Comparing Netflix’s ‘Love at First Sight’ to Jennifer E. Smith’s Novel

Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy star in our newest Netflix romantic comedy obsession, Love at First Sight, which was tailored from Jennifer E. Smith’s 2012 novel of a virtually similar title.

Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight kicked off with highschool senior Hadley Sullivan narrowly lacking her flight to London for her dad’s second wedding ceremony. Her alternative flight seats her beside British faculty pupil Oliver, who’s returning residence for a funeral. Throughout the course of the novel, the twosome join over life, love and every part in between — in a single day.

It was introduced in April 2022 that Netflix deliberate to carry Smith’s bestselling phrases to life starring Richardson and Hardy as Hadley and Oliver, respectively.

“They’ve shortened the title, but it’s still the same story you’ve loved all these years, and I hope you’ll love the film version just as much,” Smith wrote through Instagram in January, referring to the movie’s abbreviated title.

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Love at First Sight premiered Friday, September 15, on Netflix.

Keep studying for a breakdown of how Love at First Sight compares to its literary inspiration:

Age Gaps

While the e-book variations of Hadley and Oliver are 17 and 18, respectively, they’ve been aged up for the large display screen remedy. In the movie, Hadley is 20 and Oliver is 2 years older than her at 22.

Descriptive Discrepancies 

Eagle-eyed e-book lovers will word that the film took just a few liberties with some minuscule particulars, particularly in regard to Hadley’s bridesmaid gown (maroon in coloration as an alternative of lavender) and the situation and venue of Hadley and Oliver’s respective occasions. (For what it’s price: Shoreditch and Kensington are two very distinct areas in London, as are Paddington and Peckham.)

Perhaps the largest change was the airplane seating configuration. In The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Hadley and Oliver are assigned the window and aisle seats in row 18. (Oliver finally ends up taking the center seat to chat with Hadley, switching spots with an older girl.) In the Netflix flick, they each find yourself seated in a business-class two-seater.

A New Addition

There is not any narrator as an individual within the e-book, which meant a job was added within the movie for Jameela Jamil. The Good Place alum even popped into numerous scenes as completely different characters to assist transfer the story alongside.

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Oliver’s Entire Backstory

Oliver,  who’s given the surname Jones within the film regardless of by no means having a final title within the novel, has a totally completely different background. In the e-book, he’s the youngest of three boys and is estranged from his father, whose funeral he was set to attend. In the film, Oliver simply has one brother and he’s shut to his fortunately married mother and father. The funeral is a “living memorial” for his mom, who’s dying of most cancers.

The new backstory allowed viewers to additionally see the story from Oliver’s facet as an alternative of solely Hadley’s point-of-view just like the novel.

Losing an Entire Character — or Two

While Hadley was upset along with her dad, Andrew Sullivan, in each the e-book and film for leaving her household post-divorce, she leaned on her mother on the web page. Hadley’s mom was not featured within the film nor was Hadley’s almost-stepfather Harrison. (Movie Hadley’s phobia of dentists had Us questioning if it was a refined reference to Harrison’s dental occupation.)

Inside the ‘Memorial’

With the film giving extra entry to Oliver, it additionally allowed followers (and Hadley) to go into his mother’s memorial and meet his household. As identified above, the tweak permits viewers to see Oliver’s feelings and vulnerabilities whereas he was a reasonably one-dimensional e-book love curiosity.

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A Dickensian Connection

Book Hadley and her dad had an enormous bond over Charles Dickens and his novel Our Mutual Friend. The film left that connection fully intact.

Ripped From the Page

Faithful e-book readers will likely be delighted that a number of actual traces and jokes have been replicated within the Netflix script — together with the final scene’s closing dialogue when Oliver mutters the entire e-book title for the primary time.

A New Ending

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight ends with the pair reuniting at the top of the day, whereas Jamil’s character provides film followers a quick “epilogue” of types. In a voiceover, she teases the place Oliver and Hadley find yourself lengthy after the onscreen day ends.

Love at First Sight is presently streaming on Netflix.