Reminders of Him

Author Colleen Hoover seems to be the new “it” author to adapt in Hollywood. After the smash hit success of her novel adaptation It Ends With Us — that’s before all the ongoing behind-the-scenes legal drama — Hoover’s work has been in high demand. Last fall’s Regretting You was a decent enough hit despite its critical lambasting and several other adaptations are in the works, with the upcoming Verity hitting theaters in the fall. While most wouldn’t consider Hoover worthy of writing the next Great American Novel, her penchant for telling stories about spiritually and emotionally wounded adults has certainly hit a nerve with the general public. The latest adaptation of Hoover’s work is indeed predictable and formulaic, but also understated in its approach to sweeping emotion.

Courtesy Universal

Kenna (Maika Monroe) has been kicked around by life. Fresh from serving a 5-year prison sentence, Kenna returns to the small town of Laramie, Wyoming in the hopes of meeting the daughter she gave birth to while cuffed to a hospital bed. Kenna was behind the wheel of a tragic car accident that killed her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow) — who both happened to be under the influence — thus leading to her prison sentence. With parental rights waived to Scotty’s parents (Lauren Graham and a miscast Bradley Whitford), Kenna moves back to town looking for a job, but struggles to find work given her record. After a string of failed job interviews, she stops at a local bar for a cup of coffee where she meets Ledger (Tyriq Withers), a kind and handsome bar owner. Ledger gives Kenna a job helping out around the bar where sparks begin to ignite between the two. However, things get complicated when Ledger opens up about who he is. Ledger is a former NFL player who has relocated to his home town after an injury sidelined his professional career; he also happened to be Scotty’s childhood best friend, despite never meeting Kenna. Since moving back home, Ledger has become something of a father figure to Kenna and Scotty’s daughter, Diem. As Kenna and Ledger grow closer, Kenna must confront her past mistakes in an attempt to build a hopeful future, not just for herself, but for her daughter as well.

Directed by Vanessa Caswill (Love at First Sight), Reminders of Him is formulaic, not particularly well-written and has quite a few awkward moments of dialogue, but is given a sense of authenticity thanks in large part to star Maika Monroe. Monroe, who has cemented herself in the horror space after delivering dynamite work in Longlegs, It Follows and the under-seen Watcher, brings an understated humanity to the role of Kenna. The character is clearly going through a state of torment, but Monroe doesn’t play her to be merely an object of the audience’s sympathy. She is a character who made a tragic mistake and has spent years wanting to atone. For all of the script’s many faults, including questionable plotting, befuddling character names and a story that doesn’t fully delve into the complexities of its characters, it avoids feeling pandering and aims for something more human.

Courtesy Universal

Caswill’s film is more genuine its depiction of a mother trying to become a part of her daughter’s life as opposed to a straightforward love story. Monroe and Tyriq Withers have all the requisite chemistry needed to make the romance angle work — and they do make for a compelling on-screen duo, but Ledger simply isn’t a deep or interesting enough character to make this side of the story credible. Lauren Graham initially seems underutilized until the final act gives the actress a couple of quietly devastating moments that reinforce her often overlooked skills in dramatic work. Kenna’s longing to meet her daughter and be given a chance to prove her worthiness is far more dramatically investing than Kenna and Ledger’s love story.

While the two lovers must overcome themes of forgiveness and understanding, the relationship feels more clunky and artificial than the drama at the heart of the film. Not helping matters is the extended usage of corny, sentimental montages that feel more like commercials for H&M. Caswill does excel at capturing a sense of warmth in the Wyoming landscapes and a lived-in quality in the small-town environments. There’s something about the film’s setting that feels far more grounded and transportive than other recent films of this sort.

Courtesy Universal

Reminders of Him is carried by a sensitive, honest performance from Maika Monroe and an understated approach to its material. While its central romance is largely serviceable, director Vanessa Caswill finds enough natural emotion and earnestness in its tugs at the heartstrings to make this adaptation dramatically satisfying. What could have been a cloying, manipulative weepie in the vein of Nicholas Sparks is instead given more honesty and naturalism to mostly avoid these trappings.

Reminders of Him is now playing in theaters.