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The Life List (2025) follows the unique adventures of Alex (Sofia Carson) who goes on a quest to complete a teenage bucket list after her mother passes away. As she checks things off, she goes on a journey of hope, love, and rediscovery. Will she fall in love in the process?
Based on the novel of the same name by Lori Nelson Spielman, this slice-of-life drama is one of the newest additions to Netflix's feel-good movie list. But, there are some major differences in the book's on-screen adaptation, leaving fans curious.
Here's what fans of The Life List must know about the movie!
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer. The article contains spoilers.
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What's different in The Life List's book-to-movie adaptation?
1) Alex Rose isn't Alex Rose in the book
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The most obvious change from The Life List book to the movie is the main character's name. In the book, she is Brett Bohlinger, a name that is a constant source of quips for sounding like a man's. Other characters, including her brothers (Jay and Joad are Lucas and Julian), are also named differently in the movie.
2) Alex's mom appears differently in the book
In Spielman's The Life List, Alex's mom Elizabeth leaves her letters to read after completing every task on her bucket list. The mother and daughter connect over words on a page, which seems more fitting for a novel. However, in the movie version, Elizabeth (Connie Britton) leaves behind video DVDs for her daughter.
In an audio-visual medium, this showed the duo's relationship better, making it a smart change from book to movie. Moreover, Elizabeth is alive briefly at the beginning of the movie, while the book opens at her funeral. Might Connie Britton's screen presence have something to do with the change?
3) Alex's family dynamics are different in the book
Alex is adopted, making her search for her biological father in the book a major plot point. However, the movie takes a different approach, by making her fix her tense relationship with her adopted father, who is not alive in the book.
In Spielman's The Life List, Alex's biological dad and her half-sister Zoe have little to no screen time, and her relationship outside her adopted family is explored only lightly. The movie sticks to the primary conflict between her and her father.
4) Alex's timeline with Finn
Alex is in a committed relationship with Finn in both the book and the movie. However, book Finn's timeline is way longer than the movie's and Spielman had time to flesh out the characters' subtle and outright incompatibilities before Alex ends things. In the movie, Alex breaks up with Finn almost immediately.
In both versions, Finn is portrayed as someone standing in the way of Alex's rediscovery journey. However, while book Finn is cunning and cold, movie Finn is portrayed as a schlump with no future.
5) Alex and Brad don't end up together
Spielman's book develops Alex's relationship with Dr. Garett Taylor through phone conversations. They connect and fall in love, leading to a completely different ending in the book. Brad appears only as Alex's mother's lawyer, and the two share a brief moment of romance, but ultimately remain friends.
The deviation completely changes the ending from book to movie. The movie is an alternate reality for the characters in The Life List and provides an answer to a 'what if?' situation the book introduced.
6) Alex wanted to be a mother in the book
One of Alex's goals on Spielman's The Life List was to become a mother. In the book, she meets Garett at the end (for the first time, after bonding over phone calls), and the couple gets married and adopts a child.
In the movie, the list does not include her wishes for motherhood, and her relationship with Garett is sweet but brief. These differences completely change the book's premise, where Alex grapples with parental trauma and adoption.
7) Film Alex's story ends differently
The Life List ensures a satisfying ending in both the book and the movie versions, but they are different. In the movie, Alex crosses off 'learning to drive' from her list when she drives to Brad's house to confess her love. The couple kiss and end up together.
In the book, Alex goes through a custody battle for her best friend and student Sanquita's child Austin, eventually winning and adopting her. She also builds a shelter for mothers and children needing a place to live, to celebrate Sanquita's life and honor her passing.
The movie ends with Sofia Carson's Alex hosting a New Year party at the house she inherited from Elizabeth after completing all the tasks on her list.
Fans can watch The Life List on Netflix!
