"I Don't Care, I Love It": To All the Boys I've Loved Before

This is the first entry in the post category of movies that did not make it into the actual movie bracket. This movie didn't even make the first cut! But as I note in the title, "I don't care, I love it."

Okay, full disclosure here: as a middle school English teacher, I read a lot of books focused on teenagers. These are books that my students adore, that are consistently checked out at the library, that make them shove their own personal copy into my hands at the beginning of class, their eyes big, saying, “PLEASE LOVE THIS.” 

And I have to be honest--they aren’t all hits, people. Often, that book sits on my desk, waiting patiently to be read, for weeks (months). Once I finally slog through it, I smile brightly as I dutifully return the novel to my student, nodding along that it was “definitely a fun read!” or “I can see why you loved it!” Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was not one of those books.

This trilogy is about Lara Jean Covey, a kind and sweet high school-aged girl who weirdly writes love letters to all of the crushes in her life. Her life is turned upside down when those letters (which were, again, weirdly) addressed and stamped are sent to each of her would-be suitors. Fun, romance, and Peter Kavinsky ensue.

I was hooked. It was everything that I would have wanted from a book when I was in 9th grade. The sugar-coated novel hit all the bases: friendship that turns into romance, likable characters with very low-stakes problems, and a quirky younger sister causing trouble. Was it going to win the Pulitzer for literature? Does it really matter when Lara Jean WANTS TO KNOW IF HER SISTER MARGOT IS GOING TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER CRUSH ON JOSH?

I had read the first two books and was on a day off from school when I miraculously spotted that the movie adaptation of To All the Boys had premiered on Netflix that VERY morning! After settling in with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a giddy smile, I pressed play and kept that smile on my face for a glorious 99 minutes of characters making baked goods and flirting to a trendy soundtrack.

I really love movies like this, movies that aren’t necessarily out to change the world or to send a profound message to its audience. Sometimes (okay, most of the time) I want to see a movie that is going to make me smile and tear up a little bit because it’s just flat out nice and cute. 

This is a movie that most of my friends have seen and loved. Movies like this are sort of like a fairy tale that happens to have gym class and band practice. Let’s face it: high school is really hard. There are a lot of real-world problems every single day, and life isn’t as simple and care-free as watching Peter Kavinsky twirl Lara Jean by the back pocket of her jeans, with the entire cafeteria as a rapt audience. But isn’t that part of what makes watching movies great? 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: You may have missed our bracket for the Greatest Movie of All Time, but you are forever in my heart (and my Netflix queue). I will happily watch a majorly under-supervised high school ski trip with Anna of the North crooning in the background every day of the week, and will squeal and giggle with delight (THEY KISSED!) each time.