PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION

People We Meet on Vacation taps into a more classic Hollywood romantic comedy story of love and friendship, delivering both big laughs and romantic moments that will have audiences swooning, but it is the great chemistry between Emily Bader and Tom Blyth that makes it an undeniably enjoyable romantic comedy.

When audiences think of vacation, summer comes to mind, which is the focus of the latest Netflix romantic comedy People We Meet on Vacation based on the best selling novel by Emily Henry. With this notion, this summer based romantic comedy being released in cold January is a little confusing, but, it actually turns out to be the perfect escape for a cold winter as the warm and exotic locations of Poppy and Alex’s vacation and the infectious romance between the film’s lead stars Emily Bader and Tom Blyth lights up the screen. Even though it is not without its shortcomings as the film’s screenplay fumbles slightly as the story enters the final act with a change in the narrative structure, with lots of fun loving laughter and swoon worthy romantic moments, People We Meet on Vacation is the perfect cure for the winter blues for any hopeless romantic looking for a light hearted movie night.

In a recent interview for this film, Henry disclosed her top five romantic comedies, naming some of the genre's classics like You’ve Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, The Holiday, Notting Hill, and When Harry Met Sally. And none of these choices should be a surprise as you can see elements of each in People We Meet on Vacation. From the structuring of chronicling Poppy and Alex’s relationship over the course of a decade and the gender swapping of the personalities of Harry and Sally in the leads of Poppy and Alex, the vacation notion of The Holiday, or the realizations of love from You’ve Got Mail and Notting Hill, the romantic comedy formula is alive and well in this film. From the hilarious meet cute that is almost directly out of When Harry Met Sally, the passion first tapped into in the film’s big dance moment, or the complications arising in Alex and Poppy’s friendship with them seeing other people, each of these classic romantic comedy elements leads to either laugh out loud moments or tender moments hinting at the romance brewing unknowingly to Alex and Poppy just below the surface of their friendship, the film has everything fans of the romantic comedy genre could want from it. From a more critical perspective, People We Meet on Vacation may feel too repetitive of previous romantic comedies, but there is no question that fans of the genre and of Henry’s novel are going to have a great time watching the film.

Helping to build the relationship between Poppy and Alex, the screenplay’s structuring of having them reflecting on their trips together over the past decade as they interact for the first time in two years after not speaking to each other does lots of the storytelling’s heavy lifting. It mirrors the structuring of Henry’s novel, though some of the travel locations have been changed, allowing the romantic tension between Alex and Poppy to build and raising the question for viewers: what happened to this beautiful friendship that caused these two individuals to shut each other out for two years? It’s a strong narrative structure that carries the film through its first two acts, getting viewers to the point in the story where Poppy and Alex are able to be honest with themselves about how they truly feel about each other. But as the film enters its final act and this structuring has naturally run its course as there are no more vacations to flashback to, the screenplay encounters some pacing issues as it has to quickly reinvent itself and the film’s almost two hour runtime begins to show itself. It’s not a detriment to the film as a whole, as the ending finds the romantic comedy magic to close out Alex and Poppy’s relationship on, but it renders the film a good romantic comedy rather than a great one.

Though, it is the pairing of Bader and Blyth that gives the film its spark. Bader is delightful as Poppy, finding an energetic and quirky presence that gives freedom to this young woman who is spontaneous, adventurous and ready to embrace life to the fullest. It's a great contrast to Blyth who finds comfort in Alex’s structure and predictability, finding great comedic moments as Alex is forced out of his comfort zone with the trips he and Poppy take each summer. With this difference, Bader and Blyth are naturally able to break down their character’s walls and find that deeper connection between their characters and as actors, finding a longingness that leaves them both with the realization that the person they were looking to spend the rest of their lives with was right there in front of them the entire time. It’s not a hot and fiery passion that Bader and Blyth create, but a kindred old soul chemistry that confirms that Alex and Poppy are soulmates which creates an undeniable beauty to their characters’ relationship that brings this romance to life.

Vacations naturally set the scene for romance with the restraints of jobs and regular day to day activities long forgotten and replaced with exotic locations and companionship, giving People We Meet on Vacation the right fuel for an entertaining romantic comedy experience. Brought to life by the beautiful pairing of Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, who with their undeniable chemistry capture the fun loving and deep care between their characters, not even the film’s long runtime and pacing issues can prevent People We Meet on Vacation from being anything other than a delightful, hilarious and beautiful romantic comedy from start to finish.