The adaptation of Jojo Moyes's heartbreaking book Me Before You hit theaters last week, and while the movie does a great job at capturing the essence of the novel, there are a few slight changes. It's not just a few scenes that were cut, but one character is actually missing. Warning: there are spoilers ahead!
OK, so the most obvious difference has to be the absence of Will's sister, Georgina. While she only plays a minor role in the book, her character doesn't appear in the movie at all.
Reading the book, I couldn't help but despise Treena. While she is incredibly supportive of Louisa's plans to help Will, she is often portrayed as incredibly selfish, putting her own needs before everyone in the Clark household. The movie puts a happier spin on the character by focusing on her close bond with her sister.
While the movie certainly nailed the intensity of Patrick's character, I wish his relationship with Louisa would have been explored more — and not just because I wanted Matthew Lewis to have more screen time. In the book, the two actually move in together. As Patrick becomes increasingly jealous of Louisa's relationship with Will, she eventually breaks down and tells him about how he plans to end his life. Not only does their breakup in the movie seem incomplete, but in the book, Patrick blabs to the press about Will's secret.
In the book, Will's father is having an affair with a young woman with red hair. He wants to divorce Camilla, but neither one of them are willing to do so while Will is alive.
Yes, in the book Louisa actually moves in with Will. When she breaks up with Patrick, she decides to stay with the Traynors.
As Louisa searches for the perfect holiday, she enlists help from the internet and a few quadriplegic chat rooms. Not only are their stories incredibly moving, but they really help her understand where Will's coming from.
One of the most moving scenes from the book is when Louisa gets lost in the castle's maze. The first half of the story she avoids it, until Will makes her go in. When she is flooded with flashbacks, she breaks down and tells him about how she was raped there when she was younger.
While Louisa certainly lays her heart out for Will in the movie, she doesn't actually say those three special words. In the book, her confession makes Will's rejection that much more heartbreaking.