The Idea of You is a 2024 Romantic Comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee. It premiered at South by Southwest on March 16, 2024, and was released on Prime Video on May 2, 2024.
The film chronicles the relationship between Solene Marchand (Anne Hathaway), a thirty-nine-going-on-forty divorced single mother, and twenty-four-year-old pop star and boy band member Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), who have a chance meeting at Coachella and instantly click.
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Tropes:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: The ending of the film is significantly different from the ending in the book. In the book, Solene and Hayes unambiguously break up for good and while Solene remains in love with Hayes, it's implied Hayes eventually moves on just as she said he would. In the film, they still break up, but there's an alteration where Hayes offers the possibility of resuming their relationship in five years after Izzy is out of school. While Solene rejects the offer to ensure Hayes can live his best life, it's followed by a Time Skip showing them reuniting five years later anyway, with the implication they're going to resume their relationship after all.
- Adaptational Heroism: While not exactly "heroic" in the usual sense, Oliver is a lot less villainous in the film than he is in the book. In the book, he has a complex relationship with Hayes and frequently tries to mess with him in various ways, including making unwanted passes on Solene, which eventually culminates in him breaking Hayes' nose right before a major concert in retaliation for sleeping with his older sister. Here, while he's Innocently Insensitive and is responsible for Solene and Hayes' Second-Act Breakup, his actions seem to stem from immaturity and obliviousness than any underlying maliciousness.
- Adaptational Jerkass: In the book, Solene and her ex-husband Daniel divorced due to growing apart, and he didn't start dating Eva until after their separation. In the film, Daniel outright cheated on Solene with Eva for over a year, and that was the cause of their divorce.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Zigzagged with Daniel. He's a lot less condescending in his interactions with Solene and overcompensates with his politeness during his interactions with her compared to his relationship with her in the book. However, this is implied to be out of guilt for how he ended their marriage in the film—by cheating on her with another woman, and choosing divorce even though Solene was willing to forgive him.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the book, Daniel and Eva remain together with plans to get married, as Eva is pregnant with Daniel's child. Here, Eva leaves Daniel, implied to partly be driven by the guilt of breaking up his marriage and family.
- Age-Gap Romance: There is a sixteen-year age gap between Solene and Hayes when they start their romance. Both the book and the film deconstruct their relationship, showing that while their connection is genuine, they are in completely different places in their lives: Solene is a single mother who has for the most part settled down, while Hayes is a jet-setting pop star in the prime of his life. This causes friction between them, and the end of their relationship when Hayes' fame intrudes too much on the normal lives of Solene and her loved ones. It's only five years later, when an older Hayes has begun to settle down himself and his fame has died down to a more manageable level, that he goes back to Solene with the intent of trying again.
- Age Lift:
- In the book, Hayes is nineteen/twenty at the time of his relationship with Solene. He is aged up to twenty-four in the film to make his relationship with Solene a little more palatable, going from barely legal, to legal, but still very young.
- Izzy is a middle-schooler in the book. Here, she's a sixteen-year-old about to enter her senior year of high school.
- Boy Band: August Moon is an archetypal example, being explicitly based on One Direction, with their musical style being a throwback to the late 2000s/early 2010s.
- Caught in the Rain: While they're hanging out together in Paris, Solene and Hayes get caught up in a moment under the rain and kiss.
- Call-Back: During the meet-and-greet with August Moon at the beginning of the movie, Izzy shyly admits to Rory that he's her favorite member. Towards the end of the film, after Solene and Hayes' relationship goes public, her parents get into an argument where Daniel points out how weird it is that Solene's dating a guy whose poster Izzy had on her bedroom wall back when she was ten. Solene tartly retorts that it was Rory's poster she had on her bedroom wall, not Hayes'.
- Casting Gag: Anne Hathaway plays a French single mother of a young girl, just like she did in Les Misérables (2012).
- Celebrity Is Overrated: Zigzagged. Initially, Hayes has no real strong negative feelings about his life as a celebrity and enjoys many aspects of his lifestyle, particularly since it is what allowed him to meet Solene. It's not until it starts wrecking their relationship and the lives of Solene and her loved ones that he realizes that it's not all it's cracked up to be. When his fame causes their break-up, he outright says it's ruined his life.
- Changing Yourself for Love: To impress Solene, Hayes shows up at her art gallery and pretends that he's interested in the art she's selling for his flat in London, to the point of buying out her entire stock. Solene, not being a complete idiot, sees right through him and is thoroughly not impressed.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Despite his seemingly happy relationship with Eva, Daniel is implied to have lingering feelings for Solene, judging by the accusing text he sends her after her relationship with Hayes is exposed to the public. He later slips and calls her his wife while trying to pick a fight with Hayes, showing that he hasn't completely let her go.
- Demoted to Extra: The rest of August Moon has far less of a role than they do in the book, with only Ollie getting more than one or two lines.
- Disneyland Dad: Daniel, who buys Izzy and her friends VIP Passes to Coachella (including a meet-and-greet with August Moon, which had to be incredibly expensive) and exceeds the price cap Solene set for Izzy's birthday gifts to get her a (used) car. It's later revealed Izzy was incredibly pissed with her father after finding out about his affair with Eva, implying that this is Daniel's way of making up for breaking apart their family.
- Double Standard:
- It's openly acknowledged at several points that nobody particularly cares that Daniel is dating the much younger Eva (whom he broke up his marriage for), while they would vilify Solene for dating the much younger Hayes.
- Hilariously, Solene's best friend Tracie claims that she would be fine if Solene dated some twenty-something younger guy while castigating Daniel for doing the same, simply because she likes Solene more.
- Famed In-Story: Hayes is an internationally famous pop star and a member of a massively popular boy band, and his fame is the biggest obstacle to his and Solene's relationship, as his fans do not take the news of him dating a much older woman well at all.
- Foil: The film contrasts Hayes, Solene's primary love interest, with her ex-husband Daniel, her former love interest and the father of Izzy. Daniel is overly polite and cheerful during his interactions with Solene (at least, up until her relationship with Hayes goes public) but this is because he has a habit of putting himself first and is trying to compensate for that. He doesn't care about Solene's needs, as long as she isn't openly hostile to him. Meanwhile, Hayes doesn't understand all of Solene's needs, but he sincerely cares about her and wants her to be happy, so he does his best to support her, eventually to the point of being willing to sacrifice his career for her.
- Foreshadowing: When August Moon changes their setlist mid-concert to another song so Hayes can serenade Solene, they're surprisingly well-coordinated despite this particular performance being ad hoc. This foreshadows how this isn't the first time they've done this. As it turns out, they sing that particular song whenever one of them wants to woo a girl.
- Freudian Slip: Daniel accidentally calls Solene his "wife" twice during a confrontation with Hayes and Solene after their relationship goes public. Solene calls him out on it, pointing out she's his ex-wife, and only because he's the one who decided to end their marriage.
- Grand Romantic Gesture: Invoked and deconstructed. After their first meeting, Hayes publicly serenades an anonymous Solene during August Moon's performance at Coachella, going as far as to abruptly change the setlist. It's later revealed that the "change" wasn't really abrupt, but rather a bit the band does whenever one of them finds a girl he likes and wants to win her over. They even sing the same song for this "bit", and Solene isn't even the first woman Hayes has tried it with. Learning this causes Solene and Hayes' Second-Act Breakup, as it causes Solene to believe Hayes is playing her.
- Hypocrite Has a Point: When Daniel tries to call out Solene for selfishly choosing to date Hayes despite the havoc his fame is causing on all their lives, Solene points out he has no leg to stand on considering all the selfish choices he's made the past couple of years. While Solene is right that Daniel has no right standing on a pedestal like that, Daniel is correct as well, as dating Hayes is causing almost irreparable damage to Izzy's social life and mental health. Seeing this firsthand is what drives Solene to break up with Hayes.
- In-Universe Soundtrack: As part of their promotional material for the film, Amazon released several songs recorded by August Moon on Prime Video's YouTube channel via lyric videos, and included them as part of the original soundtrack for the film on all digital streaming platforms. These songs are performed by the band in the actual film itself, making them come off as a real-life Boy Band.
- It's All About Me: While Daniel is apologetic about it, a frequent habit of his is putting his wants and needs above those of those he cares about. His first scene shows him dumping the responsibility of taking his daughter and her friends to Coachella on his ex-wife (who had her own plans) last minute just because of an emergency at work. When Solene suggests having his girlfriend Eva take them instead, he refuses because he intends to bring her along with him even though there's no indication she needs to be there.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Once it becomes clear Solene won't be swayed from ending their relationship, Hayes offers a compromise: temporarily break up for five years and wait until Izzy is out of school and living her own life before resuming their relationship. Solene tells him that's a promise neither of them should keep—if either of them finds a chance at happiness during that time, they should take it.
- Likes Older Women: Hayes is attracted almost exclusively to older women. Before dating Solene, he had a brief relationship with a Swedish supermodel who was in her early thirties.
- Love at First Sight: Hayes is clearly taken with Solene from the moment they first meet, and goes to great lengths to track her down after Coachella ends so he can make a move on her.
- Love Cannot Overcome: As much as Solene loves Hayes, she loves Izzy more and can't stand the idea of their relationship potentially ruining her daughter's life. So on her insistence, they break up.
- Maybe Ever After: The last scene takes place five years after the end of Solene and Hayes' relationship. August Moon has broken up and Hayes has moved on to being a solo artist on the verge of taking a much-needed break, but he hasn't forgotten Solene, who has returned to her normal life. The film concludes with Hayes showing up at Solene's art gallery, with the heavy implication that the two will restart their relationship.
- Meet Cute: Solene and Hayes meet for the first time after Solene mistakes Hayes' trailer for the bathroom and asks to use his after he's done using it.
- The Missus and the Ex:
- Solene and Eva have an awkward relationship, as Eva was the "other woman" in the affair that broke up Solene's marriage with Daniel. They both make the effort to be polite, though it's obvious that Solene does not like Eva at all.
- Daniel's first meeting with Hayes immediately starts on the wrong foot, due to a combination of Hayes' fame screwing up his daughter's life, Eva having just left him, and the emasculating knowledge that his ex-wife is in a happy relationship with a twenty-something international pop star. Hayes, being completely unthreatened, doesn't even notice how hostile Daniel is toward him until the older man starts throwing barbs.
- Mood Whiplash: After a steamy sex scene depicting Solene and Hayes' first time, it immediately cuts to Hayes ordering them a room service meal of chicken fingers, a BLT, a cookie plate, and loads of fries.
- Mum Looks Like a Sister: Solene still has enough of her youthful good looks to pass as at least a decade younger than she actually is. Lampshaded by Oliver, who initially assumes that she's the sixteen-year-old Izzy's older sister.
- Mythology Gag: Izzy in the film acts like she's over August Moon and says being a fan of them is "so seventh grade". Izzy in the book is in seventh grade and is a massive August Moon fan.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: August Moon is a pastiche of One Direction, with the character of Hayes explicitly based on Harry Styles.
- Not So Above It All: Izzy plays at having moved on from August Moon, calling them so "seventh grade", only to become completely tongue-tied when she meets them in person at an autograph session at the beginning of the film. Particularly when she meets Rory, who she admits is her favorite member of the band.
- Oh, Crap!: Solene and Hayes both Freak Out after their relationship is outed by the press (and just after their Second-Act Breakup no less).
- Parents as People: As a single divorced mother, Solene is resentful of how she had to give up the prime of her life to raise a family with a husband who eventually cheated on her with another woman. Nonetheless, she loves Izzy with all her heart and always puts her first, so when it becomes clear how much her high-profile relationship with Hayes is damaging her daughter's life, she chooses to break up with him.
- Popularity Cycle: One of the reasons Hayes suggests putting his relationship with Solene on a five-year hiatus instead of a permanent break up like she wants is because in five years he'll be some "D-List celebrity nobody gives a shit about", lampshading how August Moon isn't going to be the most popular band in the world forever and that their star is eventually going to fade, just like several boy bands before them.
- Recognition Failure: During their first meeting, Solene completely fails to recognize Hayes as the lead singer of the boy band her daughter and her friends have bought VIP passes to meet.
- Spared, but Not Forgiven: After Eva reveals she's leaving Daniel, she offer to have lunch with Solene. Solene immediately declines in a tone making it blatantly clear she's nowhere close to forgiving Eva for breaking up her marriage.
- Stacy's Mom: Solene (as played by the gorgeous Anne Hathaway) is incredibly attractive for a woman who has just entered middle age. Both Hayes and his best friend Oliver show genuine interest in her, which both flatters and flusters her.
- Terrible Interviewees Montage: Solene's fortieth birthday has a brief montage of her interacting with various older men in her age range trying to hit on her.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Izzy calls out Solene for lying to her once her relationship with Hayes is exposed by the tabloids. Once she gets over the shock, Izzy admits that she doesn't particularly care her mother is dating Hayes if he makes her happy; she's mad because she views her mother lying about the situation as no different from her father lying to them about his affair with Eva.
- Yoko Oh No: Solene becomes Enemy #1 for the more rabid August Moon fans once her relationship with Hayes goes public. One tabloid even compares her to the trope namer. This is why Solene refuses to let Hayes quit August Moon in his last-ditch attempt to save their relationship—she knows it would just make the situation worse for all of them.
