The Idea of You arguably crowns Anne Hathaway as the queen of romantic comedy. It had been a while since we saw the Oscar winning star appear in a sensational romance such as Love and Other Drugs and The Princess Diaries, so the Idea of You is the perfect way for Hathaway to mark her return to the genre.
In this book-to-screen adaptation, Hathaway plays divorcee Solène Marchand, a 40-year-old art gallery owner who falls in love with 24-year-old boy band heartthrob Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). Their passionate affair takes them to luxury hotels and private jets, but when the public scrutiny of their age gap starts to impact Solène’s life, she is forced to decide whether she wants to continue living the dream.
The Idea of You is a beautiful story about a woman falling in love again when she didn’t think it would happen. It’s a refreshing rom-com that shows it’s never too late to find love, which is why you should stream it while it’s on Prime Video.
In love with The Idea of You
The Idea of You is based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, but there are many who speculate that the story was created from Harry Styles fan fiction. Whether this is true doesn’t matter, as the movie adaptation does a fantastic job of giving a fresh take on the story.
“While the film’s message, that women over 40 have every right to romantic fulfilment, is empowering, it also acknowledges that finding love with an impossibly pretty, sweet-natured pop star comes with its own unique set of challenges. That said, this adaptation wisely departs from the novel’s downbeat conclusion and permits Solène and Hayes a ray of hope for the future,” The Guardian wrote.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter revealed: “The Idea of You functions best as a carefree treat – a feel-good romantic comedy that delivers some laughs and bursts with the magnetism of its lead. That it manages to wiggle in some lessons about self-discovery is merely a bonus.”
The Idea of You might not be the best Prime Video movie to stream right now, but it’s so much more than a romantic drama. It’s about finding yourself despite society telling you the toxic message that you’re going to disappear as a single woman in your 40s. As Empire wrote: “Deceptively courageous and perceptive on parasocial celebrity culture – and on the fallacy that women have expiration dates – The Idea Of You has good, clean fun with two characters, it’s impossible not to love.”
