The anticipated new rom-com The Idea of You is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Looking back, you may have noticed that the ending of The Idea of You is different from the book on which it is based.
Starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzin, The Idea of You is an adaptation of Robin Lee’s 2017 bestselling novel of the same name. The film follows the passionate love affair between a 40-year-old single mother (Hathaway) and Hayes Campbell (Gallitzin). Lead singer of the popular boy band August Moon
Before the film’s release, some fans speculated on social media that The Idea of You was inspired by Harry Styles’ fan fiction. After all, Styles and Hayes have a lot in common, like being in a five-piece boy band. A love of tattoos and a history of dating older women
Lee, however, denied rumors that the book was based on a fan fiction. In an article for Time.com to coincide with the film’s release. He wrote that “to call it ‘fluff’ or “’enfiction’—especially when it’s done by the uneducated—is that which diminishes and despises”.
The author also acknowledged that the book is directly connected to Stiles. He wrote: “Assuming a novel in which a fictional celebrity is in a relationship can be based on an existing celebrity—in this case, decided by the internet, Harry Styles—that’s not measuring up at best and sexual at worst.” Styles]”, was inspired by her ex-boyfriends, her husband, and a dash of actor Eddie Redmayne.
The Idea Of You Ending Explained
(Warning: spoilers ahead for The Idea of You movie and book.)
In the novel, Solenn decides to break up with Hayes because they are at very different times in their lives. A few weeks later, on a break from touring, Hayes shows up at her door, upset about their split. They get involved, and he tells her he left the group.
But Solen can’t accept this and says she can’t finish her job for him. He lies to her that he never really loved her but liked the idea of her. Hayes returns to his group and continues to yell and text her, but she ignores him and eventually gives up.
“And then one day, they stopped,” Lee concludes the novel. “I stopped loving it a long time ago.”
But in the film, Hayes and Solen talk about giving this up primarily because their relationship and age affects her 12-year-old daughter, Isabel, in a negative way. Hess goes to see Solenn, where he apologizes and tells her he loves her. They decide to reunite after five years and take another look at their relationship.
The film jumps to the future, announcing that Hayes is taking a break from touring while appearing on The Graham Norton Show. He plays guitar and sings a romantic song with her. Looking at Solenn, she mentions that she is on vacation visiting someone special in Los Angeles.
Once in California, he entered Solenn’s art gallery. It’s their first meeting in a year, and he’s excited to see her. Anty still don’t know what their future holds.
Why did you change the idea of finalizing your book into a movie?
Director Michael Showalter said that he changed the ending of The Idea of You to give the audience a hopeful ending for both characters.
“Romantic films have a very long history of changing the ending so the two main characters are together at the end. There is a practical answer to this, that moviegoers just want to know that there is some hope for these two characters at the end of the film,” he explained to TV Insider
Showalter continued, “We don’t have to tell the audience how it ended. We don’t tell the audience exactly where things ended. But at least we give the audience a chance to try to fill it out for themselves. As a fan of that genre, I like a love story that ends with the two main characters getting coffee because that tells me there’s hope.”
