I first read “People We Meet On Vacation” in the summer of 2021 while on a family trip to Cape Cod. Ever since then, I have eagerly devoured every book Emily Henry has released, painting vivid pictures in my mind of what her beloved characters would look like on the silver screen. When People Magazine announced last year that “Hunger Games” star Tom Blyth and “My Lady Jane” breakout actress Emily Bader would star as Alex and Poppy in the film adaptation of “People We Meet On Vacation,” I knew these precious characters were in good hands.
The film loosely follows its source material, flip-flopping between past and present. Nine summers ago, college students Alex and Poppy carpooled together back to their hometown in Ohio. Their distinctly different personalities initially clash — Alex is structured and family-oriented, while Poppy is an exuberant firecracker. But they slowly form a friendship, and agree to vacation together every summer for the foreseeable future. Their relationship builds and eventually comes to a head when they reunite after two years at Alex’s brother’s wedding, where they’re forced to decide the nature of their relationship.
While there are some key differences from the book — such as Alex and Poppy’s first meeting and the final love confession — the changes quicken the flow and make for a concise adaptation. The only change that hurts the film is the pair’s trip to Tuscany. In the book, they reveal their feelings for one another in Croatia, where they drunkenly kiss. In the film, Alex and Poppy stop themselves before they kiss, and the omission strips away some of the emotional weight from their subsequent two years of not speaking. Director Brett Haley rectifies this by having Alex immediately propose to his then-girlfriend Sarah, but it feels rushed and thrown together.
Still, the essence of the romance is rock solid. Blyth’s buttoned-up Alex balances out Bader’s hyperenergetic Poppy in a delightfully hilarious way with even the smallest bits of physicality, like a perfectly timed eye roll or an all-too-real sigh. Watching him slowly come out of his shell is a treat and feels entirely earned. However, Bader is the true standout. She lights up every second that she’s on screen with acting that feels equally earnest in both over-the-top character moments and grounded, emotional scenes. Together, Blyth and Bader’s chemistry is undeniable, whether they’re bickering during their first car ride or helping one another when injured.
In a time when hair-twirling, giggle-inducing romantic comedies have been severely lacking, “People We Meet On Vacation” fills that void. One scene in which Alex and Poppy pretend to be honeymooners in New Orleans and freestyle in a club to Paula Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl” feels like it could fit right into a classic late ’90s rom-com. Not to mention, the film’s vibrant colors feel so refreshing and make the story all the more magical. While it encapsulates beloved tropes like friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance, the story doesn’t feel cookie-cutter. Alex and Poppy are well rounded and complex characters, and their ending feels realistic and justified, rather than simply for the sake of the plot. With Colleen Hoover’s lackluster book-to-screen adaptations overtaking the genre, this film is a perfect vacation.
Contact Skylar Boilard at [email protected].