All The Bright Places
By Jasmine Jackson - Guest Contributor
I read the book a few years ago and was delighted when I found out it was being brought to the screen. Yet, I found an indifference toward the movie as I felt certain scenes depicted a typical teen movie. Also, at times I could see how the movie wanted to become a staple for a variety of topics. All The Bright Places wanted to add romance, grief, and dealing with it, family and friends, and mental health all at once. By doing that, the movie felt rushed, and instead of immersing themselves in each topic, resorted to simply dipping a toe in. There simply wasn't enough time to cover all the bases, say exactly what they wanted to say and convey the themes they desired. All The Bright Places flew at an ABC rate, but after arriving halfway, decides to skip to the end. The performances of the main actors are superb though, adding positive points against the clichéd and hasty plotline. It is not a terrible adaptation, I just feel the book did the story a few favors as the reader would have seen the whole picture and not snippets. The movie concludes on a few plot holes that I had to use other resources to fill. Despite all of this, there is a bold underlying theme of how we must not only be lights for ourselves, but for others because we never know what someone is going through.
logline: Violet Markey and Theodore Finch "Finch", meet in the most unlikely way, and when it seems that the moment will be all they ever have, they are paired together for a school assignment. They take that first meeting and turn it into something worthwhile, discovering new places and learning about each other along the way.
My Favorite Characters:
Elle Fanning as Violet Markey: Her character portrayal is done so well. She has this sort of silence that surrounds her which truly conveys how much the events in her life have affected her. The way her character is shown toward the beginning is someone who I feel is a real representation of someone dealing with loss. When she finally begins to show her true self, her strong devotion to the ones she loves comes out and makes her worth knowing.
Justice Smith as Theodore "Finch": Finch continuously steals the show with his charismatic charm and overall joy and care for Violet. He draws her out of her shell by not treating her as if she's fragile, but as if she's human. I wish I was able to see more into his life, grasping some understanding about his character. There was just so much more of him that I wanted to see.
Fun Fact: The small, homemade rollercoaster that Violet and Finch come across exists. It is the Blue Flash Rollercoaster located in Vincennes, Indiana and it was built by someone in their backyard!
This movie is rated TV-MA. Here’s why:
Sexual Content and Nudity
Language
Frightening and Intense Scenes
Where to Watch: Netflix
Image source: Netflix via IMDb