Movies

The 7 biggest changes from the To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You book to screen

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Published on February 12, 2020 03:25PM EST

Warning: This article contains spoilers about To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.

In To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, viewers watch as Lara Jean (Lana Condor) has to choose between her current boyfriend, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), and her former crush, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher). But for fans of the book series by Jenny Han, they knew the answer.

However, as with any adaptation, there are a few major differences between the film and its source material. Here, we break them down, including honorable mention: Jamie Fox-Pickle, the puppy, isn’t in the film!

The first date

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You kicks off with Peter and Lara Jean’s first date, as he takes her to an Italian restaurant and she then treats him to a Japanese lantern festival. In the book, however, their first date consists of a movie and fried chicken — more specifically, Peter’s favorite restaurant, Biscuit Soul Food.

New contract

In the film, Lara Jean and Peter promise not to break each other’s hearts on their first date, but in the book, that promise was the final piece of their new contract. Remember the contract they made in To All The Boys, when they were in a fake relationship? Well, when they make things official in the book, they make a new contract, complete with things like: “Peter will not be more than five minutes late” and “Lara Jean will not make Peter do crafts of any kind.”

The video

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before brought the hot tub video fiasco to a close, but in the books, the video plays into P.S. I Still Love You, even having Peter’s at-school confrontation happen at an assembly and Lara Jean’s dad having a chat with his daughter after he finds out about it.

Josh!

Josh isn’t part of the film sequel, but in the book, Margot’s ex is still around. He hangs out with Lara Jean occasionally, telling her that he got into UVA and then informing her that he has a new girlfriend: Liza Booker.

Lara Jean and John Ambrose are pen pals

In the film, Lara Jean never writes John Ambrose back, and instead, he shows up as a fellow volunteer at Belleview. In the book, she and John are pen pals, writing back and forth until she sees him at the time capsule party. They do ultimately spend a lot of time at Belleview, but not because he’s a volunteer — because Stormy is his great-grandmother by marriage!!

Stormy then plays a crucial role in getting the two of them together, even convincing them to have a sleepover at the retirement home one night, which leads to them playing in the snow. But that’s not where they kiss.

Rather, the kiss happens after Belleview’s USO party — as opposed to a Star Ball — when Lara Jean and John have an awkward run-in with Peter and Gen that ends with John driving Lara Jean away in his dad’s red Mustang, and at a red light, he kisses her.

Assassins

In the book, there’s a game of tag called Assassins that plays a big role. The treehouse gang all agrees to play it, and it has a lot to do with how Lara Jean and John interact throughout the second half of the book.

No birthdays

In the book, they celebrate Kitty’s birthday and then, by the end, Lara Jean’s, which is where Peter and John have their big showdown: John gives her a snow globe and Peter returns her locket before declaring that he’s going to fight for her. After that interaction she realizes that she still loves Peter and calls him to meet her at the treehouse, where they makeup.

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