Photo courtesy of Glamour
Lara Jean Song Covey is back once again to bring out the romantic in all of us. The “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” lead returns for the third and final installment of the series, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever.” In their last few months of high school, Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and her boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) are eagerly waiting to start the next chapter in their relationship by hopefully attending Stanford together in the fall. Everything starts to fall apart for the couple when Lara Jean fails to get into Stanford and instead falls in love with NYU, which is approximately 3,000 miles away from both Peter and her family.
While the second movie in the franchise fell flat in comparison to the first, the third one fully delivered with geeky 80s references, heartfelt family moments and adorable interactions between Lara Jean and Peter that could melt even the coldest of hearts.
What makes “To All the Boys 3” the most successful of the three films in the series is its candor in how relationships are affected by distance, especially young love like Lara Jean and Peter’s. The situations it presents, both regarding relationships and family problems, are not ones that are far removed from what people experience daily. All viewers can relate in some capacity to the emotions that each character feels during different parts of the film. That relatability is seldom seen in movies, which are often expected to be distractions from real life instead of reflections.
This isn’t a movie that reaffirms the idea that high school love is forever, like most teen romance movies tend to do. Instead, it emphasizes that despite being a part of a couple, both Lara Jean and Peter are their own people who need to grow on their own before they can grow together.
Another added element that lends to the success and relatability of the movie is its positive representation. It’s not often that a romantic comedy has a female lead that isn’t the cookie-cutter image of a romantic lead. Not only are Lara Jean and her family Korean, but their culture is also embraced in the film. Rather than following the blueprint of a classic rom com, “To All the Boys” takes the time to put Lara Jean’s Korean roots into each of the three films. “To All the Boys 3” opens with the Song-Covey family in Seoul, Korea experiencing and immersing themselves in the culture of their late mother.
At its heart, the “To All the Boys” series is about family above all else. While we see Lara Jean and Peter fall in love, we also see her family grow and adapt to new changes in their lives, whether that be the eldest sister moving away for college or their father finding love again. We even see the youngest Covey sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart), falling in love for the first time too.
While Noah Centineo made waves after the release of the first movie, it is clear that the true stars are Lana Condor and Anna Cathcart. Their sibling relationship is nothing short of adorable and touching, and both young actresses shine on their own. Cathcart, at only 17 years old, can steal any scene she is in with ease. Condor’s acting skills and emotional depth are constant reminders that she effortlessly carried all three movies on her back. It would not be surprising if we see a lot more from both actresses in the near future.
Despite a stellar cast, many movie franchises that have been adapted from books don’t often satisfy viewers and frequently fall flat after the first movie. While the second movie did not hit all of the right notes, the third film tied up the series in a way that both concluded this chapter of Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship while reaffirming that their story has only just begun. From callbacks of Lara Jean’s hatbox to the song “I Like Me Better” by Lauv, everything came full circle in the end.
“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” was a perfect final love letter to the series that has been capturing hearts since 2014.
