The film follows ill girl Madeline, who suffers from severe combined immunodeficiency, making her susceptible to even the most mundane of illnesses, thus confining her to a hermetically sealed house. One day, a new family moves in next door, which results in a budding romance Madeline and Olly, the son of the household.
The film is directed by Stella Meghie, and stars Amandla Stenberg as Madeline Whittier, Nick Robinson as Olly Bright, Anika Noni Rose as Pauline Whittier, Ana de la Reguera as Carla, and Taylor Hickson as Kara Bright.
Everything, Everything provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents:
- Olly's dad is seen punching Olly during an altercation in the movie and is described by Olly as abusive.
- Pauline while not physically abusive, lied to Madeline about being sick her entire life so that she wouldn't lose her.
- Believing Their Own Lies: Madeline's mother genuinely believes Madeline is sick, even after it becomes clear that it isn't true.
- Bookworm: Madeline reads a lot, because there's not much else for her to do. Her favorite novel is The Little Prince.
- Boy Meets Girl: Literally the movie's entire plot.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Olly only wears black and has a troubled home life. Maddy is a naive bright-eyed, and bushy -tailed girl who has never even been outside before meeting him, and wore white.
- Compressed Adaptation: In the book, there's a bit more build up before Madeline and Olly fall in love, whereas in the movie it's almost Love at First Sight. There also is generally more characterization of Madeline's relationship with her mother as well as her nurse Carla.
- Cool Big Sis: Carla, while Madeline's nurse and old enough to be her mother, has this dynamic with her. She allows Madeline to see Olly despite knowing Pauline would not promote this, leading to her getting fired.
- Disappeared Dad: When Madeline was very young, her dad (and little brother) were killed in a car accident.
- Domestic Abuse: Olly's father is seen to be and described as abusive, especially to Olly's mother.
- "Double, Double" Title: Everything, Everything.
- Double-Meaning Title: The title isn't just a reference to Olly and Maddy falling for one another or Maddy's illness to, well, everything outside of her house. The book and film's title takes a different significant meaning after Maddy learns that she is not sick as she had thought and that her mother has been lying to her about everything.
- Dream Sequence: While texting Olly during the film, Maddy regularly imagines speaking to him face to face in the models she makes for her online architecture class.
- Lethal Chef: Olly's mother bundt cakes are considered to be horrible.
- My Beloved Smother: Madeline's mom is close to her daughter and extremely protective of her, which appears to make sense since one slip could kill her daughter. Although, the understandable element of this is thrown out the window when we discover that Maddy isn't actually sick.
- Mythology Gag: Madeline and Pauline joke about Olly's hair and say he badly needs a haircut. In the book, Olly shaved off all his hair shortly before meeting Madeline, prompting him to always wear a hat.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Pauline's husband and son died in a car accident when Madeline was a baby. Pauline consequently convinces herself that Madeline is sick so as to not lose her.
- Race Lift: Madeline is played by the half-white half-black Amandla Stenberg. Although, her character is implied to be half-black half-Asian like her book counterpart. Pauline is black in the film and Japanese in the book, while the father appears to be Asian from a photograph, unlike the novel in which he was black.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Also Olly and Maddy's First Kiss, which happens amidst fourth of July fireworks. This is somewhat lampshaded after the kiss is broken.Maddy: Is it always like that?Olly: It's never like that.
- Their First Time: While in their hotel room in Hawaii, in a scene full of Sexy Discretion Shots, Olly and Maddy are implied to have sex.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Understandably, this is Madeline's reaction to finding out her mother was lying about her illness. Madeline admits that she may eventually forgive her mother, but not any time soon.
- Walking Spoiler: It's hard to talk about Pauline without revealing that she's lying about basically everything.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: It's more or less common knowledge that doctors aren't supposed to practice on their own families. Madeline's mother is her doctor, but mostly, we can let that slide due to Willing Suspension of Disbelief... until we find out Madeline's mom was lying about Madeline being sick the whole time, ignoring other, impartial doctors who told her that Madeline was fine. Of course, most people wouldn't go that far, but that kind of severe lapse in judgement and desperation to keep someone alive, no matter what the cost, is precisely why doctors should not practice on their families. Lampshaded by the doctor who tells Madeline the truth, who comments that Madeline should get a second option from a doctor that isn't related to her.
