As a seasoned cinephile with a penchant for delving deep into the intricacies of characters and narratives, I must confess, the Ellen DeGeneres fixation in “It Ends With Us” left me quite perplexed – much like trying to decipher the secret language spoken by the Penguins of Madagascar.
In simpler terms, the 2016 bestseller “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover includes elements that might seem out of place for a book dealing with a heavy topic like domestic violence. For instance, there’s a character named Ryle (not a typo), frequent mentions of a fictional floral shop, and the main character has an unusual fascination with Ellen DeGeneres. The upcoming movie adaptation by Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively sensibly reduces these elements, but Ellen DeGeneres is still mentioned three times in flashbacks. If you’re not familiar with the book’s background, you might find these references puzzling, but there is a reason behind them, albeit a somewhat obscure one.
In the opening of the story, we discover that Lily Blossom Bloom, portrayed by Lively, was an aspiring florist who found it too awkward to maintain a conventional diary during her teenage years. Instead, she penned down all her thoughts and secrets to Ellen DeGeneres. Throughout the book, these entries are identified with the greeting “Dear Ellen.” Lily often refers to events on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in her letters and becomes frustrated when repeats take the place of new episodes. She offers suggestions for humorous segments and extols the virtues of DeGeneres to a neighboring young man named Atlas, who is temporarily living in a house nearby. When Lily loses her virginity to Atlas, she documents the event in yet another letter to – you guessed it – DeGeneres. The numerous references to DeGeneres in the book can be overwhelming and may test your grasp on reality each time you encounter the phrase “Dear Ellen.”
In the film directed by Baldoni, who also stars as Ryle, the concept of Ellen DeGeneres is mostly overlooked yet subtly incorporated. As a young character named Lily, portrayed by newcomer Isabela Ferrer, prepares for school, we catch a glimpse of a diary entry addressed to “Ellen” and notice a large Finding Nemo poster in her room. More notably, when Lily invites the homeless character Atlas (Alex Neustaedter from Colony) to use her shower, borrow some clothes, and watch popcorn while watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show, these references are scattered throughout, appearing as Easter eggs for fans of Hoover’s book. These subtle nods to DeGeneres are brief and likely intended to delight the readers of the original novel.
If you’re curious about why Lily Blossom Bloom confides her most intimate secrets to an acclaimed celebrity who once lent her voice to a forgetful animated fish, there is no explanation given in either the book or the movie. It appears that she simply has a fondness for her. An unsubstantiated speculation regarding this Ellen obsession could suggest that, as a young woman, Lily frequently witnessed her father Andrew (Kevin McKidd) brutally mistreat her mother Jenny (Amy Morton). Perhaps teenage Lily is merely escaping the harsh reality of her tumultuous upbringing. A popular celebrity known for embodying warmth and humor could have served as a comforting outlet during this difficult period. (Please note that this book was published in 2016, well before allegations of Ellen’s questionable behavior surfaced.)
The novel “It Ends With Us” aspires to serve multiple roles, both on the page and on screen. It aims to be a poignant narrative of a seemingly ideal relationship that takes a grim turn, and a tale that champions female strength. Simultaneously, it invites readers to immerse themselves in the intense romance between Ryle and Lily during their early days together. However, the development of Lily’s character could have been stronger to effectively convey empowerment. Fortunately, unlike some movies where characters like “Dear Ellen” are frequently heard through voice-overs, this novel avoids that repetition.
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2024-08-09 02:54