Colleen Hoover’s books were suddenly everywhere. The rise of BookTok led to many readers discovering her works, and in barely a minute, she took half of the spots on every bookstore’s top 10 most bought shelves. People who had never picked up a book since middle school became page-turners, devouring Hoover’s books. The instant rise in fame led to Hoover earning lots of money, and after having claimed a spot among the most famous authors of our times, she also gained a film deal for her highest-selling book “It Ends With US”.
The film received negative media attention over a year before its release date in theatres. In 2019, actor Justin Baldoni (Jane The Virgin) secured the film rights to Hoover’s best-selling book. At the start of 2023, Blake Lively was cast as Lily Bloom, and filming began shortly after. Fans were immediately critical of the casting, as both the lead actors were much older than the characters in the books. Something that makes sense, as it’s not realistic for a 30-year-old man to be a successful neurosurgeon – yet still annoying lovers of the book. The first press pictures of the filming were also ridiculed for the choices in outfits for the main characters. People were simply not buying it. In August 2024 the film hit the theatres, but it didn’t take long for another issue to appear. One most would consider a lot worse than older characters and poor outfits.
For those of you who are unaware, the film “It Ends With Us” tackles serious issues like domestic violence and emotional abuse. The book was written as an ode to Colleen Hoover’s mother, who herself left an abusive man, and raised her children on her own. Hoover’s book was her way of telling her mother that it did end with them and that her mother had made the right decision to leave Hoover’s father. With such a serious topic, one would assume most of the marketing and hype around the film would be utilised to spread awareness on the topic, or to give a voice to victims of abuse and encourage victims to seek help. Director Justin Baldoni has used several interviews highlighting the issue and discussing the mentality around victim blaming. In an interview with CBS Mornings, he spoke about how creating the film allowed him to direct our conversations about domestic violence. “The question that’s always asked is: why did she stay? And that’s the wrong question. We need to be asking ourselves: why do men harm?” Baldoni goes on to explain how he wanted to do justice to survivors’ stories and shed light on the complex human paradox of what to do when someone you love hurts you. So Baldoni did his part. Now what is the problem?
It’s that Blake Lively, the actress for the victim in the film, did exactly the opposite.
Already by looking at Lively’s interview with CBS Mornings, one can tell that the difference between her and Baldoni is clear. While Baldoni spent most of his interview discussing the message of the film, Lively spent hers talking about the love-triangle, music decisions, and her character Lily’s traits (not mentioning the situation). Of course, this could have been because of the interviewer’s questions, but it all goes downhill from there. Lively, also a producer of the film, was a crucial part of all parts of the film . She has also said that she considered this film to be a part of her life’s work, because of its importance . During the promotion of the film, Blake Lively has dismissed the message of the , in favour of spreading the word of her romcom moment. Basically, using the press tours for the film to not only hype up the love triangle, and brag about her husband Ryan Reynold’s new film but also to market her new haircare brand. Something that is so utterly tone deaf, that I believe if she weren’t a Hollywood sweetheart from before, she would have been cancelled immediately.
After learning about the promotion of the film, I found myself wondering if I had misjudged the storyline completely. I must admit that I never liked Hoover’s book, but I still found it interesting and easy to read. The promotion of the film made me question whether they had made a terrible decision to focus on the love stories, rather than on the abuse from the book. So, I decided to go watch it, and to my surprise: I didn’t hate it. (Minor spoilers upcoming)
Of course, the initial love story between Lily and Ryle was, in my opinion, a little cringe-worthy and superficial, but I still think it set up a good dynamic for the rest of the film. The scenes portraying domestic violence were gracefully done , with certain scenes leaving the viewer uncomfortable with the reality they portray. “It Ends With Us” did an excellent job at blurring the lines between denial and reality, expressing the feelings of a victim denying what they are experiencing out of doubt and love for their partner. Furthermore, it shows what courage it takes to leave an abusive relationship. This is why it is so horrendous that what could have been an important film for victims, is marketed as a romcom. In a TikTok from the official “It Ends With Us” film account, Blake Lively exclaims that we should grab our friends and wear our florals to go see the film. The phrase itself sounds like we should go watch a silly love story, when what she is saying is: “Grab your friends, and wear your florals, and go watch a film where a woman suffers in an abusive relationship!”.
But why should we care about this? A little poor marketing, not too serious, right? The reality is that many will step into theatres without knowing what to expect. People who could easily be triggered won’t know what awaits them, because the marketing suggests a love triangle film, with a first love trope. Also, I found it riveting how people are profiting from this film, whilst not doing enough for the actual victims. A film that could have been the starting point for an important dialogue, has been shaped into just another cute romance story. It’s disappointing that Hoover and Lively, who had such an opportunity, decided to not take it. Because in the end, if you didn’t make the film to give someone else a voice and tell the story, then you just did it for the money. It’s insensitive to those who are victims, to see their own experience shrunk into a romantic comedy and a discussion about clothes and love interests. Say what you want about entertainment, but you can’t ignore that when you take on such a serious project, that it should be done correctly. The film and production did its part.
But where’s the accountability from everyone else?
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