels, even when they have their third-act "break up," like it's ever really in jeopardy.

More of the Friends: I'd have liked to see more of Madeleine Arthur's Chris, Lara Jean's best friend, and Trezzo Mahoro's Lucas, one of Lara Jean's former crushes cum confidant (and one of the only former crushes who respectfully returns the letter he received). Both Arthur and Mahoro are great, and shine in their roles, and I would have loved it if they got more screen time.

In Conclusion:

This movie is schmaltzy, and cute, and wonderful, and I fucking loved it.

Should You Watch It?

If you dig YA Romantic Comedies, consider this a must. If you are down, and there's lots to be down about these days, To All the Boys I've Loved Before will pick you up and warm your heart. It's on Netflix right now.

Miscellany:

- There were many bidders on author Jenny Han's books, but they all wanted one thing: make Lara Jean white. She said no. And I'm glad she did.
- Lana Condor hand-wrote all of the letters for the film.
- This is director Susan Johnson's second film.
- The movie is based on the first book in a trilogy.