The major flaw I found in People We Meet On Vacation was that the ending felt super rushed and like there was something big missing there. It felt almost anticlimactic, so then I decided to dive into the book to see if I would feel any different about Poppy and Alex’s endgame if I had more context of what happened in the years between Barcelona and Linfield. It’s safe to say that the book gave me a whole new perspective on these two characters, who I thought I knew, but that is not to say that I enjoyed the book more than I did the film, because frankly, the book reinforced my fondness for the movie a little more, despite feeling like the movie was ultimately a little superficial. The thing is, Alex and Poppy are well-established characters in the book, and there is a lot of backstory that gets elaborated on, truly emphasizing their unusual bond; however, their characters are quite different in the movie, almost like an alternate universe version of them, and this is what makes the film read entirely different from the book. The book and film follow the same back and forth between present day and past trips that are meant to help us understand this dynamic, but here’s where I feel the biggest difference comes in. So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into the major differences between People We Meet On Vacation, the book, and the film.
Spoiler Alert
Poppy Is Not Confident
In typical fashion, a rom-com of this type is presented from the perspective of the lead woman. To be fair, the book’s also written by a woman (Emily Henry), and it would’ve been a disservice if there was a change there. However, the one major alteration in the film and the book that changed my perspective of Poppy is that she’s way more confident and established in the film. In the book, there’s a lot of doubt in Poppy’s mind. We read through many monologues about how she pines after Alex, longs for him, but doesn’t want to change anything between them. However, in the film, we never truly see Poppy pining. She’s a confident woman who doesn’t seem to be lost or floundering in any way. This is why, when Alex reacts the way he does to Poppy, saying she never knows what she wants, it doesn’t really make sense. It looks to me like Poppy’s always known exactly what she wants. She’s also achieved everything she wanted, so now she’s free to do what she likes with her life; that’s the part that scares her.
In the film, Alex’s reaction feels sudden and unwarranted. Just because she’s never told him she has feelings for him doesn’t mean she’s lost. One could argue he’s guilty of the same. The book establishes Poppy as a little bit lost, and she does worry a lot more about her job than she does in the film. I, for one, never thought she was scared about losing it or that she was particularly stressed about it. But in the book, Poppy is also a blogger, and we see a lot more of Alex and Poppy doing actual work for her job rather than just chilling in scenic places. I’m sure this would’ve taken up a lot of time in the film, but at least a glimpse of it might’ve made all the difference. I didn’t for a second feel like Poppy was struggling in any way, and that’s what made the whole Alex side of things feel really shallow.
Alex’s Work Life
I think the book does a much better job of giving us Alex as a real person. In the film, he almost feels like a floating piece in Poppy’s world. The history makes him grounded. It makes us realize this is a real man, not just a figment of Poppy’s imagination. In the film, it almost feels like Alex can be around any second Poppy needs him, but that it doesn’t affect him at all. Whereas in the book, Alex’s work is really important, and it’s a bigger shock that he’s willing to leave everything behind just for Poppy. It doesn’t feel as dramatic in the film, which is why, when Alex suddenly leaves Poppy at the wedding, without letting her think for a second, it just didn’t make much sense, you know?
Missing Characters
One big difference between the book and the film is Rachel’s involvement in Poppy’s life. In the film, she shows up for one spin class and disappears forever. In the book, she continues to make appearances throughout, and is also a major part of the conflict between Alex and Poppy. “Did Rachel tell you to lie to me?” is nowhere to be heard in the film, because it doesn’t feel like Alex and Poppy even know that the other has more friends and a life outside of them. To be honest, in the film, I thought Rachel was a random person, because Poppy has the extroverted tendency of giving away all her information to strangers. I felt that way about this one conversation, but then found out who she really is from the book. On the other hand, Poppy and Alex have much bigger families than the film lets on. Well, I guess a lot of characters had to be cut, because it doesn’t make sense in a film for so many background characters to be established in the way a book needs them. However, it makes a major difference to how we view Alex as a person.
The book sees Alex as a family man who loves his siblings dearly but also feels responsible for them because their dad has been checked out since their mom died. To be honest, I don’t think this part of the book was necessary at all. There are many other ways Alex and Poppy are different from each other, and just being a big brother vs. little sister is different enough to give us a sense that they’re on opposite sides of whatever this thing is. But this whole family dynamic is a segue into another major change that the film made for good reason.
No Therapy
The film does not steer into the “progressive” arc that the book does at all, and this is a decision that I wholeheartedly agree with, because it feels a little bit forced in the book. Yes, we do need therapy talk in media, but this is a lighthearted rom-com, and not every film has to push ideas onto its audience. In this case, the film feels more authentic and organic than the book, which seems to bring it up almost as a joke. Not to say that it’s unserious or anything, but it’s somewhat of an inside joke between the two main characters, and I just didn’t see why it was needed.
No Vasectomy
Okay, I can’t go without talking about the elephant in the room, i.e., the vasectomy that Alex goes through after the pregnancy scare Poppy has. Okay, this one thing in the book made zero sense to me, despite everything Alex has been through as a character with the whole “mum died at childbirth” situation. You can’t just arrive at this conclusion on a whim, even if it’s reversible. It’s just way too random. I really appreciate that the movie doesn’t go into this at all, and it’s why I forgive it for being superficial. Sure, it’s reversible, but it’s lowkey just unnecessary.
No Proposal
In the film, Alex proposes to Sarah during the Tuscany vacation as an impulse decision (I guess this is what the vasectomy turned into). Alex feels betrayed by his feelings for Poppy, and he thinks he’s better off marrying Sarah, whom he actually loves. But the film changes Sarah’s chance encounter with Poppy at the airport because she’s now an air hostess, which is the major change Poppy brought into her life after leaving Alex alone for two years. It’s definitely a more fitting response from Sarah, who in the book is an on-and-off fling for Alex and still works at the same school as him at the end. Also, I was unbelievably annoyed by Trey in the film, but I don’t think I cared about him at all in the books. But the big difference is that Poppy learns from David that Alex was going to propose, whereas in the film, he proposes to Sarah when Poppy’s around. Big difference, because in the book it makes Alex look a little more pathetic, getting a vasectomy and then also impulsively buying a ring, both without really thinking about Sarah.
Location changes
I don’t think this makes that much of a difference, but the film changes Sweden to Norway; I’m not sure why, and Poppy’s fever day is a quick complication rather than a whole chapter of yearning and confusion. I like that they really felt more like friends for the longest time in the film. They do not go on a bachelor’s to Palm Springs; they go straight to Barcelona for the wedding, and this is where Poppy lies about being there for work. Also, Alex learns about it before they have sex, not after. He believes the whole bachelor trip is sponsored by R+R, and that’s also a big lie that Poppy tells Alex, which adds to his frustration later on in the books.
What did you think of People We Meet On Vacation? Did you agree with the differences between the film and the book? Let us know in the comments.
