People We Meet On Vacation’s 10 Biggest Book Changes

Adapting books for the screen is always a challenge, and Netflix’s version of People We Meet On Vacation shows that even a naturally charming story like Emily Henry’s novel needs some adjustments to work well as a movie. Adapting stories isn’t new – it’s been happening as long as stories have existed – but it’s becoming increasingly popular with the rise of streaming services.

I absolutely loved Henry’s novel when it came out in 2021 – it was such a clever mix of romance, humor, and really thoughtful writing. When Netflix announced they were making a movie, I knew things would have to shift a bit. It’s just that what makes a romantic comedy work in a book isn’t always the same as what works on screen, and getting it right for film takes a different approach.

I just finished watching the movie based on People We Meet On Vacation, and it really captures the heart of the book! It’s all about Alex and Poppy, two friends who have this amazing tradition of taking big trips together. As their lives pull them in different directions, you see how their friendship evolves and changes in ways you don’t expect. It’s a beautiful story about their connection.

As a huge fan of both the book and the Netflix movie, People We Meet On Vacation, I’ve noticed they’re different in really interesting ways. The book gets to explore the characters’ inner lives so much more deeply – you just get more time with their thoughts and feelings. But the movie? It’s visually stunning! It has this energy that the book tries to create with descriptions, but the movie just shows you. Both versions are really well done, but they definitely offer different experiences.

10. The Timeline Of Alex & Poppy’s Friendship

In Henry’s novel and its film adaptation, Poppy and Alex first connect during freshman orientation at the University of Chicago. Though they don’t actually speak until the end of their first year, they are aware of each other throughout it. Both versions feature a road trip back to Linfield, Ohio, reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally, but the movie changes the timing of events.

The book shows Alex and Poppy bonding over a year, starting with a drive back to Ohio, before they go on their first trip together. The Netflix movie changes this by having them meet as students at Boston College and then taking that initial drive. The movie also includes a motel scene where Alex and Poppy get to know each other, which wasn’t in the book.

9. Poppy’s Invitation To Alex’s Brother’s Wedding

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In Henry’s novel adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation, the path for Alex and Poppy to reunite at the wedding is a little more intricate. Unlike the original story, Poppy doesn’t receive an invitation to the wedding, and David doesn’t even ask if she’ll be there.

Poppy reconnects with Alex after a long period of no contact, offering to bring him on a work trip in an attempt to rekindle their friendship. Alex suggests she attend his brother’s wedding in Palm Springs instead, and Poppy agrees, even though she has to make up some stories to explain her presence.

8. Alex & Poppy’s Family Structures

Henry’s book gives us a much fuller picture of what Alex and Poppy’s lives are like beyond their friendship. The movie shares that Alex’s mother died when he was young, and he was raised by his father and brother, but the novel presents a different situation. We also see a noticeable difference in the size of Poppy’s family – it’s much larger in the book than in the film.

In People We Meet On Vacation, we discover Alex has three younger brothers, with David being the youngest. The story highlights the added pressure Alex feels due to his family. The novel also features more of Poppy’s parents (played by Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon) and her two younger brothers, Prince and Parker, characters who didn’t make it into the film adaptation.

7. The Locations Of Alex & Poppy’s (Fewer) Trips

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The movie adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation features slightly different travel destinations compared to the book. While the novel details nine summer trips Alex and Poppy took before their Palm Springs getaway, it focuses particularly on their adventures in places like Vancouver Island, Colorado, Tuscany, and Croatia.

The movie adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation features fewer trips for Alex and Poppy. They visit Squamish, New Orleans, and Tuscany, with a final trip to Barcelona. While these changes don’t negatively impact the story, they do alter the order in which events unfold.

6. Alex’s Characterization Isn’t As Deep

A major change in the adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation is that the character of Alex is shown much less, leading to some confusing actions. The movie doesn’t fully explore Alex’s backstory – specifically, the death of his mother at a young age – and as a result, he doesn’t seem as affected by this loss as he is in the book.

Alex’s sadness and strained relationship with his father are central to understanding his personality, particularly because he only truly relaxes when he’s with Poppy while on vacation. The film’s frequent changes in focus sometimes make it hard to follow Alex’s motivations, as he struggles to let go and have fun. Exploring his problems more directly would have made his character clearer.

5. Poppy’s Deception Surrounding Seeing Alex Again

As I understand it in the story, Henry starts creating this whole elaborate cover story around Poppy’s trip to Palm Springs. Instead of going to the resort Swapna, her boss, arranged – this place called R&R – Poppy actually uses her own vacation days and secretly rents an Airbnb just to spend time with Alex. But she also ends up lying to Alex, which creates a ton of messy drama she has to sort through before they can even begin to deal with their actual problems.

Okay, so in this movie, they made a couple of changes. The wedding’s now set in Barcelona, which is cool, but they actually dropped the whole story about Poppy pretending to go on a work trip. Instead, she just straight-up tells Alex she’s already going to be in Barcelona, making it easy to swing by the wedding. Honestly, it doesn’t feel as impactful as it could have, and it almost feels unnecessary, you know?

4. Poppy Doesn’t Quit Her Job Immediately

The book People We Meet On Vacation ends with Poppy leaving her job because she’s feeling lost, and then traveling to Linfield to decide what she wants to do with her life, alongside Alex. Although some time has passed since Alex and Poppy reconnected and then parted ways in Barcelona, they quickly find their way back to each other.

In the novel, Henry builds the conflict gradually. Instead of immediately leaving her job, Poppy returns to New York after a difficult confrontation with Alex, hoping to figure things out. The story follows Poppy as she goes to therapy and works on herself before finally deciding to quit her job and pursue a relationship with Alex.

3. Sarah & Poppy’s Eventual Confrontation

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Sarah Torval, played by Sarah Catherine Hook, starts out as Alex’s somewhat unsteady girlfriend. However, her character proves to be much more complex, especially when she finally faces off against Poppy.

Throughout the film, Sarah is shown working at her family’s real estate business in Linfield, and Alex hints she’ll eventually take over the company before they get engaged. Later, when Poppy unexpectedly sees Sarah working as a flight attendant at the airport, she realizes how much Sarah has grown and finally understands that Sarah wasn’t the reason for her breakup with Alex.

In the story, Sarah teaches at Linfield High School. After reconnecting with a former bully, she feels the need to make amends. Sarah encourages Poppy to pursue a relationship with Alex, ultimately leading to a touching conclusion for the characters in People We Meet On Vacation.

2. Alex’s Relationship With Sarah Ends Differently

The movie version of Sarah is distinct from the character in the book, People We Meet On Vacation, and this impacts her relationship with Alex. In the film, Alex proposes to Sarah in Tuscany shortly after Poppy almost kisses him. This proposal ultimately leads to a two-year rift between them, triggered by Poppy confronting him about his behavior.

Poppy learns that Alex had intended to propose to Sarah, but he never went through with it. He eventually explains to Poppy that he ended things with Sarah before proposing because he’d developed feelings for Poppy instead.

1. Poppy & Alex Don’t Have A Cinematic Reunion

The movie’s climactic scene in People We Meet On Vacation feels like a classic romantic comedy moment, but it differs significantly from the book’s ending. Instead of how it ends in the novel, the film shows Poppy impulsively flying to Linfield after returning to New York and leaving her job, leading to a fast-paced and charming chase with Alex – complete with him wearing noise-cancelling headphones – through their hometown.

Looking back on everything Poppy went through in the book, it’s like she really needed to process it all before going back to Linfield to finally talk to Alex. It was a bold move confessing her feelings to him right there in front of his coworkers, but he initially rejected her. Thankfully, he quickly realized his mistake and went after her to make things right. Honestly, the way People We Meet On Vacation ended could have gone in a completely different direction!

2026-01-13 14:51