How was Netflix’s The Perfect Couple different from the novel? Key series vs book differences explored

Netflix's new mystery drama, The Perfect Couple, is based on Elin Hilderbrand's 2018 bestseller of the same name. Set against the backdrop of an elite Nantucket wedding and threaded with a mysterious death that unravels the characters' lives, this six-part series keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

The series features Nicole Kidman, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning, and Liev Schreiber. For fans of Hilderbrand's original novel, there are several differences between the book and the new screen adaptation to be on the lookout for. So how does Netflix stay true to the plot of the original, and where does it veer off?

While The Perfect Couple as a series retains the main storyline, some striking adjustments are made in the characters, names, and backstories.

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Names and backgrounds changed in The Perfect Couple

One of the mainstays that have changed in Netflix's The Perfect Couple, is the name of the protagonist. In Hilderbrand's novel, the bride's name is Celeste Otis, while in the series, Amelia Sacks is the bride.

This change is intended to avoid confusion with the similarly iconic role of Nicole Kidman as Celeste in Big Little Lies.

The Perfect Couple (Image via Netflix)

According to showrunner Jenna Lamia, it is because Kidman's acting in the previous series was so memorable that for this one, they thought it better to rename her and avoid any association. Besides, names for other characters have also been altered. The best man, Shooter Oxley in the novel, was named Shooter Dival in the series.

This small yet significant change gets carried ahead with the groom's family too. While the book introduces Tag and Greer Winbury as parents of two sons, Netflix's adaptation adds one more son to their family.

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Changes in character traits and backstories in The Perfect Couple

Apart from the name changes, some of the characteristic traits and histories of the characters are different in the book and series. In the novel, Celeste has stuttering jitters because of the stress related to wedding arrangements. Such personal problems display her fragility throughout the story.

In the series, however, Amelia does not have this illness, and this is partly reflected in her varied portrayal.

The career arc of Nicole Kidman's character, Greer Garrison Winbury, also sees extreme alterations. For example, her book character, Greer, is a novelist whose career is on a nose-dive, having just been informed that her latest manuscript has been rejected by her editor, further adding tension to her role as the mother of the groom.

However, in the series, Greer is an established and confident author at the peak of her career, and that changes everything in family dynamics and how she interacts with the other characters.

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Pacing and plot emphasis in The Perfect Couple

While the overarching plot remains the same between the book and the series where the sumptuous Nantucket wedding spirals wildly out of control into a murder investigation after the death of the maid of honor is discovered, pacing and attention to specific characters or subplots will likely shift in the adaptation.

Hilderbrand's novel often jumps back and forth in time and through many different perspectives, enabling readers to learn much about various characters' backgrounds. In a six-part series, there is much room for variation in visual storytelling and pacing that cannot be accommodated in a novel with such a deliberative narrative structure.

The murder mystery of the maid of honor, the various hidden layers of each of their secrets, and even the aspects of high society pressures, are all key themes in both the book and the series. The series adaptation may go in another direction when committed to the screen as the relationships and rivalries could be differently emphasized or highlighted from those in the novel.

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Netflix's The Perfect Couple takes the ideas from the bestselling novel by Elin Hilderbrand and makes the basic plot slightly newer, without much deviation from the major storyline. Character name changes, adjustment of personal attributes, and changes in family dynamics give a new caliber to the story.

For those unfamiliar with the book, this is an introduction to a whole other world of intrigue, high society, and dark secrets. Whether the audience has read the book or not, the Netflix series The Perfect Couple promises to be an intriguing watch full of suspense and intrigue.