To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Plot Summary: Lara Jean has had five major crushes in her life. She wrote confessional love letters to all of them and kept them in a box hidden in her room. Her younger sister, Kitty, finds the letters and mails them to the boys. Lara Jean has never had a boyfriend and is not ready for the reaction from her former crushes. To avoid talking to one of them who is her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, she starts a fake relationship with another named Patrick, who she kissed once in seventh grade. Patrick had recently broken up with his girlfriend. He agrees to the fake relationship with Lara Jean because he wants to make his ex jealous. Then they could get back together. Over the school year, Lara Jean and Patrick get closer. They go to the school’s ski trip at the beginning of winter break, but through a misunderstanding break up right after it. Lara Jean feels like her life is falling apart when she returns to school in January, but through help from her father and sisters she confronts her real feelings for Patrick. She goes to his lacrosse practice where they admit that their relationship was real, no matter how it had started.

Author Background: Susan Johnson directed the movie version of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. She has worked as a producer and director since 2004 when she worked on the movie Mean Creek. In the 90s she filmed music videos for a wide range of musical genres and artists including EMF, Gloria Estefan, and Sara Evans ("Susan Johnson," 2022).

 Jenny Han wrote the original series as well as being an integral part of the movie script and production. She has written other YA novels such as the Burn for Burn series and The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is being developed into a Prime Video series (Han, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation: The original book was a story whose main character is a sister in a mixed-race Asian-American family. The movie cast Lana Condor as the lead character, Lara Jean. Lana Condor was born in Vietnam then adopted by an American couple (IMDb, n.d.-b). Her little sister, Kitty, is played by Anna Cathcart, who is half Chinese (IMDb, n.d.-a). The casting of other characters is similarly well done. The quality of the story is very good. It shows the dangers and struggles of a high school relationship. It shows how the dynamics of families, friends, and the school can influence people. It shows how people change and the importance of honesty in dealing with other people.

I liked this movie. The individual relationships had a realistic air. I understood Lara Jean’s fear of being in relationships. I also understand her and Patrick’s growing affection for each other as they get to know each other. The problem that I have with movies versus television series involving relationship dynamics is that the typical movie only has between one and two hours to have the story play out. Even if the plot of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is only around half a school year, it only touched on large events. 

Speed-Round Movie Talk or Short Movie Trailer: Lara Jean wrote letters to the five boys she's really liked. Content in her quiet life she never intended to send them, even though they were in envelopes. When they are sent to the boys, Lara Jean has to come up with a plan to rectify the situation.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: To All the Boys I've Loved Before is very frank about teen relationships in a modern context. It addresses sex in romantic relationships. It addresses friendship from many different angles. Deaths in a family context and divorce are touched upon. These relationship dynamics can be heavy topics for teens. However, these issues are real. Most teens will experience a change in one relationship or another while in high school. Seeing Lara Jean confront her struggles and overcome them can help teens reconsider how they will confront their own experiences.

Reason for Inclusion: Dating, breakups, and high school relationships surround teens. This movie shows how a character confronts her relationship issues and how she grows from them.

References

Han, J. (n.d.). About Jenny Han. https://www.jennyhan.com/about. 

IMDb. (n.d.-a). Anna Cathcart. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8264172/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t4.

IMDb. (n.d.-b). Lana Condor. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7093076/?ref_=tt_ov_st.

Johanna Clough. (2021, July 21). Easy journal page ideas for beginners. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EavJsoAkGvI. 

Love and Music. (2019, September 18). Everybody wants to rule the world- Tears for fears (to all the boys I've loved before soundtrack). [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onbNiUerThE.

Movieclips. (2022, May 21). To all the boys I've loved before (2018)- Love letters scene. [YouTube]. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) - Love Letters Scene (1/4) | Movieclips - YouTube .

Netflix: Behind the Streams. (2018, July 26). To all the boys I've lived before/ Official trailer/ Netflix. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555oiY9RWM4. 

Susan Johnson (Filmmaker). (2022, Jully 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Johnson_(filmmaker).