By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"REGRETTING YOU" FINDS HEART IN HEARTACHE
Dating, relationships, and even marriages can sometimes be messy propositions. Add a tragedy into the mix, and it can derail even the best-laid plans. Such is the case in the new teen drama
"Regretting You," adapted from
Colleen Hoover's 2019 bestselling novel of the same name and directed by
Josh Boone ("The Fault in Our Stars").
"Regretting You" wears its emotional, sometimes corny, and unapologetically sentimental heart proudly on its sleeve.
Boone once again proves his ability to navigate youthful longing and heartbreak with the same sincerity that made "The Fault in Our Stars" resonate so deeply. Here, he takes Hoover's story of love, loss, and second chances and brings it to life with a visual softness and emotional intensity.
At its core, "Regretting You" explores how grief can fracture relationships and, paradoxically, how it can also repair them.
Allison Williams ("M3GAN 2.0") stars as Morgan Grant, a mother trying to make sense of her life after an unexpected tragedy exposes painful secrets. When Morgan's husband Chris (a cocky Scott Eastwood, "Tin Soldier" and "Fast X") and her younger sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald, TV's "A House of Dynamite") are killed in a car crash, the devastating news is compounded by the shocking discovery that the two were having an affair--and had been for quite some time. The revelation leaves Morgan shattered and her daughter, Clara (a terrific McKenna Grace, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping"), angry, confused, and desperate for answers that seem as if they will never come.
Dave Franco (TV's "The Studio") initially brings quiet empathy to Jonah Sullivan, Chris's best friend, who is struggling to process the same betrayal and loss while caring for his newborn son. His scenes with Williams are restrained yet powerful, particularly as two people who understand each other's grief but are terrified of what moving forward might look like.
While Morgan retreats inward--often turning to wine to dull her pain--Clara seeks escape in the small acts of rebellion that teenagers cling to when their world spins out of control. She develops a growing closeness with Miller Adams (Mason Thames, "Black Phone 2" and "How to Train Your Dragon"), her longtime school crush and an aspiring filmmaker who dreams of attending film school but may have to put those plans on hold to care for his ailing grandfather, Hank "Gramps" Adams (an underused but always terrific Clancy Brown, TV’s "Resident Alien").
Boone gives their relationship the right amount of awkwardness and sincerity, allowing the young pair to stumble toward connection rather than instantly fall into it.
Miller, who still has an on-and-off girlfriend, is drawn to Clara's vulnerability, while she finds solace in his understanding. Their tender yet complicated relationship becomes one of the few bright spots in Clara's life, though it is met with concern from her grieving mother.
Clara and Miller's connection is delicately, portrayed not entirely as rebellion, but as a fragile attempt to feel something pure amid overwhelming loss.
Yes, "Regretting You" does get a bit melodramatic and cheesy, but then again, most teen dramas do. Screenwriter Susan McMartin (TV's "The Conners") could have fleshed out the characters more deeply too. It's also an interesting creative choice to have the adult cast play their teenage flashback scenes rather than younger actors. The device mostly works, though that didn't bother me as much as the film which starts to wear down near the end and felt longer than its 117-minute runtime.
Still, while "Regretting You" is rooted in sappy, teen angst, it manages to treat the characters and their pain with authenticity and compassion.
Beneath the glossy youthful trappings lies a heartfelt meditation on grief, guilt, betrayal, and the messy, imperfect ways people sometimes find their way back to love and forgiveness.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Go Ahead And Watch This Trailer For
"REGRETTING YOU"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
