Spoiler Warning: The article contains details from the plot of Regretting You.
For weeks, if not months, I’ve been seeing trailers on Instagram for Regretting You, the highly-anticipated new adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name. Personally, I am not a fan of Hoover’s works, which are often poorly-written and problematic. Nevertheless, because the main roles are played by Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames, I was excited for the movie’s release as I’ve enjoyed both of their previous acting projects.
Regretting You, released on Oct. 24, revolves around two plotlines: high schooler Clara’s feelings for Miller, one of the most popular guys at school, and Clara’s mom’s grief after her husband’s death. The movie opens in the past, back to Clara’s mom, Morgan. As a highschooler, Morgan becomes pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. There is a clear friend group established between Morgan; her boyfriend, Chris; her little sister, Jenny; and her sister’s boyfriend, Jonah. However, there are clear feelings between Morgan and Jonah. Seventeen years later, Clara is a senior in high school, and Jenny and Jonah are new parents. When Chris dies in a car crash with Jenny, Morgan and Jonah investigate the crash and discover an affair.
The movie, though cute, was rushed and felt oblivious and disrespectful. Although it was nearly two hours long, it felt like each plot point was skipped over without being given time to truly develop. For example, Clara’s grief over her dad and aunt’s death felt momentary and surface-level. Her feelings for Miller took precedence over the death of two of the most important people in her life.
During Clara and Miller’s meet-cute, I was iffy of the premise of their relationship: Miller was still in a relationship (albeit a toxic one) and lied to his girlfriend about who he was with. Although the movie tried to make it painfully clear that Miller wasn’t cheating on his girlfriend, the ending of the movie seemed to negate this point. Miller’s reason for breaking off his old relationship after his meet-cute with Clara was that he felt guilty that he thought about Clara when he went to bed. However, in the movie’s final scene, where he asks her to prom, it is revealed that he has been in love with Clara for two years. This, in addition to his comment that Shelby (his ex) was his “backup plan” for Clara, goes against Miller’s insistence that he would never emotionally cheat.
The plotline involving Morgan and Jonah also felt untimely. I do not understand the grief they are going through, but Morgan and Jonah’s laughter and flirting immediately after Jenny and Chris’s deaths felt out of place and disrespectful. It didn’t make sense that they would be grieving for their husband and fiancée and angry over their affair, yet immediately fall back in love with one another.
Despite my qualms with the film, there were a few standout scenes. In particular, the scene in the hospital when Morgan and Jonah are told the news of their loved ones’ deaths and are overwhelmed with grief gave me full-body chills. The small details in the scene, from the priest in the waiting room to baby Elijah’s smile and lack of understanding, shined through as one of the best parts of the movie.
I’d like to stress that my problem with the movie was the writing, not the acting. I thought Grace’s performance as Clara displayed her emotional skills as an actress, and Sam Morelos’ performance as Lexie, Clara’s best friend, added humor in tense moments. Overall, I think the cast was chosen well and did the best they could with the storyline they were given.
After I finished the movie, I was conflicted. The actors did a great job, but the story did nothing for me. None of the characters were introduced or developed enough to make me root for them, and the underlying tones of cheating and disrespect left a bad taste in my mouth. Regretting You’s score of 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes certainly makes sense, but in the end, I think the lack of appeal of the movie mainly stems from the bad plot it is based on, not the cast and crew involved.
Katherine Winton is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at kgw45@cornell.edu.
Katherine Winton is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at kwinton@cornellsun.com.
