‘All The Bright Places’ Review

Violet, Elle Fanning, is contemplating jumping as she stands on the ledge of a bridge. While engaging in his morning run, Finch sees her. He prevents Violet from doing so in a gentle manner. Stumbling upon each other in school, the two cannot forget the moment they experienced.

Finch is desperate to see Violet move on. So, when the geography teacher gives them an assignment to wander Indiana, Finch decides to become Violet’s partner.

Violet is still mourning the loss of her sister, who had died in a car accident that happened at the bridge she was standing when she thought about taking her life.

Finch is going through emotional troubles. The coloured sticky note on his bedroom wall and his ways of staying away from his friends for weeks is evidence. The lengthy scar on the right side of his torso is also evidence that he is going through emotional and physical trauma.

Events worth noting…

(a)

Violet said: “It’s nice to have a friend again.” It’s great to see someone you probably haven’t interacted with, care so much about you than your friends.

(b)

The people we assume have a perfect life might actually be going through a lot. The movie also shows that no one has a perfect life and everyone has one or two things troubling them at some point in time.

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(c)

You don’t have to be perfect to help

Finch was genuinely interested in assisting Violet to move on after her sister’s death. It was lovely to see how she started to smile and see life differently. Finch had written on one of his sticky notes that Violet ‘smiled at me.’

Finch is probably happy to concentrate on someone else’s problems instead of his.

(d)

The deep words used in this movie were amazing. The adventure, quotes, and all should be worth noting. Tears trickled down my face when Finch and Violet wrote what they wanted to do before they die.

“Before I die, I want to STAY AWAKE.”

“Before I die, I want to BE BRAVE.”

(e)

Mental illness is real

I’m glad people are now talking about mental illness and individuals are sharing their struggles and seeking solutions.

(f)

Family plays an important role in one’s life

Finch’s father was a violent man who had left them long ago. His mother was hardly around. Who stood as a father/mother figure to help Finch through his emotional trauma asides his sister?

(g)

Ultraviolet

The way Finch addressed Violet was so lovely. Ultraviolet!

Issues I have with the movie…

(a)

They could have just remained friends

What’s with dating and kissing? While watching the movie, I was silently hoping that they would remain that way. As friends. It was surprising to see Finch’s sister call Violet his girlfriend. I mean, girlfriend? Really?

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All the Bright Places Netflix Quotes

Friends: “The tiniest few might actually mean well.”

“I feel a thousand capacities spring up in me.”

“I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times.”

“My own brain is to me, the most unaccountable of machinery, always buzzing, humming, soaring, roaring, diving, and then buried in mud. And why? What’s this passion for?”

“If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.”

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”

“The ugliest of place can be beautiful, as long as you take the time to look.”

“It’s okay to get lost, as long as you find your way back.”

“There’s beauty in the most unexpected of places.”

“There are bright places, even in dark times. And if there isn’t, you can be that bright place with infinite capacities.”

“Lovely is a lovely word that should be used more often.”

“Sometimes in the darkest places, we find the brightest light.”

“I am not perfect. I have secrets. I am messy. Not just my bedroom but me. No one likes messy.”

“Your turn.”

All the Bright Places Book vs Movie

The movie was adapted from Jennifer Niven’s popular novel of the same title. Upon the release of the movie, several people have expressed their opinions. A majority believes that the movie didn’t capture some major scenes in the book. I don’t have an opinion about this because, although I have a copy of the novel in my collection, I haven’t read the book. However, glancing through the book, it is obvious that some parts have been left out. It’s the same with movies like The Fault in Our Stars and Can You Keep A Secret? To fully grasp the story, I always advise that one start with the novel.

Maryam’s Rating:

4.5/5. ‘All the bright Places’ is a breathtaking movie you should watch one of these Saturdays.

Photo credit: pinterest.com