"That's not the story I wanted to tell" — The Idea of You author explains why the film's ending differs from the book

The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine as Solene and Hayes, respectively, released on Amazon Prime Video on May 2, 2024. Directed by Michael Showalter, the title was an adaptation of Robinne Lee's 2017 novel. The ending of the film left viewers craving more scenes featuring the pair together, as it changed the tragic ending of the book and hinted at a happily ever after.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the author of the book, The Idea of You, explained that she never intended for the narrative to have a happy ending, and wanted to tell a story that reflected women's sacrifice for those around them.

"I mean, the movie ending could have happened in the book too, I suppose, years down the line. But that's not the story I wanted to tell. I wanted to make a point about how, as women, we put others' happiness before our own," she said.

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"Hollywood's going to do what they're going to do" — The Idea of You author on the ending of the film

Hayes from the movie (Image via Youtube/@Prime Video)

The film explores a romance between a 40-year-old single mother Solene and a 24-year-old boy band member Hayes Campbell. Solene's life, after a messy divorce, takes a turn when she meets the charming singer. However, she ultimately decides to break up with him as the constant media attention negatively impacts her daughter and her business. The film ends with Solene and Hayes reuniting after five years as the latter shows up at her art gallery, and Solene gazes at him with affection.

However, things do not go quite as smoothly in the book. Solene lies to Hayes about not loving him, leaving him heartbroken. He pursues her for some time through texts and calls but eventually stops, signifying that he has moved on with his life.

The book then ends on an emotional note as it reads, "And then one day, they stopped. Long, long before I had stopped loving him."

The Idea of You author Robinne Lee recognized the difference between the book and film, and how the audience affects the story. Speaking about the film's ending, she told Entertainment Weekly:

"It's America — Hollywood's going to do what they're going to do, and they're going to throw a happy ending on everything."

Lee then stated that she was not involved in the adaptation. She also mentioned that she had not had a discussion with the director about the changes made to the story yet. However, she said:

"My husband's a producer on this, and he's spoken to him, and so he has reported back to me about Michael's changes, so I know some of the reasons he did things he chose to do."

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What is the idea behind the tragic ending of The Idea of You novel?

In her conversation with the publication, Lee also shared the reason behind Solene's tragic ending in The Idea of You novel. She wanted to write a story about how women prioritize others' happiness before their own and said:

"She chose her daughter before Hayes, and she was also very aware that she was disappointing her best friend, Lulit, her business partner and the co-owner of her gallery, which was suffering from the Hayes relationship. She had to put those other things first. It would've been lovely if she could have balanced all three, but at that point in time, she couldn't."

Lee mentioned that she wanted to create a realistic romance. She wished for individuals reading the book to feel like they were going through Solene's personal diary and understanding her inner turmoil.

However, she is not opposed to exploring different perspectives and delving deeper into the story of Solene and Hayes, despite the novel's definitive ending.

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The Idea of You is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.