“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular films when it was released in 2018 because of the well-known book series written by Jenny Han. The movie follows Lara Jean, a high school junior whose old love letters re-surface, starting a journey to an unexpected love story.
The film stars Lara Jean (Lana Condor), or commonly known as “LJ,” a 16-year-old high schooler whose whole life dramatically changed when her “secret” love letters were mailed out by an unknown person. While trying to navigate and avoid the situation, she forms a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), who was one of the boys that received a letter. They form this alliance with special conditions to get his ex- girlfriend’s attention, as well as letting people think LJ has moved on in response to the other letter recipients. Throughout the movie, she learns more about the importance of friendship, love and ultimately remaining true to herself. This sweet and charming heartfelt journey captures the complexities of teenage feelings and relationships.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” painted a great image for the viewers in regards to character development. Lara Jean is ever growing in an abundance of ways throughout the entire series. She undergoes internal obstacles such as driving, taking on older sister duties and dealing with her feelings even if it scares her. Her character is a perfect example of coming of age showing maturity and independence while she develops into a young woman.
An important thing left out of the movie that would have only made it better was the background of other characters. From the beginning, we are introduced to several people such as LJ, Chris (Madeleine Arthur), Josh (Israel Broussard) and Peter. They give a good representation of the main characters, but left out the side characters who are just as complex. An example of this would be adding more growth and background information for Chris who is Lara Jean’s best friend. Doing this would be a big step up adding more layers and depth to the story, making it more meaningful for those who relate to people like her.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” earns a solid 5/5 because of the storyline being relatable and humorous but still capturing the ups and downs of life as a teenager. This story is well portrayed by the actors adding to the appeal, engaging the audience in the book adaptation.
