‘It Ends With Us’ is one of the best-selling books and also among the most polarizing. The debate over Colleen Hoover’s book from 2016 and its treatment of domestic abuse is brought back to life by the August 9th release of the film adaptation. The film’s release adds a new angle as viewers investigate potential cast drama.
‘It Ends With Us’ follows the story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a florist, who falls for a charming neurosurgeon named Ryle (Justin Baldoni). As her mother continued to live with her abusive husband, the relationship between her and Ryle soon began to resemble the cycle of violence Lily had grown up with. While also focusing on Lily’s past with her childhood lover Atlas, she learns she might have choices when she meets Atlas again by coincidence.
Why some think there is a conflict between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively:
In addition to co-starring opposite Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni is the film’s director. Lively is listed as a producer, but Baldoni served as executive producer through his production business Wayfarer. In the week preceding the release, there has been a rising question among online inquiries: Why isn’t director and star Justin Baldoni featured with the other cast members? Social media users have analyzed events and cast appearances. According to today.com, “At the New York movie premiere Aug. 6, Lively was photographed with an ensemble, including her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and his ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-star Hugh Jackman. She also posed with “It Ends With Us” co-stars Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate. Baldoni appeared only with his wife, Emily Baldoni, or alone.” Fans have also noticed that Lively and Hoover follow each other, as well as other cast members like Sklener and Slate on Instagram, but not Baldoni. Baldoni has only been shown promoting the movie through solo interviews. He has not participated in any group interviews or the Vanity Fair interview.
Does ‘It Ends With Us’ romanticize abuse?
Despite Baldoni’s absence from the cast, fans are also disturbed by the overall result of the movie. Colleen has stated openly that her mother, who left her violent husband- who was also her biological father- when she was two years old, served as inspiration for the novel. The BookTok favorite “feeds into the very structures of toxic masculinity that it purports to combat” by “romanticizing red flags” and glorifies a “charismatic-but-dangerous man,” according to an op/ed piece published by a non-profit that supports domestic shelters. Baldoni stated, “I want to validate and support anybody and everybody who’s come out against the book because the last thing we need is to romanticize something that is such a real experience for so many people.”
The film encouraged prospective readers not influenced by BookTok to get a copy of ‘It Ends With Us.’ As a result, the novel was denounced by readers as glamorizing domestic violence, misogynistic, and anti-feminist. The novel’s romanticization of the stereotypical dangerous-yet-charming leading guy and its shameless disdain for warning signs off-screen frequently mean the difference between life and death for those in abusive relationships especially harmful.
What was the drama involved in the movie marketing?
Some claim that the film packaging is inconsistent with the subject matter. On the poster, Lily is shown grinning and surrounded by flowers. The movie’s initial cover image was adapted to a more serious tone. Ryle and Lily are pictured standing near each other and embracing. Lily looks to be wearing an indistinct expression, and her face is sharply focused.
In addition, Lively received harsh criticism for her responses to questions from the media about the delicate subjects the film tackles, specifically domestic abuse. A particularly offensive TikTok on the film’s advertising page features Lively enthusiastically encouraging viewers to, “grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.” At the same time, wearing a chainmail top and Dauphinette skirt combination. Hoover appears to support LIvelys tone-deaf messaging as she sits next to her in a purple flowery Tommy Hilfiger dress. “Justin is promoting the movie as it is, which is about DV (domestic violence), it’s a very heavy topic, it’s what the book focuses on,” Meredith Mansfield says in a viral TikTok video, “Whereas Blake and everybody else is promoting it like a rom-com and that’s rubbing a lot of people the wrong way.”
