'PS I Still Love You' Avoids Sequel Slump With Equally Adorable Follow Up
Starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Jordan Fisher, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, Ross Butler, Madeleine Arthur, Holland Taylor, Sarayu Blue
TV-14
Romance, Comedy
Run time: 1 hr, 42 min
Directed by Michael Fimognari
On Netflix February 12, 2020
I’ve kept it no secret that I have a soft spot for a solid rom-com, especially one that is baed on a book. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was one of the early members of the renaissance of these fluffy films, and I loved it so much I immediately read the trilogy of young adult books that told the tale of Lara Jean Covey’s search for love. Quick recap in case you can’t remember: young romantic Lara Jean wrote letters she never intended to send to every boy she had loved (or seriously crushed on), her sister sneaky-sent them out, and she got some responses. Including from one Peter Kavinsky (Centineo) - who came up with the idea to fake date (for many a reason) and with whom Lara Jean (Condor) found her first real love. The fake dating turned real and hearts real and fictional couldn’t help but flutter at the story.
This part of trilogy picks up not long after the first one ends and we see Peter and Lara Jean in the early parts of the real relationship. But everything isn’t smooth sailing. It never is in a romantic comedy. Or in a story of teenage love. It just can’t. There are insecurities galore (Lara Jean is a bit new to this whole girlfriend thing), there’s an ever-present ex and another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s letters (Fisher) - who doesn’t know that one of those notes actually panned out. And one of the best things about it is the worst thing about it. As one of my friends complained, “They’re acting like such teenagers!” And they are. They’re frustrating, a bit short sighted, passionate and yet realistic. It’s easy to see our pasts - or those of the people we knew in high school - in the trials and tribulations of teen love. (Even if Peter is a bit too perfect at times to be a realistic teenage boy.)
This story blends the familiar plot of the first film with the interweaving of a few new ones. We see even more of Lara Jean’s home life, though not as much with the book, as well as more time of her just relaxing with her friends. The award for scene stealer should go to LJ’s friend Lucas who combines helpful advice with a hint of humor and a warm smile. Every conversation between the two of them left me smiling for minutes after the scene ended. And the most perfect casting goes to Holland Taylor as Stormy, a sassy older woman who LJ meets at the nursing home she volunteers at and who is more than happy to share stories of her life with a bit of a moral of the end (mostly that Lara Jean should follow her heart).
Look. Let’s be honest. This is not an Oscar winner. (Though maybe it should be - bring the fun into the award shows!) But it is a heart-warming, lovely, charming way to spend a little over an hour and a half. It is the perfect way to celebrate this Valentine’s Day weekend whether with someone you love or just a solid glass of wine. I giggled, I teared up (three times) and I couldn’t stop smiling. These kinds of movies are solid when they fulfill their purpose: entertaining you and making you happy. Sure, there are some changes from the book that I missed or didn’t fully love. But that wasn’t important. What was important was that I got to spend some time in this lovely little fictional universe and see snippets of the Lara Jean’s love story. And I can’t wait for the final movie to come out so I can do it again.