Searching for a movie full of whimsy, spontaneity and the best kind of messy love? Look no further than the new cinematic adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling novel People We Meet on Vacation, directed by Brett Haley. Soaring to Netflix's most-watched movie of the week within days of its Jan. 9 release, the film follows the story of Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), who unexpectedly become friends while carpooling home from college to Linfield, Ohio. The two seem like polar opposites at first. Where Poppy's character is brimming with life, Alex seems significantly more reserved, finding solace in running and his homebody lifestyle. Nonetheless, after a carpool gone awry and an overnight motel stop, Alex discovers he might share Poppy's love of traveling. When Alex goes through a tough breakup a year later, he and Poppy go camping and create a new friendship tradition: annual, week-long summer trips. The film switches between vivid flashbacks to these summer trips and snippets of the present. Viewers learn that present-day Poppy and Alex have had some sort of falling out as they both hesitantly reunite at Alex's brother's wedding.
I found the storyline as adorable as it is engaging. Although the pacing feels rushed at times with the movie trying to cover 12 years in two hours, Haley and Henry do an excellent job keeping their audience curious as they weave in and out of the present. Poppy's character brings an undeniable energy to the film, keeping Alex (and us) intrigued. I equally enjoyed watching "Vacation Alex" emerge, from skinny dipping with random campers to the fan-favorite dance scene. In my opinion, the fantastic New Orleans fake-honeymoon dance between Alex and Poppy truly captures the essence of the movie — a little bit about letting go and a little bit about holding on. Though People We Meet on Vacation fits the rom-com genre, it also speaks to the experience of coming of age, as Alex and Poppy wrestle with sacrifice and loneliness in both their relationship and their personal lives. Beyond the cute characters, it was impossible not to fall in love with the cast themselves. Bader and Blyth both embody their characters; I never even paused to question an acting choice, which comes as high praise from a theater alum who has criticized her fair share of bad romance movies.
Admittedly, like any good romance, the film is chock-full of clichés and classic tropes. Some of those, I loved. For example, Alex caring for a sickly Poppy instead of flying to Norway? Yes, please! Sarah’s role, however, does not land as well. As Alex and Poppy grow closer, Alex's on-and-off girlfriend, Sarah, remains a huge wedge between them, as does Poppy's string of semi-casual lovers. That tension explodes off the screen in their final vacation flashback, in which Alex and Poppy go on a "double date" vacation with their significant others. During their trip, however, Poppy's pregnancy scare brings her and Alex to a dramatic almost-kiss moment (another common rom-com trope). In response, Alex proposes to his long-term girlfriend. This, to me, felt a little forced. I can only assume his reaction represents a desire to flee from his feelings for Poppy; the lack of clarity about Alex's actual motives, however, struck me as poorly executed. Furthermore, that element of emotional cheating, though used as a plot device, dimmed Alex's likeability in my eyes. Nonetheless, Alex's rain-soaked love confession to Poppy is reason enough to forgive him. It is always refreshing to see emotionally vulnerable, mature and self-aware men on the screen, and Alex certainly fulfilled that role. Plus, as far as forgiving Alex goes, it can't hurt casting an actor as pretty as Tom Blyth!
Clicking pause on the cliché talk, I want to address my main criticism: Why did the two ultimately settle down in Linfield, Ohio? After their reconciliation and shared love confession at the wedding, the two ultimately break it off again when Poppy refuses to make plans for the future. When she arrives back to her empty home, though, she comes to the realization that Alex has been her home all along. The idea of having a person as home? I love it! Home is where the heart is, and this movie captures that beautifully. The fact that she then returns to Linfield, Ohio, and they begin a life there together? Not a fan. I understand the intended symbolism, and Poppy sprinting across town to catch Alex on his run captured the audience's heart, but I hate the message. Alex previously wanted to study in London, and Poppy clearly disliked Linfield for her past traumatic experiences in the town. Why would they settle down there? Why not travel to London and start a life in England instead? Further, People We Meet on Vacation, whether for a touching reason or not, ends with another woman settling down because of a man's disapproval. What sort of message does that send to young women looking for love?
Despite questioning the ending, I thought that People We Meet on Vacation checked all the boxes for a cute, dramatic, fun-filled romcom. While I do believe there was space for improvement in terms of pacing in depth, the characters and plot made the movie worth a watch in my books. I giggled my way through Alex and Poppy's interactions and vacation shenanigans and was left with that feel-good glow, and isn't that what romcoms are really about? For all the romantic girls looking for a new
"book" boyfriend and the boys looking for a little whimsy in life, I highly recommend giving People We Meet on Vacation a watch.
Emily Federovitch is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at eaf258@cornell.edu.
