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What makes a good rom-com love triangle? 'To All The Boys' author Jenny Han shares more

What makes a good rom-com love triangle? 'To All The Boys' author Jenny Han shares more
Korean-American author Jenny Han and Lana Condor.
PHOTO: Netflix

What’s to happen to Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky? An uncertain future looms ahead, it seems.

Netflix’s hit romantic comedy film franchise ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” is based on a novel of the same name written by Korean-American author Jenny Han that stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo as teenage lovebirds Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky.

If you have yet to watch it, the story unfolds when Lara Jean’s secret love letters, initially kept in her closet, are accidentally sent to all the boys whom she’s had crushes on over the years. Love blossoms between her and her and one of the boys, Peter Kavinsky.

This was later followed by the sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” which saw Lara Jean being caught between Peter and longtime friend Josh, and realising at the end that she still loves Peter.

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In the upcoming third and final installment directed by Michael Fimognari, ‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever,’ Lara Jean finishes her final year of high school and starts to plan her future. She and Peter Kavinsky plan to attend Stanford University together.

However, Lara Jean gets interested in moving to New York and has to make a tough decision after discovering she didn’t get accepted into Stanford.

We got to chat with best-selling author Jenny Han to share her thoughts on the lead actors, her favourite book and movie moments, seeing her story played out on the big screen, and what kept her busy in 2020.

1. What are you most proud of having your books turn into a film series?

Jenny Han (JH): I think I’ve been most proud when I got emails from fans who said that ‘To All The Boys’ was the first time they’ve seen themselves represented on screen, and that they felt really connected, represented and happy.

I’ve gotten these kind of emails from people my age as well as those who are younger. It’s very moving for me to get letters like these, because growing up, I didn’t see myself (represented) very often, and to bring that kind of experience to somebody else is really an honour.

2. You're very hands-on with this film. Did you get to choose the places that Lara Jean went to in Seoul, specifically the cafe where Lara Jean wrote her postcard to Peter?

JH: Yes! It was my idea. There’s a friend of mine who goes to Korea all the time, so I got her to tell me all the good, cute places right now.

She said I had to go to Cafe Yeonnam-Dong 223-14, and I begged the producers to check it out when they were scouting locations.

So they went, and I was so pleased when it ended up making the movie. It’s so charming and so cute – I felt really lucky for that one.

3. Your thoughts on Lana and Noah and how they have developed as actors? Especially Lana, whom you handpicked to play Lara Jean

JH: From the moment I met Lana, I knew that she was someone who was going to be a star. She has a kind of confidence and drive that is unusual for someone so young.

One of the first things I said to her was that I wanted to see her have whatever kind of part she wanted, to be able to do whatever she wanted, and for ‘To All The Boys’ to be a lily pad that she could leap off from.

I’ve always felt that YA (young adult) book adaptations have great, juicy parts for young women; the audience is mainly young women, and so the books are often about them. And we’ve gotten to see great actresses come out from that.

There’s Jennifer Lawrence, who did Hunger Games, and Kristen Stewart in Twilight. They go on to have these big careers and get offered so many different roles.

Because there were fewer books with a lead character who’s Asian American, you don’t really see people getting these opportunities down the road. With ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’, it already had a fan base, so I hoped that Lana could have those opportunities if the movie did well.

4. People are so obsessed over Lara Jean and Peter's relationship. What do you think is it about this series and their relationship that managed to revive the genre of rom-coms?

JH: I think that Lana and Noah’s chemistry really pops on camera, and people fell in love with that. I also think that people were ready for a kind of soft romance between two teenagers who are nice people and who fall in love.

People are always primed for a hopeful and optimistic type of story, and I really feel that their romance is really warm-hearted, so people were really eager to spend time with them and in their world.

5. You said you're a massive rom-com fan. Were there any tropes of the genre you wanted to steer away from?

JH: I don’t know if this is a trope, but I often feel like when there is a love triangle, in rom coms, the other guy is often kind of a jerk. And to me, it makes things too easy. I like it when there is a real choice involved.

I like a rom-com love triangle when I do not know what will happen, and I will be equally devastated no matter who she picks. I don’t know if that’s a trope or not, but it’s something that’s not my favourite.

6. For 'Always & Forever', what would be the most memorable moment or hardest scene to write?

JH: For the book, the hard scenes were when Lara Jean was making some tough decisions. It’s always hard to put your characters through painful moments. I didn’t write the third movie, the screenplay was by Katie Love Joy.

But a memorable part of it for me was visiting Korea; to be able to film there and bring my family, and be able to show off how amazing Korea is to the cast and crew.

7. Is there a certain scene or moment in the book that you were particularly excited or nervous to see played out on screen?

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JH: I would say that I was nervous about the hot tub scene from the first film. Because a hot tub make-out scene is inherently juicy and sexy, and I wanted to make sure it felt true to Lara Jean and still felt innocent and pretty chaste.

I remember texting with Lana, and being like, “Lara Jean has never even really had a hook-up before, so it’s going to be all new to you.” But I think it turned out really sweet.

8. A large portion of the final book is about Lara's decision-making journey. Could you tell us more about that?

JH: I think that it really makes sense in terms of the journey for Lara Jean and so many teenagers. As they’re finishing up high school, there are so many big decisions they have to make.

So I really wanted to pay homage to that moment because before then (deciding on which college to go to), they’ve not had to make such a huge decision. It’s such a big coming-of-age moment, and everything that comes after is all hinged on where they decide to go.

The good news is, it’s actually not true, you can make a decision and end up going another way, like transferring schools.

I wanted to really lean into all the emotions around that, especially for someone like Lara Jean, who’s historically been afraid to leave home or make these big decisions. It was fun to see her in that place.

9. As the author, and as an older person who has gone through the issues and dilemmas (and especially the uncertainty that Lara Jean later faces) that these characters are facing, what would you say to young people of her age?

JH: I would say that to not worry too much. Like for the choice of college, it can feel like the end of the world when you don’t get into the college you want to go to, or if you decide you want to break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Those decisions can feel really huge, and they are huge at the moment, but at the same time, I think life is long, and that’s just the beginning. You can change your mind, and that’s okay too. I really believe that wherever you go is where you’re meant to be in that moment.

But I don’t think it’s ever too late to turn around either.

10. Lara Jean became her own person at the end of the franchise. Will Lara Jean achieve all her dreams? Will she really marry Peter?

JH: Honestly, I don’t know because I think as the author, I feel like my job is done once I finish the book, and they will continue to live on as characters in other people’s heads. But I’m not there to direct or write the story.

I feel like that anybody’s guess is as good as mine. I have my own theories but until I sit down and write a new one, I wouldn’t know because often, writing for me is like uncovering fossils and you can never know what you’re gonna get.

11. On your Instagram page, you wrote that 2020 isn't all that bad. What kept you busy in 2020 and what's next for you?

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JH: I’ve been very busy! I would say that in 2020, I worked harder than I did in any other year. I was really busy just writing. I also took up golf, as well as Korean lessons from a tutor because I wanted to improve my language skills.

I was also taking up a lot more Asian cooking, so I’ve been busy in that way of trying to use that time and see it more as a gift. I’m excited, when all this is over, to be able to show what I’ve been working on.

I can’t tell you what’s next because I’m not allowed to yet (laughs). But one thing I can say is that I’m doing some screenwriting and I wrote an episode of a new show that’s going to be on Netflix that (television producer) Shonda Rhimes is doing, which is an anthology about love.

She tapped all the different types of artists to do their own episodes, and I’m excited because it’s a bit different from what anyone has seen me do before.

“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” will premiere on Netflix, Feb 12, 2021.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.

 

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