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Michael Lewen's directorial debut Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is the latest YA flick to hit Netflix. Brought to the screen by the producers of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, the film is based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith.
Released on July 6, 2022, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between stars Jordan Fisher, Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, Nico Hiraga, Jennifer Robertson and more in various roles.
Writers Ben York Jones and Amy Reed were responsible for the screenplay, which revolves around a cutesy teenage romance that has an expiry date.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between has a plot that's crisp but threadbare
Boy meets girl, they fall in love, drama transpires, and the two end up together in the end. Where have we heard that before? That's right; every romantic comedy ever written.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between tries to present this all-too-familiar plot with different drama and aesthetics, coupled with better diversity representation.
With a runtime of 82 minutes, the film is a breezy escapist drama that begins with a goodbye and ends with a hello. Jennifer E. Smith has tried to create her own spin on the young adult genre, but the essence of the story remains the same.
Perhaps this consistency and feel-good guarantee are also what draws viewers to rom-coms. However, for a platform that released the likes of To All The Boys, Lewen's rom-com falls short when it comes to delivering the same charm.
When Clare (Ryder) met Aidan (Fisher) at a Halloween party, the two instantly hit it off. However, there was a conundrum.
Clare, having had a vagabond lifestyle with her divorced mother constantly moving, wanted stability. She decided to focus on her academics and get into a good school to eventually become a lawyer. Her ambition had no place for boyfriends and romance.
Aidan and Clare made a break-up pact that would allow both of them to enjoy a whirlwind romance for 10 months before departing to their respective schools as single, uncommitted individuals.
Viewers know how naive the idea is right off the bat, but apparently the characters, while well-versed with other aspects of their adolescence, are totally inexperienced here.
Regardless, the film centered on this puny idea, and as expected, the two lovers realized that life does not work according to two teenage brains jacked up on love hormones.
When the deadline for their romance arrived, Clare and Aidan began experiencing heartbreak and other hurtful emotions that made their clean break very melodramatic.
Clare and Aidan's relationship neared its end as quickly as it began, with the 10 months of their courtship covered via a very brief montage.
The rest of the film (over 60 minutes) focused on that last day of the epic break-up date planned by Aidan before Clare left for Dartmouth. The two went to significant places they visited while they were dating to commemorate their time together.
In a very predictable conclusion, the lead couple unite and acknowledge their feelings for each other before finally getting their clean break-up.
What saved the film was the fact that the protagonists did not compromise their ambitions in favor of love, as is characteristic of whirlwind romance movies.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between thus portrays modern teenage romance with all its subtlety and some shred of maturity on the part of the high schoolers.
Instead of running off into the sunset together, Clare went on to study political science at Dartmouth, while Aidan decided not to give up on his dream of becoming a musician and moved to LA.
Fisher and Ryder delivered praiseworthy performances in Netflix's Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
Playing the lead characters Aidan and Clare were Jordan Fisher and Talia Ryder. The two actors were convincing in their roles as high schoolers on the brink of major life changes as they moved to college. However, the creators could have cast someone closer in age to a teenager than the 28-year-old Fisher, who plays 19-year-old Ryder's love interest.
Ryder was engaging in her role as the doe-eyed, slightly neurotic and ambitious Clare. Fisher, on the other hand, appeared less convincing in his role as a teenager burdened with parents' expectations.
Overall though, the actors did well to convey the emotions and issues of teenagers from highly privileged backgrounds navigating life using teenage logic.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is an escapist fantasy rather than a relatable teen romance
Grand gestures are believable to an extent. However, it's impossible to believe that Aidan planned everything perfectly and managed the exorbitant expenses of the pre-break-up date so easily.
If you're looking to watch a feel-good flick to take the edge off the day as you sit back and relax, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between might just do the trick. However, don't expect real-life consistency.
From aesthetic settings, non-intrusive parents and stereotypical American kids doing as they please to everything ending on a happy note, the film presents a glossy romance package neatly tied with a ribbon.
Parental expectations, the anxieties that come with moving to college and the pain of breaking up and leaving behind friends were merely touched upon and not explored.
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between debuted on Netflix on July 6, 2022. Fans of young adult and rom-com genres can rejoice as another flick joins the roster. Others might just tune in for some simplistic and breezy watch.
