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Blake Lively’s journey with ‘It Ends With Us’: A deep dive into the film adaptation
A labor of love and dedication
Blake Lively, known for her captivating performances, has taken on a new challenge with “It Ends With Us”, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling romance novel. At the New York premiere, Lively shared her profound experience of not only starring as Lily Bloom but also producing the film. “It was so important to me to work off camera,” she expressed. “The work I did as a producer was far more all-consuming than anything I did playing Lily. I just did it all. There’s nothing I didn’t touch on this film.”
“It Ends With Us” follows the journey of Lily Bloom, who falls in love with the charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. However, as Ryle’s violent tendencies surface, Lily is forced to confront the cycle of domestic abuse that plagued her parents’ relationship and find the strength to break free. The novel gained immense popularity in 2022, thanks to the ”BookTok” phenomenon on TikTok, selling four million copies.
The emotional toll and pride
Reflecting on her experience, Lively said, “It took my love, it took my passion, it took my time, it took my fortitude and dedication, and it took my sleep. Because of that, I’ve never had so much authorship in my life. I walk into this premiere with such pride for what we did. I can walk away for the first time saying, ‘I’ve put everything I have into this, and I’m proud of it.’ It’s one of the greatest gifts of my life, and definitely my career.”
A director’s vision
Justin Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the film as Ryle, acquired the film rights from Hoover in 2019, before the novel’s TikTok-fueled rise to fame. Initially envisioned as a smaller indie production, the project evolved into a blockbuster under Sony’s wing. “Lucky, or maybe providence,” Baldoni remarked at the premiere.
For those unfamiliar with the book, “It Ends With Us” might feel like two distinct movies. The film starts as an indulgent romance but takes a devastating turn into violence, challenging viewers to reassess their perceptions. Baldoni emphasized, “It’s just a reflection of life. We spent a lot of time talking to survivors to make sure we got this story right, that we made it truthful. Time and time again, what I learned is that when these relationships start out, they start out perfect. Romance and love and great sex. We wanted to honor the real-life experiences of these women.”
The unreliable narrator
Lily Bloom, portrayed by Lively, serves as an unreliable narrator of her own life. The audience experiences her seemingly perfect romance with Ryle through her eyes. The film’s aesthetic is beautiful, with affluent and attractive characters. The dark side of Lily and Ryle’s relationship is only revealed when Lily herself realizes it. While some critics argue that the book romanticizes domestic abuse, Baldoni believes that staying within Lily’s perspective helps the audience understand her choices and trauma.
“At the end of the film, the audience catches up to Lily just as she can no longer escape her reality any more,” Baldoni explained. “We made the movie that way to honor all the women who are going through this. I want them to see themselves on the screen, to go home and make a phone call to their best friend. To say they need help.”
A potential sequel?
“It Ends With Us” concludes where Hoover’s 2022 sequel, “It Starts With Us”, begins. At the premiere, Hoover mentioned that she had a group of fans focus-group the screenplay throughout its development. While she expressed enthusiasm for a potential movie sequel, she noted that the decision wasn’t hers to make.
“If they want to make another movie, I’m all for it,” Hoover said. “They’ve done such a good job with this first one.”
Baldoni remained tight-lipped about the possibility of continuing the franchise. “I can’t speak to that,” he said. “But my only hope is that people feel deeply when they see it, and they tell their friends, and god-willing the finances will follow.”
Explore more
For those eager to dive deeper into the world of “It Ends With Us”, you can watch the trailer here and explore more about the film. This adaptation promises to be a poignant and thought-provoking experience, shedding light on the complexities of love and the strength required to break free from toxic cycles.
