Though this is two years late (the movie came out in 2016), I watched the movie and read the book for the 2nd time and nothing changed. I’m still touched by how the two characters changed each other for the better and I’m not sure about you, I teared a little at the end of both the movie and book. Sam Claflin and Emilia Clark brought Will Traynor and Louisa Clark to life and this is what makes the movie better than expected.

So let me share my thoughts with you!

What is the movie and book about?

Louisa Clark, an ordinary hilarious and chatty young lady who lives a simple life. She took up a badly needed job, taking care of Will Traynor who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Before his accident, Will led an adventurous life – travelling the world, extreme sports and now, he can’t do these anymore. When they first met, she was his caregiver, he was someone she can’t decipher. As they spend more time together, she realizes she has no long term goal and is confined in the little town they call home. He is determined to widen her horizons and push her to live. She sets a goal of making Will happy and brings him out of the four walls he’s been refusing to leave and gains confidence and determination along the way.

Setting and Characters

In the novel, Will and Lou are from a small unnamed English tourist town. I didn’t see any tourists roaming around the castle in the movie but the town and castle was definitely how I thought it would be.

Louisa Clark

Lou’s outfits in the movie are the cutest! I’m not sure whether everyone else agrees but I’m totally loving her sense of fashion. I’m not confident enough to dress like Lou and walk out of my apartment but I definitely approve of her fashion sense. And no Will, those clothing ain’t from her grandma’s closet. Emilia Clarke did an amazing job portraying Lou – her expressions, emotions, concerns, I could feel it when I watch how she cares for Will. And those eyebrows are something.

“There’s not much that can’t be fixed by a decent cup of tea”

Will Traynor

Yup, Sam Claflin, you moody, bossy arse. I love the chemistry he had with Khaleesi Emilia Clarke. He portrayed the character differently throughout the movie – unfriendly, moody and hating the world in the beginning and over time, he shows he cares for Lou whilst being witty and sarcastic with her.

“Well, you’re a lucky man. She certainly gives a good bed bath.”

As for the other characters, Matthew Lewis as Patrick aka Running Man, now I really didn’t see that coming. Though at the same time, it didn’t really matter, he’s a selfish dickhead. But Charles Dance as Stephen Traynor.. that’s a major problem. How can you expect a Lannister and a Taergaryen to be in the same room and both stepping out alive? Thank goodness this isn’t Game of Thrones.

Favorite parts of the novel you can find in the movie

1. The first time Lou snapped at Will

After Will’s ex girlfriend and best friend visited him, he smashed all the photo frames containing memories of their friendship. Lou decided to fix the frames hoping he’ll appreciate it but no surprise, he wasn’t thankful at all. This was her breaking point – she snaps and told him that he’s got to put up with her as she was hired but his mother and not him. You go, girl! Don’t let the bully get his way!

2. Stripey bumblebee tights

How cute was that scene when she told him about her beloved tights that she outgrew! And he looked at her like she was insane. I could feel Lou’s joy and surprised when Will presented her with her birthday gift – the tights, of course. She was literally jumping with joy and you could see it in her eyes that she appreciated that gift more than what Patrick gave her – a necklace with his name on it lol. This shows how much Will and Lou know each other and what makes them happy. Being in a relationship also doesn’t mean that you know your partner well. Gotta bear that in mind.

In the movie, Will keeps it a secret when Lou asks him how he managed to find the tights. However, in the book, Will shared that he had someone made it for her. That was really touching.

3. Will trying to make Lou realize there is “a whole world out there”

“You’re twenty-six years old, Clark. You should be out there, claiming the world as your own, getting in trouble in bars, showing off your strange wardrobe to dodgy men.”

“I cannot for the life of me see how you can be content to live this tiny life. This life that will take place almost entirely within a five-mile radius and contain nobody who will ever surprise you or push you or show you things that will leave your head spinning and unable to sleep at night.”

4. Lou and Will going to different places

Lou and her red dress to attend a concert with Will.

“If you’re going to dress like that you need to wear it with confidence. You need to fill it mentally as well as physically.”

“Only you, Will Traynor, could tell a woman how to wear a bloody dress.”

When I came to this part in the book, where Lou and Will attended Alicia and Rupert’s wedding together, I can’t get the movie scene out of my head. It was perfect. You could see how hard it was for Will to see his ex girlfriend getting married to his best friend, it was written on his face but he tried his hardest to keep it in. Later in the night, Lou taking charge and demanding he gave her a whirl on the dance floor shows how comfortable she is with him.

“I would have been serving drinks over there. One of the invisibles.”

Lou and Will’s first and final trip abroad was definitely heart breaking. We all know where that’s headed but at least Will left Lou with good memories and gave her a taste of what’s out there waiting for her to explore.

There are parts of the novel that weren’t in the movie

1. Chat rooms

Lou called herself Busy Bee to get ideas on where to bring Will. Did you know Will has a sister, in the book at least. Yea, figured you wouldn’t if you didn’t read the book.

2. Sexual assault

In the book, Lou confessed to Will that she was sexually assaulted when she was younger. This, I felt really showed us who Lousia Clark really is. She used to dressed like the other girls in town – jeans, T shirts, long hair flicked over the shoulder and wearing make up.

“I had ideas. Things I wanted to do.” – 20 year old Louisa

Louisa had a goal, she had objectives, she wanted to see the world, she wanted to travel. What happened after led her to become who she had become. She started wearing colors that don’t match, have her hair tied up in two knots after this incident and she didn’t leave her town because she felt safe there. This is such a powerful scene but I completely understand why they cut it out of the movie.

3. Ink on their bods

Another thing that Will did in the book and not in the movie was pushing Lou to get what she wanted but never did it because everyone around her hates it. Getting a tattoo. She came out of the tattoo parlor with a black and yellow bee (just because) on her hip and he had “Best before: 19 March 2007”. This, to me, would have been a good scene in the movie had they included it because it just shows how Lou is changing. She’s one that cares a little too much about what people around her would say – her dad and Patrick hates tattoos but this time, she had the courage to listen to her heart and do what she wants to do.

Thoughts

The movie is pretty much similar to the book, the script and most scenes (the important ones) are in the movie – not surprised as Jojo Moyes wrote the screenplay. Despite a couple of details being left out, the movie stuck to its original plot and that’s why I felt how I felt when I read the book. I’m really glad that they stuck to the same ending as the book for the movie, this makes the movie more original and it’s definitely not disappointing (heartbreaking but not disappointing).

My last thought is of Lou sitting in a cafe in Paris reading the letter from Will was heartwarming. He left her enough money to follow her dreams. And like when he was with her, he kept pushing her to step out of her comfort zone.

“Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Wear those stripey legs with pride.” 

“You are scored on my heart, Clark. You were from the first day you walked in, with your ridiculous clothes and your bad jokes and your complete inability to ever hide a single thing you felt. You changed my life so much more than this money will ever change yours.”

– Will Traynor

Have you watched the movie and read the book? Which do you like better?

Tags: books, movie