‘People We Meet on Vacation’ shows us that love is deeper than romance

By Danielle Cherry 

Do you ever want to leave school and take a vacation? Or better yet, what if going on vacation was your job? Well, Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) has my dream job – writing about vacations. Yet her heart isn’t in it. More than anything, Poppy loves traveling because of the many people she can become on her adventures. 

“People We Meet on Vacation” is adapted from the book written by Emily Henry, and I must say, wow, did they do a good job. As a book-before-movie person, I often find that a film script skews the story for the media. Other than a couple of minor cuts, “People We Meet on Vacation” felt like a visual representation of the words I read so long ago.  

The movie’s main timeline occurs in the present day, with Poppy, dropping out of her oh-so-wonderful job and making a split-second decision to attend her close friend Alex’s brother’s wedding. Except there is a problem – Alex and Poppy haven’t spoken for years. While initially hesitant to go to the wedding, the moment Poppy calls Alex to ask about attending, the answer “yes” tumbles out of her mouth before she can think of what it will mean for them. 

Throughout the movie, as the present timeline progresses, the audience is taken on a trip through the history of Alex and Poppy’s many summers together before this present summer. We watch as we see the very start of their relationship in college, all the way to two summers ago, when everything changed. 

Poppy and Alex are an unconventional pair, to say the least. Poppy is brilliantly named for her, well, poppy personality. And Alex (Tom Blyth), is as drab and predictable as anything. Of course their first interaction together would be a long car drive from Boston all the way to little Linchfield, Ohio. 

You can imagine the comedy that comes out of a polar opposite pair. There are so many “inside jokes” between Poppy and Alex, each one deeply meaningful and incredibly funny. It is almost like we get to be a part of their relationship, laughing along with them as iconic lines from the book are spoken. 

As the movie progresses, you can’t help but fall in love with their easygoing relationship. While they are polar opposites, their chemistry is potent. Alex will do anything to help Poppy, and Poppy’s eccentric nature brings out an adventurous side of Alex, affectionately known as Vacation Alex.

Upon graduating from college, the pair makes a pact that wherever they are in the world, they will always meet up for a week in the summer. This movie is a testament to that promise. Each summer, we see a new side of both characters and see their love for each other grow with each passing vacation. 

Despite everyone’s assumptions about the pair, they are “just friends.” Completely platonic friends who travel the world together, share hotel rooms and show up when the other is extremely ill. While a bit far-fetched as far as “friendship” goes, it is nice to see a guy and a girl love each other far more than just romantically. 

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth get all the credit for the success of this movie. “People We Meet on Vacation” isn’t built around a singular plot; it is built around their relationship. Their dynamic was well chosen, and they were the perfect casting choice for bringing the book characters to life. 

So much of the humor is ironic. Pulling from each new place they go and drawing on the comedic strengths of Emily and Tom. Emily’s witty lines and Tom’s physicality make everyone in the movie laugh around them. 

Every plot point circles around a specific point in their relationship – each vacation is a dedication to their love for each other in different aspects. As the movie teaches some great lessons about self-sacrifice, the audience gets to journey along with the couple as they travel the world, showing off some truly incredible places that are now on my bucket list. 

While the scale and production value of the movie isn’t large, the heart put into it is tangible. By the end of the film, you really fall for these characters in a way that is hard to accomplish in a two-hour time crunch. 

More than anything, “People We Meet on Vacation” speaks to the heart. Poppy’s travels are more than a desire to see the world; they are a desire to find out what matters in life and who she is as a person. Poppy loves who she becomes on vacation, but she never stops to notice the person that brings that side out of her. 

Poppy and Alex’s relationship is a worthwhile investment of your time. Not only do you see the world, but you watch the life of two people unfold in a really beautiful way – filled with commitment and care for each other. 

While I am still envious of Poppy’s job and would beg her boss to hire me, I think Poppy found something far more meaningful than success in a career – she found a love deeper than romance, a love that is all sacrificing and dependable. Poppy found what we all want.

“People We Meet on Vacation” is currently streaming on Netflix 

Danielle Cherry is a sophomore communication major and writer for Cedars A&E and Sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves to travel, play volleyball and is contemplating how to enter into the “People we meet on vacation” universe and get hired by Poppy’s boss. 

Images courtesy of Temple Hills Entertainment and 3000 Pictures