Both the original book and plot premise of this movie promise this to be a teenage romantic drama with a twinge of sadness. Based on the book of the same name by Jennifer Niven, this screen adaptation is very much in sync with the central story still it doesn’t leave its mark unlike its source material.
It tells the story of two teenage classmates- Theodore Finch and Violet Markey who are more or less surviving their unhappy circumstances in a nondescript Indiana town. Each one of them is facing their own demons from the past; in case of Violate, it is the untimely accidental death of her sister and for Theodore, these demons come in the form of childhood abuse at the hands of his father. They meet by chance when Violet visits the site of the car crash on what would have been her sister’s nineteenth birthday where Theodore saves her from toppling over the ledge. This doesn’t result into any instant camaraderie but he has already made up his mind to nudge her out of the shell.
A school project to explore Indiana together presents that opportunity when Finch nominates Violet as a partner. Violet puts forth her own conditions, the prominent one being never to travel by car and then agrees to join the partnership rather reluctantly. From then on, viewers see various attractions of Indiana like the miniature roller coaster with our leading pair along with their blossoming friendship. Finch successfully manages to push Violet to put pen to a paper which she abandoned after her sister’s death. Without much pleasure, she even joins him in long drive just to get over with the project.
We can all guess how the story progresses as our troubled teenagers find solace in each other and love finds its roots in their hearts. In the movie, however we only see from Violet’s point of view, whereas there is hardly any character development of Finch. Unlike the book, viewers are baffled when his behaviour becomes more and more erratic, branding him as a freak by his classmates because the screenplay doesn’t do justice in portraying Theodore’s background.
Why Theodore does what he does and what pushes him to the brink could be two lingering questions in viewers mind once the curtain falls, since these are not answered adequately in the screen adaptation. What we manage to get is from bits and pieces of conversations between Theodore and his sister about abusive, cruel behaviour of their father. We hardly see his mother and the sister pops in now and then without establishing any links to the ongoing drama.
The end comes sudden and without warning. To the readers, it’s not unexpected, still the cinematic treatment makes it shocking enough. The direction and screenplay leaves much to be desired. In acting department, Elle Fanning manages to leave her mark as the moody, grieving Violet making all efforts for turning a new leaf by the time movie finishes.
Recommended only to those who have neither read the original book nor looking for a serious romantic saga. Suitable for one time watch only.