Lena Welch ‘20
Teen Romance Editor
New Media Editor Emeritus
Well, I had just applied a facemask and turned on my electric blanket when new Editor-in-Chief Christina “Big Tuna” Luk sent me a text. “The Law Weekly needs a P.S. I Still Love You (PSISLY) review. Stat!” Don’t you worry, readers, I have been training all of my life for this. What are my qualifications? I’ve already watched PSISLY three times, including during a 7 a.m. viewing party I threw Wednesday, and I’ve seen To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (TATBILB) approximately thirty times. I’ve also seen every Noah Centineo Netflix movie and every Jordan Fisher live TV musical, and I had a real-life crush on Ross Butler when he was in high school because he was friends with my sister and would sometimes come over to go swimming in our pool. So, it’s Lena Welch, reporting for duty!
Let’s begin with Jordan Fisher because the biggest tragedy of the whole film is that my boy is behind a piano for 2:47, and he didn’t sing! Y’all, I know a version exists where he’s singing. Release the Snyder cut! He has the voice of an angel.[1] Also, word on the street (a.k.a. BuzzFeed) is that he improvised this whole piano piece.[2] The sound guys were probably annoyed, but the viewers were probably smitten with John Ambrose.
Although I doubt you’re reading this if you haven’t seen TATBILB, let me quickly get you up to speed. The story, which is based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Jenny Han, centers on Lara Jean Covey. She is a voracious reader of romance novels and has never had a boyfriend. She has, however, written five love letters. After older sister Margot breaks up with her boyfriend Josh and goes to college, younger sister Kitty sends the letters in the hope of finding LJ a boyfriend. Enter Peter Kavinsky. Peter is one of the recipients of Lara Jean’s letters… as is Josh. Drama! Peter and LJ decide to fake date to convince Josh that Lara Jean doesn’t still like him and to make Peter’s ex Gen jealous. Well, it’s a romance movie for teens, so it’s not much of a spoiler to say that Lara Jean and Peter fall in love for real—as did the viewers (looking at you, Noah).
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, PSISLY. The story picks up with Lara Jean preparing for her first date. The new couple shares in a wonderful night, full of puppy love. But, it turns out another one of LJ’s letters was delivered—to John Ambrose McClaren. John Ambrose appears to have felt the same way during Model UN in sixth grade. Can Lara Jean navigate the challenges of being a girlfriend for the first time while reconnecting with John Ambrose as they volunteer at the retirement home? After watching this movie, I’d have to say no. She did not do a good job.
The beginning is cloying. Too sweet. It leaves you craving conflict. Then, it delivers the conflict. It delivers the conflict hard for about an hour. With twenty-five minutes to go, you really don’t know what’s going to happen to Lara Jean, Peter Kavinsky, and John Ambrose. It doesn’t seem possible to reach a resolution, but, boy, does it give you exactly what you want. Part of the problem with the movie is that it knows exactly what you want and refuses to give it until the very end. It’s actually quite upsetting for those of us invested in the love story.
While the second movie does not quite capture the irresistible qualities of the first (and I mean irresistible—I watched that darn movie four times in the first day I saw it),[3] it still has some really high points. Peter looks awesome in the pullover for his first date and the final scene, possibly the biggest high point for me personally. John Corbett is super charming again as Dr. Covey, who is also struggling in the beginning stages of a romance. We meet Stormy, a resident of the retirement home and former showgirl of the sky. And we get to experience Valentine’s Day at Adler. Which seems intense.[4] I didn’t notice anything remotely resembling this Friday at UVA Law, which is, for all intents and purposes, a high school.
Unfortunately, we also experienced a few really awkward moments in this movie. While the Lara Jean sad lip-syncing is an unmistakable low point, the awkwardness of the conversation in Peter’s car and at the treehouse reunion also took me out of the movie a bit. In Peter’s car, it seems like they were going for #ConsentContent, which I really support (and I hope this hashtag takes off because apparently no one else has thought of it before, and it’s genius), but it beats around the bush too much to be an effective learning moment. Although the treehouse scene seemed somewhat realistic in how uncomfortable that situation would be, I also needed a hug after it.
If you can make it through those moments, the wild ride at the end is even more satisfying. There’s lacrosse, there’s heartbreak, there’s friendship bracelets, there’s a makeover, there’s snow. What else do you really need in a film? Plus, there are two kisses exactly two minutes apart to conclude the movie, so you know they were really interested in giving the people what they want.
All in all, I’m not angry this movie exists, which I think is the real measurement for sequels. PSISLY had to follow a surprise hit. It also had to once again handle a protagonist whose main characteristic is that she overthinks things, make a guy who viewers believe to be perfect seem less, and set up another love triangle without copying the previous one, all while leaving us liking both boys. It’s hard to replicate the magic of a movie like TATBILB, and while PSISLY doesn’t quite get there, it is a pleasant addition to what we all hope will be a trilogy. It doesn’t stand up to re-watches as well as the first, but PSISLY is definitely worth checking out. Also, if you haven’t yet watched TATBILB, please do yourself a favor. And do me a favor by inviting me over to watch with you. Thx.
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lw8vd@virginia.edu
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsRi-Aj9fQs.
[2] https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/to-all-the-boys-2-jordan-fisher-improv-piano-moment
[3] https://twitter.com/lenawelch/status/1033737645459943424?s=20
[4] Lara Jean bakes a turnover for Peter, which I support as a move. But I’m supposed to believe Lara Jean, who in TATBILB didn’t know to make a tray bake for Kitty’s bake sale and got flour all over her face, is a baker now? I don’t think so. I’m a baker, and I almost never get flour on my face. On my clothes, sure! But my face? Almost never.