It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

As a film enthusiast who has witnessed countless stories of love, pain, and redemption, I must say that the ending of “It Ends With Us” left me both intrigued and satisfied. Having read the original book, I can appreciate the delicate balance between staying true to Hoover’s narrative while making necessary changes to address long-standing complaints and controversies.


Note: The following article contains discussion of domestic violence.

The ending of the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book, “It Ends With Us“, has a notable change that aims to tone down the most debated aspect of its plotline.

In this movie, Blake Lively plays Lily Bloom, a woman who establishes her own flower shop in Boston. Along the way, she encounters her ideal match, Ryle Kincaid – a neurosurgeon portrayed by Justin Baldoni from “Jane the Virgin” and also serving as the film’s director – whom she falls for.

Lily and Ryle develop feelings for each other, tie the knot, yet a darker aspect of Ryle emerges. Similar to her mother, Lily finds herself entangled in a harmful relationship with a man she is unable to detach from despite his abusive tendencies.

If you haven’t figured out the ending yet, it could be beneficial for you to pause here since significant revelations about the plot unfold from this moment forward, which might spoil the surprise if you continue reading.

It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

The ending of the book and the movie are not that dissimilar, but there is one obvious omission.

In the story, Lily chooses to request a divorce from Ryle following the birth of their daughter, Emerson, however, they come to an agreement about shared custody. In the final scene, Lily hands over the child to Ryle, demonstrating that despite their separation, they maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their little one.

Although she had worries about his aggressive nature, Lily chose to maintain a relationship with Ryle because, as detailed in the book, she observed him caring for his niece.

Lily recognizes that there’s potential for good in Ryle. To her, he isn’t inherently evil, but someone who has made mistakes. Given this perspective, she chooses not to deny his paternal rights, irrespective of how he may have wronged her personally.

To be honest, my hot-headedness can be traced back to an unforgettable moment from my past – an accident that happened when I was just a kid. I found myself holding a gun, and the next thing I knew, I had inadvertently taken my brother’s life. That incident has cast a long shadow over my life ever since.

Ever since then, Ryle has struggled with severe bouts of anger. In particularly volatile situations, it seems like a different entity – separate from the man – takes over, and this condition appears to be treatable as a medical illness.

It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

Since its release in 2016, this part of Hoover’s book has sparked much debate and controversy among readers.

Even if Lily decides to leave Ryle at the end, which is a positive outcome, many readers have questioned Hoover’s decision to redeem him at all through the decision to end the book by confirming that they’re co-parenting their child.

It appears the filmmakers took notice of this dispute and decided to alter the ending significantly.

In the film, we find Ryle in a hospital scene where Lily delivers their baby and requests a divorce. Rather than depicting Lily handing Emerson over to her father as in the original, the remake portrays Lily’s mother looking after the child at a park while Lily reconnects with Atlas (her old flame).

In the final scene of the film “It Ends With Us,” they skillfully sidestep the story’s major issue by choosing not to address it directly. To grasp why this might be troublesome, recall Ryle’s behavior throughout the narrative.

It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

In the course of their partnership, Ryle frequently resorts to physical violence against Lily. Instances include him slapping her after an altercation in the kitchen and shoving her down the stairs during a heated dispute.

As a devoted viewer, I must admit that the most chilling event, albeit premeditated and spine-tinglingly frightening, is the heinous sexual assault experienced by Lily, which ultimately leads her to leave their home. The movie subtly handles this scene, but in the book, it’s a heart-wrenching narrative that leaves no room for empathy towards Ryle, instead stirring up a whirlwind of emotions.

As a devoted reader, I was taken aback by the unexpected twist at the end of the book, leaving numerous fellow enthusiasts equally stunned. The filmmakers opted for a cryptic approach, choosing not to clarify if Ryle played a role in his daughter and Lily’s lives, keeping the question tantalizingly unresolved – neither confirming nor denying it.

As a passionate gamer, I recently got wind of some exciting updates straight from the horse’s mouth – or in this case, Justin Baldoni himself! During an engaging chat with The Wrap, he shed light on a significant alteration in the project we’ve all been eagerly anticipating. He gave us insightful reasons behind this decision, keeping us gamers in the loop and stoked for what’s to come.

In the initial version, there was a scene set in the conclusion, depicting Ryle handing over their child to Lily, followed by a brief exchange between them. He clarified this point.

Based on my own personal experiences and life journey, the text was written in a manner that suggested significant struggles and triumphs over the past two years. However, despite acknowledging their resilience, I found myself still not completely at ease with it.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share some insights about the movie’s conclusion. During an interview, the filmmaker mentioned they contemplated including a small dialogue snippet at the end, hinting that Ryle was undergoing therapy. Yet, Baldoni opted for a more fitting ending for the character: one that implied Ryle had been completely cut off from it.

It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

“He expressed his reluctance to discuss the topic of whether a person like Ryle should share parenting responsibilities, especially considering how much involvement is considered appropriate. He mentioned that the potential workload seemed excessive for him.”

Based on my personal experience and extensive research, I have come to a concerning conclusion: it appears that a significant number of men who have been abusers in past relationships are likely to repeat their abusive behavior. This observation is supported by findings from various studies as well as feedback from our partners. As someone who has worked with victims of domestic violence, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is for us to address this issue and take steps to prevent such behavior from recurring in future relationships. It’s not just about protecting the individuals involved, but also ensuring a safer and healthier society for everyone.

“We felt it wasn’t authentic to create a narrative about a minority character, as this would not align with our goal of staying true to the original purpose of the story.”

Baldoni stated, “Thus, the most fitting conclusion for Ryle would be to gaze upon his wife and child, the life he destroyed by squandering it, and then depart, leaving no trace behind.”

In my opinion, the most satisfying part of transforming the book into a movie was to bid farewell to the character at the end.

It Ends With Us ending makes a smart change to the book

The director’s clarification resolves an age-old issue concerning Hoover’s book and puts to rest a significant debate surrounding the narrative.

Indeed, since Gilbert has neither affirmed nor refuted Ryle being Lily’s father in the novel “It Ends With Us,” various scenarios about the story’s continuation remain plausible.

If this movie scene concludes, there’s a strong possibility that viewers may believe Ryle won’t get to see his daughter anymore. However, the conclusion is ambiguous enough that it could pave the way for a film adaptation of the subsequent book.

After the success of his initial novel, Hoover published a sequel titled “It Starts With Us” in 2022. In this story, Lily navigates her complicated parenting arrangement with Kyle and simultaneously nurtures a relationship with Atlas. At present, there are no plans to turn this book into a movie, but Hoover remains open to the possibility.

No matter how the Hoover-verse unfolds on the silver screen, it’s undeniably beneficial that the film adaptation of It Ends With Us chose to rectify certain issues from the initial narrative. In essence, they aimed to erase those problems as if they had never been part of the story in the first place.

It Ends With Us is now out in cinemas.

Should you find yourself impacted by the topics discussed in this article, organizations such as Refuge () and Women’s Aid () offer additional assistance and resources. For immediate help, you can contact the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247 within the UK or dial 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) in the US, or text “LOVEIS” to 22522 from the United States.

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2024-08-09 14:51

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