I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for cheesy teen romance films. In fact, I could say I've binged more than enough sappy flicks over the years.
After scrolling through social media one day, and finding the trailer for "To All The Boys I've Loved Before," I knew I had to see what the hype was all about. So, I did.
The film follows the somewhat complicated love life of Lara Jean Covey, a shy, bookish 16-year-old girl whose secret love letters get sent out. As Lara Jean deals with the consequences of the letters being mysteriously sent out (and the reveal of an awkward crush on her sister's boyfriend), she develops a close connection to one of the recipients.
The genre of teen flicks in and of itself could be criticized for following the same generic storyline: boy and girl from two different worlds meet, fall in love, argue, break up and get back together. After all, that formula is what makes young audiences flock to the latest screenings. They want to see something that feels wholesome and familiar.
Jenny Han's breakthrough young adult novel, "To All The Boys I've Loved Before," and its film adaptation set the bar high for teen flicks of this generation. Besides the film's cool indie soundtrack, killer personal style and dreamy teen heartthrob (*sigh* Noah Centineo), one thing truly stands out: the film's diversity.
Lara Jean's Asian roots are something Han stresses in her novel, and the producers of the film follow suit. Asian-American actors make up one percent of the entertainers in Hollywood and are visibly underrepresented in lead roles. Lana Candor, the actress who plays Lara Jean, has been praised for her performance as an Asian-American lead.
Growing up watching classic films, such as "Mean Girls" and "She's All That," I wasn't able to connect to the lead characters in a cultural sense. As an Asian-Canadian, I've faced different situations that no other girls I know have faced, especially when it comes to my personal life. I wanted to see my culture and traditions being portrayed on screen.
Lara Jean's character speaks to my 16-year-old self: somewhat quiet, bookish and boy-crazy. Though, in all honesty, if I were to send love letters to my old high school boyfriends, I probably would never be able to live it down.
I feel that many girls can relate to Lara's character and find meaning in this teen flick. Perhaps you have a list of "letters" in mind, or maybe you get nostalgic thinking of your first high school boyfriend. Either way, the film gives a humble perspective on the life of a cultured teen girl.
Of all the teen flicks I've watched, "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" is one of the ones I wish I'd seen earlier in life. Writing was one of my greatest passions as a teenager (as an English major, it still is), and I dabbled in poetry to express my innermost thoughts and feelings, especially toward the boys I loved. They were all special and deserved to have a poem written about them (I'm sure we all had our own Peter Kavinsky).
I found deep meaning in Lara Jean's letters. They were a way to cope with the fear of rejection, uncertainty and possible heartbreak, falling in love with an imagined fantasy rather than being true to your feelings.
"When I write, I hold nothing back. I write like he'll never read it. Because he never will. Every secret thought, every careful observation, everything I've saved up inside me, I put it all in the letter. When I'm done, I seal it, I address it, and then I put it in my teal hatbox."
Though I've grown up quite a bit (I'm no longer the bookish 16-year-old girl I used to be), I still watch this film with nostalgia. I only hope teen girls like my former self are watching it with an open perspective, too.
