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The Idea of You

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The Idea of You
Release poster
Directed byMichael Showalter
Screenplay by
Based onThe Idea of You
by Robinne Lee
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJim Frohna
Edited byPeter Teschner
Music bySiddhartha Khosla
Production
companies
  • Amazon MGM Studios
  • Welle Entertainment
  • I'll Have Another
  • Somewhere Pictures
  • Belle Hope Productions
Distributed byAmazon Prime Video
Release dates
  • March 16, 2024 (2024-03-16) (SXSW)
  • May 2, 2024 (2024-05-02) (United States)
Running time
116 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Idea of You is a 2024 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jennifer Westfeldt, based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee. Starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, it chronicles the love affair between a single mother and the lead singer of a popular boy band.

A film adaptation of the novel was announced in late 2018 by the producers Cathy Schulman and Gabrielle Union; no further development was made until in mid-2021 with the involvement of Westfeldt, Hathaway, Showalter, and Galitzine being announced. The film was shot by cinematographer Jim Frohna predominantly in Georgia, United States, during late 2022. Peter Teschner edited the film while Siddhartha Khosla composed the original score. Savan Kotecha composed and wrote the original songs.

The Idea of You premiered at South by Southwest on March 16, 2024, and was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 2, 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Solène Marchand is a divorced art gallery owner living in Los Angeles. As her 40th birthday nears, she plans to go on a solo camping trip while her ex-husband Daniel takes their teen daughter Izzy and her friends to Coachella. When Daniel is called away by work at the last minute, Solène reluctantly agrees to forgo camping and accompany the teens to the festival.

Daniel had arranged for the teens to have a meet-and-greet at the festival with British boy band August Moon. While waiting in the VIP area, Solène enters what she believes is a bathroom, only to discover that it is August Moon member Hayes Campbell's trailer. The pair flirt, although Solène, who is sixteen years older than Hayes, is uncomfortable with their attraction. Later, during August Moon's performance, Hayes seemingly changes the show's setlist, dedicating a song to her.

At Solène's birthday party, she finds herself disillusioned with prospective men her age. Shortly after the festival, Hayes shows up unannounced at Solène's gallery, seemingly interested in purchasing art. After he buys every piece in the gallery, Solène takes him to a friend's warehouse studio, where they discuss life and art.

At Solène's house for lunch, she reveals her insecurities as a result of her ex-husband's affair, and Hayes reveals his desire to be taken seriously as a musician. They kiss, but Solène rebuffs him.

Hayes leaves his watch behind then, finding Solène's phone number on the gallery invoice, texts her to join him in New York City. With Izzy at summer camp, Solène flies to New York and meets him at his hotel where they have sex. Hayes convinces her to travel with him on August Moon's European tour. Solène wishes to keep their relationship private so does not tell Izzy or anyone else.

As August Moon's European tour goes on, Solène continues supporting Hayes, and the pair continues to be intimate in the hotels they stay in. When the band vacations in the south of France, Solène becomes uncomfortable about her age in relation to the other women traveling with them. Other members of the band tell her that Hayes's dedication of a song to her was a tactic they use to impress women, and that Hayes has previously pursued relationships with older women.

Solène, feeling misled and disillusioned about the relationship, abruptly returns to Los Angeles. Daniel, who has heard about Solène's relationship, questions her about it, but she denies that she and Hayes were together.

Soon afterward, paparazzi photos of the relationship surface online, causing Solène to attract large amounts of unwanted attention. When she goes to pick Izzy up at camp, her daughter is furious at having been lied to, but forgives her mother. Solène goes to a recording studio where Hayes is working, and they rekindle their relationship, beginning to date publicly. She and her family delete their social media accounts.

Daniel expresses concern to Solène about the impact of their relationship on Izzy, who is facing challenges at school as a result. Following a trip to New York, Hayes returns and Solène ends the relationship once more. However, Hayes visits her home again, suggesting that they should reconsider resuming their relationship in five years, once Izzy has completed her schooling. During this encounter, Hayes leaves his watch with Solène once again.

Five years later, with Izzy now living in Chicago, Solène sees Hayes performing on The Graham Norton Show, where he mentions plans to visit Los Angeles. He returns to the gallery, where they share a joyous, tearful reunion.

Cast

Production

Development

In December 2018, it was announced that an adaptation of the Robinne Lee novel The Idea of You had been opted by Welle Entertainment with Cathy Schulman and Gabrielle Union producing.[2] Union, who had been friends with Lee since the early 2000s, named the book amongst her ten favorites of all time in 2018.[3][4] Lee, Eric Hayes, Belle Hope Dayne, and Jordana Mollick also serve as producers.[4] In June 2021, it was revealed that Jennifer Westfeldt had adapted the novel and Anne Hathaway was cast in the starring role while also serving as one of the producers.[5]

Casting

In August 2022, Michael Showalter was confirmed as director.[6][7] The following month, Nicholas Galitzine was added to the cast as the lead singer of "the hottest boyband on the planet",[8][9] and in October, Ella Rubin was revealed to be playing Hathaway's daughter and that principal photography had commenced.[10][11] The same month, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld and Jordan Aaron Hall were revealed to have joined the cast as well as Jaiden Anthony, Raymond Cham, Vik White and Dakota Adan as the rest of the band Galitzine fronts.[12][13]

Filming

Filming took place in Georgia in the cities of Atlanta, Savannah, and surrounding areas in October 2022.[14][15][16]

Much of the artwork featured in the film were pieces done by real artists. Anne Hathaway and production designer Amy Williams worked together on sourcing art with Williams stating, "We worked really hard to make the art a focal point and make it authentic".[17]

Music

Main article: The Idea of You (soundtrack)

The film features original songs performed by the fictional band August Moon, which were written by Savan Kotecha, who also served as the executive music producer. Galitzine performed vocals for few of the songs.[18] An album consisting of 11 tracks were released by Arista Records digitally, day-and-date with the film,[19] which would be followed by the physical versions and the deluxe edition of the album featuring four live performances of the band's recordings, releasing the next day.[20] The soundtrack was preceded with three singles: "Dance Before We Walk", "Taste" and "Closer".[19]

Marketing

In December 2023, Amazon Prime Video, which acquired the distribution rights of the film, released an exclusive still from the film in their 2024 slate of original programming.[21][22] The film's official trailer was released on March 6, 2024,[23][24] and garnered over 125 million views on social media platforms, becoming the most-watched trailer for an original film released on a streaming platform.[25][26]

Release

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest as the closing-night film on March 16, 2024.[27][28][29] It was released as a Prime Video original film on May 2, 2024.[30][31]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of 175 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead—and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter."[32] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[33]

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote, "Showalter manages to make The Idea of You look and breathe like the grander films it comes after rather than the tinier ones it sits alongside [...] It's all not ultimately enough to truly transport us back to the genre's heyday but it's a damn sight better than what we've been forced to get used to."[34] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote "The film version finds a solution that honors [Robinne] Lee's intentions while providing a more satisfying sense of closure for their on-and-off relationship".[35] Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times wrote, "The Idea of You succeeds mostly because of Hathaway's performance, though she and Galitzine spark and banter pleasurably".[36] Alison Wilmore of Vulture wrote, "The Idea of You could stand to be a little more indulgent — it allows the real world to rush into its unexpected relationship almost before it gets going — but it's surprisingly seductive even with its restraint. Anyone can holler along to a One Direction song in the privacy of their home, but it's something else to reconnect with the feelings expressed by one of those big choruses."[37]

Lovia Gyarkaye of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The Idea of You functions best as a carefree treat — a feel-good romantic comedy that delivers some laughs and bursts with the magnetism of its lead. That it manages to wiggle in some lessons about self-discovery is merely a bonus."[38] Rafael Motamayor of IndieWire wrote that the film "does a complete love story, going beyond where most movies like these end to explore the moment a magical fling becomes something more, where a little 'let's see where this goes' becomes something worth fighting for, and maybe also losing."[39] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote, "The Idea of You is glossy and smart, a cut above the slop so often served to its intended audience. It may force a neat ending, it may strain logic, it may leave some intriguing avenues unexplored, but The Idea of You is otherwise transporting, a fairy tale worthy of a big screen."[40] Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood wrote that "Hathaway's performance offers moments of genuine emotion and connection that hint at the film's potential, which keeps things together long enough to be enjoyable."[41]

Alejandra Martinez of TheWrap wrote, "What could have been a lukewarm romance is instead something much more surprising and sensual. In the hands of lesser performers and filmmakers, the premise could have quickly fallen apart. The Idea of You, however, has actors who know exactly what they need to bring to deliver a believable, compelling romance worth getting swept up in."[42] Nikki Baughan of Screen Daily wrote that "the screenplay does not linger here, and soon diverts from the book's sombre climax to offer up a more audience-friendly ending."[43] Fletcher Peters of The Daily Beast wrote, "The Idea of You is the perfect glitzy, splashy movie that this story about a glamorous whirlwind love affair deserves [...] The film's take may diverge from the novel, but it's those differences that make the film so memorable."[44]

References

  1. ^ "The Idea of You (15)". BBFC. April 22, 2024. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Busch, Anita (December 19, 2018). "The Idea Of You,' 'Everything Must Go' & Other Female-Strong Projects Join Welle Entertainment Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Gabrielle Union's 10 Favorite Books". Vulture. January 3, 2018. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Krischer, Hayley (December 5, 2017). "We're Going to Need More Gabrielle Union". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "Amazon, Welle Entertainment Adapt 'The Idea Of You' For Anne Hathaway". Deadline Hollywood. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 25, 2022). "Michael Showalter To Direct Anne Hathaway In 'The Idea Of You' For Prime Video; Cathy Schulman & Gabrielle Union Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  7. ^ McCall, Kevin (August 25, 2022). "Anne Hathaway to Star in 'The Idea of You' From Director Michael Showalter". Collider. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  8. ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 19, 2022). "Nicholas Galitzine to Star Opposite Anne Hathaway in Prime Video's 'The Idea of You'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Grobar, Matt (September 19, 2022). "Nicholas Galitzine To Star Opposite Anne Hathaway In Prime Video Romance 'The Idea Of You' From Director Michael Showalter". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Jackson, Angelique (October 12, 2022). "Ella Rubin Joins Anne Hathaway in Amazon Prime Video's 'The Idea of You'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Seddon, Dan (October 14, 2022). "Gossip Girl star lands next role in Anne Hathaway movie". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Galuppo, Mia (October 6, 2022). "'The Idea of You' Movie Rounds Out Its Onscreen Boy Band". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Jackson, Angelique (October 20, 2022). "Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld and Jordan Aaron Hall Join Prime Video's 'The Idea of You'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  14. ^ "The Idea Of You". Production List. September 12, 2022. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
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  16. ^ "Anne Hathaway, 39, and Nicholas Galitzine, 28, cuddle up while filming 'The Idea of You' in Georgia, plus more great celebrity photos this week". MSN. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Burack, Emily (May 2, 2024). "How The Idea of You Created Solène's Art Gallery". Town & Country. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Paul, Larisha (May 3, 2024). "How Real Hitmakers and a Boy Band Bootcamp Made Nicholas Galitzine a Pop Star in 'The Idea of You'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  19. ^ a b ""The Idea of You" Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. April 26, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  20. ^ ""The Idea of You" Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Album Released". Film Music Reporter. May 4, 2024. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Tinoco, Armando (December 24, 2023). "Amazon's Prime Video Teases First Looks Of Jake Gyllenhaal In 'Road House,' Anne Hathaway In 'The Idea Of You' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Coman, Monica (December 25, 2023). "Anne Hathaway's New Movie Looks Like Her Best In 4 Years". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Brew, Caroline (March 6, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Trailer: Anne Hathaway Falls for Nicholas Galitzine in Harry Styles-Inspired, R-Rated Romantic Drama". Variety. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  24. ^ Paul, Larisha (March 6, 2024). "Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway's Forbidden Romance in 'The Idea of You' Trailer Is a Wattpad Dream". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  25. ^ Dailey, Hannah (March 6, 2024). "Anne Hathaway Falls for a Harry Styles-Inspired Boy Band Star in New 'The Idea of You' Trailer: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 16, 2024). "Amazon MGM Anne Hathaway & Nicholas Galitzine Pic 'The Idea Of You' Most Watched Trailer Ever For Streaming Movie; SXSW World Premiere Tonight". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  27. ^ Lang, Brent (January 30, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine to Close SXSW 2024". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  28. ^ Cruz, Olivia (January 30, 2024). "2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival Unveils Opening and Closing Night Premieres". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  29. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (January 30, 2024). "SXSW 2024 to Close with Michael Showalter's 'The Idea of You,' Starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  30. ^ Seddon, Dan (February 4, 2024). "Anne Hathaway's new movie confirms Prime Video release date". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  31. ^ Galuppo, Mia (January 30, 2024). "Anne Hathaway Movie 'The Idea of You' to Close SXSW". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  32. ^ "The Idea of You". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 5, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  33. ^ "The Idea of You". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  34. ^ Lee, Benjamin (May 1, 2024). "The Idea of You review – Anne Hathaway lives out fanfic fantasy in solid romance". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  35. ^ Debruge, Peter (March 17, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Only Anne Hathaway Could Look This Confident Dating One of Her Daughter's Pop Idols". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  36. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (May 2, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Surviving Celebrity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  37. ^ Willmore, Alison (May 2, 2024). "The Idea of You Is a Mostly Not-Guilty Pleasure". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  38. ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (March 17, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Charm in Michael Showalter's Airy Rom-Com". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  39. ^ Motamayor, Rafael (March 17, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Anne Hathaway Shines in Steamy, Electric Coming-of-Age Romantic Comedy". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  40. ^ Lawson, Richard (April 30, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Is Premium Grade Fanfic". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  41. ^ Complex, Valerie (March 17, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Anne Hathaway Anchors Michael Showalter's Fluctuating Story Of Unconventional Romance – SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  42. ^ Martinez, Alejandra (March 17, 2024). "'The Idea of You' Review: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Deliver Chemistry, Charm and Heat in Sweet Romance". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  43. ^ Baughan, Nikki (April 30, 2024). "'The Idea Of You': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  44. ^ Peters, Fletcher (May 1, 2024). "Harry Styles Gets His Own 'Fifty Shades of Grey' in 'The Idea of You'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
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