‘The Idea of You’: Biggest Differences Between Book & Movie, Explained
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Idea of You.]
The Idea of You is the rom-com movie of the spring. The Prime Video film, out now, is based on Robinne Lee’s bestselling novel that follows single mom Solène (Anne Hathaway) and her relationship with the much younger boy band megastar Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine).
The film adaptation stays mostly true to the source material, but there are several key changes — especially the ending. Scroll down to find out the most notable book-to-screen differences.
Hayes’ age
In the book, Hayes is just 20 years old and Solène is 39. Hayes is aged up to 24 in the movie. Producer Cathy Schulman explains to TV Insider why Hayes’ age was changed in the film.
“Well, it was actually in reaction to Nick himself,” she says. “We were meeting young men of various different ages, and it just didn’t seem believable [for Hayes to be 20]. We felt he was the right guy, but we also didn’t believe that he could play 20. It just felt like we would be straining credulity a little bit, so we just leaned into the natural age group he was in.”
Hayes and Solène’s first meeting
The Coachella meet-cute never happens in the book. Hayes and Solène first cross paths at an August Moon meet-and-greet at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas before a concert. After mistakenly thinking Solène is her daughter’s older sister, Hayes invites Solène and Izzy’s crew backstage.
In the film, Hayes and Solène meet at Coachella, where his band August Moon is headlining. Solène accidentally stumbles into Hayes’ trailer, which she thinks is a bathroom. They see each other again at the August Moon meet-and-greet when Izzy (Ella Rubin) and her friends get a chance to meet the band. The rest is history!
Izzy’s age
Like Hayes, Izzy’s age is different in the book. In Lee’s novel, Izzy is 12 years old. She’s a huge August Moon fan and loves Hayes. Solène and Hayes’ relationship has a larger emotional impact on the preteen Izzy. When Izzy learns about the romance, she’s devastated. Izzy tries to accept her mom’s new relationship, but Solène’s romance with her ultimate crush causes a rift.
In the Prime Video adaptation, Izzy is 16. She’s mostly outgrown her August Moon phase, but she still gets starstruck by them at the meet-and-greet. Her favorite band member is Rory (Dakota Adan), not Hayes. When Izzy discovers her mom’s relationship with Hayes, she’s furious over the sexist and ageist reactions from the public. She’s the one who pushes Solène to go after her own happiness and be with Hayes.
The book and the film both have Solène ultimately putting her daughter first. She ends her relationship with Hayes because of how the relationship is affecting Izzy’s everyday life.
Schulman reveals the reasoning behind the changes regarding Izzy in the movie. “I think that we felt that it was going to be enormously valuable if Solene had someone she could speak to on a level that could have a little bit more depth,” she explains. “And just aging the child up a little bit created a possibility where the kid could have more empathy but could also question some of the very things that Solene was struggling with as a woman. We thought it would be fun to put some of the feminism into the mouth of the younger characters, which we did. It was a little bit of a push if she was still 12 or 13.”
The Oliver situation
Oliver has a bigger role in the book than in the movie. Hayes’ August Moon bandmate repeatedly tries to flirt with Solène and frequently brings up how Hayes has a thing for older women. Solène mostly ignores Oliver’s behavior.
Oliver and Hayes’ relationship is rife with tension because Hayes lost his virginity to Oliver’s older sister. Oliver’s grudge against Hayes boils over, and he ends up breaking Hayes’ nose when they get into a fight just before a concert.
The film doesn’t include any of this tension, but Oliver (Raymond Cham Jr.) does help facilitate Hayes and Solène’s first breakup. While in the South of France, Solène gushes over how Hayes dedicated the song “Closer” to her at Coachella. Oliver mentions that Hayes has done this before and it’s just a “bit.” Solène is understandably upset and quickly pushes Hayes away, but they eventually reconcile.
The ending
Lee’s novel ends in a drastically different way than the movie. In the book, Solène does break up with Hayes, and he shows up at her door saying he’s quit August Moon. They hook up once last time, but she’s adamant that they can’t be together. Hayes calls and texts Solène every day for months until one day he stops. It’s a heartbreaking end for Solène and Hayes.
The film gives viewers hope that Solène and Hayes will get back together. Solène and Hayes end their relationship, and he asks her to reconsider things in five years. A time jump reveals that Solène still has her successful art gallery, while Hayes has gone solo. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Hayes says he’s taking a break and heading back to Los Angeles to see someone.
While watching Hayes on the talk show, Solène thinks Hayes must be referring to a new girlfriend. She’s still wearing his watch after all these years, a sign that she’s still not over him. Then, Hayes shows up at her art gallery after arriving in Los Angeles.
Director Michael Showalter tells TV Insider why the book’s ending was changed for the movie. “There’s a very long history in romantic movies of changing the ending so that the two main characters are together at the end. There’s a bit of a pragmatic answer to this, which is that movie audiences just want to see at least that there’s some hope for these two characters at the end of the movie,” he says. “We don’t have to tell the audience exactly how it ended. We’re not telling the audience exactly where things wound up. But we are at least giving the audience an opportunity to try to fill it in for themselves. As a fan of the genre, I love a romantic story that ends with the two main characters getting coffee because that tells me there’s hope.”
How do you feel about the changes? Let us know your thoughts about the movie in the comments below.
The Idea of You, Streaming Now, Prime Video
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