{"id":38962,"date":"2023-09-16T20:52:21","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T20:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/16\/comparing-netflixs-love-at-first-sight-to-jennifer-e-smiths-novel\/"},"modified":"2023-09-16T20:52:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T20:52:21","slug":"comparing-netflixs-love-at-first-sight-to-jennifer-e-smiths-novel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/16\/comparing-netflixs-love-at-first-sight-to-jennifer-e-smiths-novel\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing Netflix’s ‘Love at First Sight\u2019 to Jennifer E. Smith’s Novel"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Haley Lu Richardson<\/strong><\/a> and Ben Hardy<\/strong> star in our latest Netflix romantic comedy obsession, Love at First Sight<\/i>, which was adapted from Jennifer E. Smith<\/strong>\u2019s 2012 novel of a nearly identical name.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight <\/i>kicked off with high school senior Hadley Sullivan narrowly missing her flight to London for her dad\u2019s second wedding. Her replacement flight seats her beside British college student<\/a> Oliver, who is returning home for a funeral. Throughout the course of the novel, the twosome connect over life, love and everything in between \u2014 in a single day.<\/p>\n

It was announced in April 2022 that Netflix planned to bring Smith\u2019s bestselling words to life<\/a> starring Richardson and Hardy as Hadley and Oliver, respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve shortened the title, but it\u2019s still the same story you\u2019ve loved all these years, and I hope you\u2019ll love the film version just as much,\u201d Smith wrote via Instagram<\/a> in January, referring to the film\u2019s abbreviated name.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Best Rom-Coms to Watch When You\u2019re Stuck at Home<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tRomance for all!\u00a0Whether you\u2019re stuck at home due to inclement weather, or simply want a night in, Us Weekly has the perfect must-watch movie list for indoor viewing. While some fans may opt for social media quizzes or binge-watching a new show, others choose to break out their go-to romantic comedies during a long weekend [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Love at First Sight <\/i>premiered Friday, September 15, on Netflix.<\/p>\n

Keep reading for a breakdown of how Love at First Sight <\/i>compares to its literary inspiration:<\/p>\n

Age Gaps<\/b><\/h3>\n

While the book versions of Hadley and Oliver are 17 and 18, respectively, they\u2019ve been aged up for the big screen treatment. In the film, Hadley is 20 and Oliver is two years older than her at 22.<\/p>\n

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\n Haley Lu Richardson as Hadley Sullivan and Ben Hardy as Oliver Jones in \u2018Love at First Sight.\u2019<\/span> Courtesy of Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Descriptive Discrepancies\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Eagle-eyed book lovers will note that the movie took a few liberties with some minuscule details, especially in regard to Hadley\u2019s bridesmaid dress (maroon in color instead of lavender) and the location and venue of Hadley and Oliver\u2019s respective events. (For what it is worth: Shoreditch and Kensington are two very distinct areas in London, as are Paddington and Peckham.)<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest change was the plane seating configuration. In The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight<\/i>, Hadley and Oliver are assigned the window and aisle seats<\/a> in row 18. (Oliver ends up taking the middle seat to chat with Hadley, switching spots with an older woman.) In the Netflix flick, they both end up seated in a business-class two-seater.<\/p>\n

A New Addition<\/b><\/h3>\n

There is no narrator as a person in the book, which meant a role was added in the film for Jameela Jamil<\/strong><\/a>. The Good Place<\/a> <\/i>alum even popped into various scenes as different characters<\/a> to help move the story along.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>TV Shows and Movies That Are Based on Books<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tLittle Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies and You are among the best-selling books that made their way to the small screen in the form of TV adaptations. Reese Witherspoon is at the center of many of the most successful TV shows based on books, thanks to her passion for bringing fresh stories to a new [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Oliver\u2019s Entire Backstory<\/b><\/h3>\n

Oliver,\u00a0 who is given the surname Jones in the movie despite never having a last name in the novel, has a completely different background. In the book, he is the youngest of three boys and is estranged from his father, whose funeral he was set to attend. In the movie, Oliver just has one brother and he is close to his happily married parents. The funeral is a \u201cliving memorial\u201d for his mother, who is dying of cancer.<\/p>\n

The new backstory allowed viewers to also see the story from Oliver\u2019s side instead of solely Hadley\u2019s point-of-view like the novel.<\/p>\n

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\n Haley Lu Richardson as Hadley Sullivan and Ben Hardy as Oliver Jones in \u2018Love at First Sight.\u2019<\/span> Courtesy of Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Losing an Entire Character \u2014 or Two<\/b><\/h3>\n

While Hadley was upset with her dad, Andrew Sullivan, in both the book and movie for leaving her family post-divorce, she leaned on her mom on the page. Hadley\u2019s mother was not featured in the movie nor was Hadley\u2019s almost-stepfather Harrison. (Movie Hadley\u2019s phobia of dentists had Us wondering if it was a subtle reference to Harrison\u2019s dental profession.)<\/p>\n

Inside the \u2018Memorial\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n

With the movie giving more access to Oliver, it also allowed fans (and Hadley) to go into his mom\u2019s memorial and meet his family. As pointed out above, the tweak allows viewers to see Oliver\u2019s emotions and vulnerabilities whereas he was a fairly one-dimensional book love interest.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Haley Lu Richardson and Ex-Fiance Brett Dier: The Way They Were<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tAfter meeting on set of Ravenswood, Haley Lu Richardson and Brett Dier were actual relationship goals before they called it quits. The Pretty Little Liars spinoff, which premiered in 2013, only lasted one season on ABC Family (now Freeform) but that was enough time for Richardson and Dier to hit it off. \u201cWe met on [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A Dickensian Connection<\/b><\/h3>\n

Book Hadley and her dad had a huge bond over Charles Dickens<\/a> and his novel Our Mutual Friend<\/i>. The movie left that connection completely intact.<\/p>\n

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\n Jameela Jamil as Narrator in \u2018Love at First Sight.\u2019<\/span> Rob Baker Ashton\/Netflix<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ripped From the Page<\/b><\/h3>\n

Faithful book readers will be delighted that several exact lines and jokes were replicated in the Netflix script \u2014 including the last scene\u2019s final dialogue when Oliver mutters the complete book title for the first time.<\/p>\n

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