When it first came out, all my friends raved about Susan Johnson’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Because I’m a pretentious snob, I insisted on reading the book before I watched the movie. Well, I didn’t get the book until Christmas of 2018, didn’t read it until August of 2019, and then got so distracted that I didn’t watch the movie until February 5th, 2020--just in time for the sequel! So my journey with this film has been nothing short of interesting. And by this point in time, my friends had all become a little disillusioned with the movie, and one of them warned me that it’s, and I quote, “really not that good.” But still, I figured I may as well give it a shot. She was right. It really wasn’t that good, from a purely cinematic standpoint. However, I enjoyed it, much in the same way I enjoy other nice, sappy rom-coms, and I’d rate it a solid four stars.
This movie follows Lara Jean Covey, the quintessential rom-com heroine. She’s a junior who is soft-spoken except when she needs to stand up for herself, and she’s a hopeless romantic who loves her sisters and spends her Saturday nights watching Golden Girls. She writes letters to, you guessed it, all the boys she’s loved before in order to cope with her crushes, and she keeps them in a hatbox in her closet. It’s all pretty harmless until her little sister, convinced that Lara Jean needs to get out of the house more, sends the letters. One of these letters is addressed to Peter Kavinsky, perhaps the most popular guy in school. Having just gone through a painful breakup with Lara Jean’s best friend turned enemy, Gen, he suggests that he and Lara Jean begin a fake relationship to make Gen jealous and keep Lara Jean’s crush on her sister’s ex-boyfriend secret. Tropey? Yes. Absolutely adorable? Double yes.
I didn’t expect to enjoy this movie that much. Sure, I thought it was going to be enjoyable, but I just watched it to have something to do on a Wednesday night when I didn’t have school the next morning. However, I found myself in a nice, peaceful world where I didn’t have to worry about my problems, instead worrying about the familiar plot of a teen rom-com and all the ups and downs that come with a fake relationship where real feelings get involved. My actual problems disappeared for a little while, and it was just me, my mom, and Lara Jean Covey. It was great.
So, in short, if you’re looking for a cinematic masterpiece, this isn’t your movie, and that’s alright. But if you want an innocent good time that will make you believe in love again, check out Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. And I guarantee you, you’ll be smiling like a child by the end.
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