Since its publication in 2015, Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places has been in talks for a screen adaptation. At last, in February 2020, the movie hit Netflix’s catalog. Starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, directed by Brett Haley, and co-written by Niven herself, the film stays reasonably close to the book’s story.
Violet’s sister has recently died in a car accident for which she feels responsible, while Finch is dealing with demons of his own. The pair meet, team up on a school project, and as they get to know each other, they realize they’re helping each other. Though the movie is aesthetically pleasing, it misses a few important details from the book.
Where Violet And Finch Meet
The opening scene immediately alerted book fans that this story would be slightly different from the book. From the get-go, it makes Violet seem like the main character, while in the book, both characters are equally important.
In the book, Violet and Finch meet at the top of the bell tower at their school. They’re both there for the same reason, while in the film, it appears that Finch is saving Violet from attempting suicide. This also makes the opening scene –and the setup for the rest of the movie –appear a bit sexist.
Finch Doesn’t Have Any Friends
Finch, portrayed by Justice Smith of Detective Pikachu, is presented as the boy who swoops in to save Violet at the last minute. In the book, he’s struggling just as much as she is at that moment.
When Finch disappears for the first time, Violet goes to his friends, who say that it’s normal for him – which is strange, especially when they don’t seem surprised that he commits suicide in the end. In the book, he doesn’t have any friends to worry about him, and his loneliness is a huge contributing factor to the behavior that stems from his unstable mental health.
Violet And Her Sister Started A Magazine
The book is told in first-person from both Violet and Finch’s perspectives. This gives readers a much greater insight into how they’re both dealing with their demons. Violet has a passion for writing, but she can’t bear to write after Eleanor’s death.
With the recent death of Violet’s sister, it’s all she can think about. She also blames herself for the accident since she was in the car with her. The book is full of memories of Eleanor, so readers feel like they know her. The two sisters started a magazine called Germ, which Jennifer Niven actually launched in real life after the book’s publication.
Finch And Violet’s First Kiss
In the movie, Violet and Finch have just spent the day working on their project, but it looks more like a cute first date. They’re visiting all the best places in Indiana, including a rollercoaster in the middle of nowhere. This is also the first time since Eleanor’s death that Violet has gotten into a car.
Finch drives slowly at first and keeps making sure she’s okay. On their way home, he pulls over, gets out, and walks over to her side of the car, then kisses her. It seems a bit random, whereas, in the book, Finch writes on the “Before I Die” wall that he wants to kiss Violet. He does so later, telling her that he thought he could wait but he couldn’t.
Finch’s Appearance
The book is based heavily on Jennifer Niven’s experiences, which means the characters are based on real people. Finch, of course, means a lot to her. In the book, he is described as having vivid blue eyes, dark black hair, and pale skin.
Justice Smith fits none of these descriptions, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. His appearance doesn’t take away from the story, and his incredible performance is heartfelt and perfectly captures the essence of the character.
Finch Writes A Song For Violet
At the end of the movie, Violet has a conversation with her father about how she visited the spot where Eleanor died. This makes her realize where Finch could be. She travels to the Blue Hole and discovers what has happened before calling the police. Later, she finished the project and finds that he’s also visited some of the places on their list.
In the book, Finch sends her a series of cryptic texts, which, a month later, she learns were sent from the other places on the list. The last scene in the book sees Violet discovering a song Finch had written for her, which includes the iconic line “You make me lovely” – something that Niven and the fans have come to use as a catchphrase, and something that changes the meaning of the story.
Finch’s Parents
Finch’s parents aren’t present at all in the film, apart from a mention here and there. In the book, it’s clear that Finch’s mother works a lot to provide for the family, and his father actually visits at least once a year.
For those who didn’t read the book, his family dynamic might be confusing. The same could be said of the ending, which is left ambiguous in the book, but which the movie makes seem like another teen suicide. The book emphasizes and prioritizes the discussion around mental health, while the movie’s conclusion, unfortunately, treads in the footsteps of 13 Reasons Why.
Violet’s Glasses
Violet is seen wearing glasses for most of the film, but not all of it. Notably, in the final scene, she isn’t wearing them; she can see clearly again, having learned her lessons throughout the movie.
In the book, the glasses belonged to her sister. Perhaps this was intentionally left ambiguous in the film, or maybe it would have been too harrowing to include in what is otherwise an uplifting romance.
Nicknames
Like many teens, Violet and Finch go by nicknames in the book. Finch is, of course, not Finch’s first name – that would be Theodore. He likes to make up personas for himself, like 80s Finch, British Badass Finch, Slacker Finch, and Nerd Finch.
These personas are in line with what the book more clearly labels as bipolar disorder – a clear conversation that the movie would have benefited from. Finch also likes to make up names for Violet. Most often, he calls her Ultraviolet Remarkeyable, because he feels that she is the brightness in his present situation.
Equal Perspectives
The biggest difference from the book to the film is that it leans more heavily on Violet. In the book, both Finch and Violet are given equal opportunity to let the reader know what they’re going through.
Though the book is ambiguous, the story is told in first-person, giving enough insight into the characters’ thought process to infer what they really want. This validates Finch’s struggles, while the movie shoves his story mostly into the second half of the film, where the ending makes less sense than in the book.
