Past meets present with emotional trauma in the touching film adaptation of the best-seller, Regretting You, a drama that is highlighted by sensitive direction from Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) and a good cast.
Morgan (Allison Williams) and Jenny are sisters who, 17 years later, are now moms. Morgan is married to Chris and has a teenager, Clara (Mckenna Grace), while Jenny, a new mother herself, is planning to marry Jonah. Clara yearns to be an actress and finds a soulmate in Miller, another high schooler with dreams of being a filmmaker. Life seems blissful until tragedy strikes, and Morgan’s life is not only shaken, but devastated when a dark secret emerges thst threatens to unravel her relationship with Clara. Mother and daughter struggle with the truth and an uncertain future.
The story establishes the quartet of high school friends whose relationships grow over the years, and though the narrative does give hints of something hidden, when it is revealed, these characters’ intertwined worlds are forever changed. The film achieves the difficult task of balancing multiple sets of relationships including Morgan and Jonah, Clara and Miller, and especially Morgan and Clara. Not only is it about rediscovering one’s true passion but, in the case of Morgan, reinvention and letting go of a painful past. The appealing cast performs admirably especially Williams in an emotionally challenging role.
This
is a straightforward drama not without moments of humor and irony. Though parts
may seem a bit clichéd and predictable, it
is played convincingly and realistically as during Clara’s birthday dinner
where all the principal characters collide.
Above all, what comes through in the end is the love each person has to
give. How’s that for a parting message?
***1/2
of ***** (add ½* for fans of the book)
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