Spoilers are ahead for The Idea of You.
Based on Robinne Lee’s novel of the same name, The Idea of You changes its source material’s ending, but it still fails to provide the perfect conclusion to Solène Marchand’s story. The Amazon MGM Studios production sees Anne Hathaway playing Solène, a 40-year-old divorced art dealer who accompanies her teenage daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), on a trip to Coachella. Izzy’s disconnected father, Dan (Reid Scott), even secures a VIP meet-and-greet with Izzy’s one-time favorite act, August Moon. While Izzy thinks the boy band is “so seventh grade,” she agrees to attend the autograph session.
Before “getting Mooned,” Solène winds up thinking lead singer Hayes Campbell’s (Nicholas Galitzine) trailer is a public bathroom, leading to a very unusual encounter. Charmed by Solène’s down-to-earth nature, Hayes tracks down the art gallery in Silver Lake. After an unexpected and unconventional first date of sorts, Hayes invites Solène to join him on tour. At first, the whirlwind romance is just what Solène needs, but things take a dark turn when the paparazzi uncover the pair’s relationship. Angered by The Idea of You‘s age-gap romance, Hayes’ fans attack Solène at every opportunity.
Solène and Hayes’ secret fling winds up all over the internet mere hours after the former breaks things off. Feeling duped by Hayes’ alleged playboy behavior, Solène leaves the relationship before she becomes a “joke.“ During their first date, Solène revealed that she felt that kind of shame once before: Everyone knew Dan was cheating on her, and she was the last to find out. To make matters worse, her ex-husband wasn’t interested in moving past the affair. Since Solène and Dan married and had Izzy when they were in their mid-20s, Solène hasn’t had much time in the dating pool.
Meanwhile, Hayes Campbell is afraid of being considered a joke for his stint in August Moon. Eager to be taken seriously as a musical artist, Hayes doesn’t want a decision that he made as a teenager to dictate the rest of his life. Amid the paparazzi chaos, The Idea of You‘s cast of characters encourage Solène to be with Hayes if that’s what she genuinely wants. Unfortunately, Hayes and Solène’s renewed romance is also short-lived. The constant scrutiny and cascade of internet hate begins to impact Izzy, pushing Solène to break up with Hayes yet again.
Ever-understanding, Hayes agrees with Solène’s line of thinking, but suggests that they should reunite in five years. By then, he believes he’ll be some “D-list celebrity that no one cares about” and that Izzy will be in college, far away from home. While Solène clearly thinks it’s a nice thought, she tells him to pursue love in the meantime; if they get shots at happiness, they should both seize those opportunities instead of waiting around. Half a decade later, Solène is watching The Graham Norton Show. After performing, Hayes tells the host that he’s planning to take a break to visit someone special in Los Angeles.
After the scene of Hayes Campbell appearing on The Graham Norton Show, The Idea of You cuts to Solène’s art gallery. A wistful Solène is clearly wondering if the person Hayes alluded to on the late-night show is her. Moments later, Hayes walks through the door of the art gallery, and the two smile at each other with tears of joy in their eyes. While The Idea of You‘s ending is a happy one, and while that seems on-par for a rom-com, it does a huge disservice to Solène’s story.
In fact, The Idea of You movie adaptation should have leaned into an ambiguous conclusion by ending with the Graham Norton Show clip. If the final scene had been Hayes Campbell talking about how he needed to take a break and visit someone in Los Angeles, it would have satisfied most audiences. For those who felt optimistic about Hayes and Solène’s romance, it would have worked. At the same time, it would have appeased viewers who felt Solène’s fling with Hayes was just that: momentary but still important to her personal growth and understanding of self.
In Lee’s book, Solène is thoroughly convinced that her relationship with Hayes Campbell isn’t meant to work. Not only does the internet culture’s toxicity upend Izzy’s life, but it disrupts the art gallery too. Ultimately, Solène breaks things off, though she never really moves past her love for the singer. Meanwhile, Hayes moves on with his love life and never reaches out to Solène again. Since The Idea of You isn’t Harry Styles fanfiction, the book’s ending feels more realistic. Interestingly, the movie takes a much more typical rom-com approach — not just to the ending, but to the couple’s whole relationship.
As evidenced by Hayes’ watch in The Idea of You, time is an important theme in the film. However, it’s also true that time doesn’t mend all wounds. Although Hayes and Solène’s breakup is amicable, their romance didn’t need to be treated as an epic love story. More than anything, The Idea of You is a second coming-of-age for Solène — a woman who never really got the chance to discover herself outside of her marriage. Solène’s love affair with Hayes enables that self-discovery and exploration, making their love important to Solène’s larger story.
Still, that doesn’t mean Solène and Hayes are an endgame couple. An ambiguous ending would have felt more satisfying for many reasons, but, perhaps most importantly, it would have preserved Solène’s relationship with Hayes as this beautiful moment in time — something she cherishes that’s made all-the-more precious because of its ephemeral quality. Having Hayes’ say that he’s headed to LA would have kept the door open for romantics, all while allowing room for interpretation. Additionally, it would have kept The Idea of You‘s ending focused on Solène, ensuring she wasn’t yet again defined by her love life.