People We Meet On Vacation's 10 Biggest Book Changes

Page-to-screen adaptations are always tricky to master, and the changes in Netflix's People We Meet On Vacation prove that despite Emily Henry's book having the perfect rom-com flair, there were some things that had to shift to make the story work. Page-to-screen adaptations are nothing new. For as long as there have been stories, there have been adaptations, but page-to-screen is gaining new momentum in the streaming era.

While Henry's novel, a bestseller that debuted in 2021, is a brilliant work of fiction that brings together romance, comedy, and literary fiction, it was clear from the moment Netflix announced its adaptation that the book being made into a film would usher in some changes. While romantic comedies work on screen and on the page, what it takes to create a success is different for each medium.

At its core, the film adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation does exactly the same thing as the novel. It tells the story of two friends, Alex Nilson (Tom Blyth) and Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) who make it a tradition to take epic, sprawling vacations together as their lives continue in vastly different directions and their relationship changes in unexpected ways.

While the message is the same, the novel is able to delve into pieces of the characters that the film doesn't have the time and space to, while the film is able to offer a dazzling visual energy that the novel can only try to master. Despite knowing both are well crafted, Netflix's People We Meet On Vacation has some major differences from its source material.

10 The Timeline Of Alex & Poppy’s Friendship

In Henry's novel, Poppy and Alex's relationship begins during their freshman orientation week at the University of Chicago. While Poppy and Alex don't speak until the end of the school year, they've known of each other throughout their first year. With a When Harry Met Sally-style road trip back to Linfield, Ohio set up in both the book and the movie, the shift in the film is timing.

In the novel, Alex and Poppy drive back to Ohio together, then build their friendship throughout the next year before taking their first actual trip together. In the Netflix movie, the characters are both studying at Boston College when they make their fateful drive back to Ohio. The motel scene, which allows Alex and Poppy to get to know one another in the film, was an addition.

9 Poppy’s Invitation To Alex’s Brother’s Wedding

Henry's novel creates a somewhat more complicated setup for Alex and Poppy to come together at his brother's wedding. While the wedding is still a major piece of the puzzle, in the written version of People We Meet On Vacation, Poppy isn't invited to the wedding, and David (Miles Heizer) doesn't reach out to see if she's attending at all.

Instead, Poppy reaches out to Alex after years of silence to offer to take him on a trip she'll be taking for work, hoping they can salvage their friendship. Alex tells her he's headed to Palm Springs for his brother's wedding and invites her to that, instead, and Poppy accepts despite having to spin a web of lies to do so.

8 Alex & Poppy’s Family Structures

In Henry's novel, the author is able to expand upon what Alex and Poppy's lives look like outside their friendship considerably. While the film reveals that Alex's mother passed when he was young, leaving him with his father and brother, things are strikingly different in the novel. Similarly, Poppy's family is significantly smaller in the film than in the novel.

Within the pages of People We Meet On Vacation, readers learn that Alex has three younger brothers, and that David is the youngest. The pressure on Alex is heavier in the novel because of the familial stakes. Poppy's parents, played in the film by Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon, appear far more in the novel, as do two younger brothers, Prince and Parker, who were cut from the movie.

7 The Locations Of Alex & Poppy’s (Fewer) Trips

As the book was able to accommodate more location changes, the trips taken in the film version of People We Meet On Vacation are somewhat different than the source material. In the book, Alex and Poppy are said to have taken nine summer trips ahead of their foray to Palm Springs. Their adventures in Vancouver Island, Colorado, Tuscany, and Croatia are heavily featured on the page.

In the movie version of People We Meet On Vacation, Alex and Poppy have a bit less travel between them. The pair head to Squamish, New Orleans, and Tuscany throughout the film, and their final trip is to Barcelona. The changes don't necessarily make things worse, but they do shift the timing of the story a bit.

6 Alex’s Characterization Isn’t As Deep

One of the most massive shifts to People We Meet On Vacation is that we see far less of Alex's character, which often makes his behavior confusing. While we learn on page and screen that Alex's mother died at a young age, the movie version of Alex doesn't carry grief in the same way that the book version does.

Alex's grief and complicated relationship with his father is a major piece of the puzzle for his character, especially considering he's only able to let loose with Poppy on vacation. The shift in the film often makes it confusing to fully grasp where Alex is coming from because of his difficulty letting go and enjoying himself. While he talks around it, unpacking Alex's issues would've helped.

5 Poppy’s Deception Surrounding Seeing Alex Again

In the book, Henry develops a layer of deception surrounding Poppy's trip to Palm Springs. Rather than taking the vacation that her boss, Swapna, has lined up for her at R&R, Poppy takes vacation time and rents an Airbnb on her own in Palm Springs to spend time with Alex. Lying to Alex, Poppy has to untangle a web of drama before she can reach their mutual issues.

In the movie, not only has the location of the wedding been moved to Barcelona, but the lie surrounding Poppy's work trip has been omitted entirely. Instead, Poppy lies to Alex by saying she'll already be in Barcelona for work, which means she'll be able to attend the wedding. The deception doesn't hit as hard, nor does it feel like a necessary addition.

On screen, the ending of People We Meet On Vacation sees Poppy quitting her job at R&R after feeling out of sorts, then heading to Linfield to figure out what she's going to do next with Alex. While it's clear there's been a little bit of time between Alex and Poppy's reunion and split in Barcelona, it doesn't take long for the pair to come back together.

In the novel, Henry teases the tension out a bit longer. Poppy doesn't quit her job right away, but instead heads home to New York after things come to a head with Alex and tries to sort her life out. The book sees Poppy go to therapy and try to sort herself out before she decides to quit her job and, outside of her career, seek Alex out.

3 Sarah & Poppy’s Eventual Confrontation

Sarah Torval (Sarah Catherine Hook) is introduced as Alex's on-again-off-again girlfriend early on in the movie, but her character is far different, as is her eventual confrontation with Poppy.

In the movie, Sarah works for her family's real estate company in Linfield and Alex mentions her taking things over at some point leading up to their engagement. When Poppy sees Sarah at the airport toward the end of the movie in a flight attendant's uniform, she's shocked to see how much has changed and understands Sarah's point that she wasn't the problem between the former couple.

In the novel, Sarah is a teacher at Linfield High School and, after having a conversation with her high school bully, someone Poppy feels compelled to apologize to. Sarah pushes Poppy to go after Alex, leading to a hearteflt end to People We Meet On Vacation.

2 Alex’s Relationship With Sarah Ends Differently

With Sarah being a different character than she is in the novel version People We Meet On Vacation, her relationship with Alex is also a different beast. In the movie, Alex proposes to Sarah while in Tuscany, fresh on the heels of Poppy nearly kissing him. Ultimately, the proposal causes their two-year falling out after Poppy calls him out for his actions.

In the book, Poppy finds out that Alex was planning to propose to Sarah, but never actually did. He later tells Poppy he broke up with Sarah before he could propose because of his feelings for her.

1 Poppy & Alex Don’t Have A Cinematic Reunion

The intense final scene of People We Meet On Vacation has all the makings of an iconic romantic comedy, but it's far different than how the book comes to a close. In the movie, Poppy flies to Linfield shortly after arriving home to New York and quitting her job, then dashes through an epic chase with Alex and his noise-cancelling headphones through their hometown.

In the book, Poppy takes some time to think about what's happened in her life over the course of the novel, then heads back to Linfield to talk to Alex. After confessing her feelings for him in front of his colleagues at a local bar, Alex shuts Poppy down, but follows her to immediately make amends. People We Meet On Vacation's ending could've been far different.