Reminders of Him

by Mike McGranaghan

Colleen Hoover is having the kind of moment Stephen King enjoyed in the 1980s and John Grisham had in the 1990s. Hollywood can’t bring her stories to the screen fast enough. Reminders of Him is the third movie adaptation of her work in the past two years. I didn’t see It Ends with Us - it came out the week my dad died - and I thought Regretting You was pretty lousy. This one certainly gives off “glorified soap opera” vibes from the trailer, but it’s actually an affecting romantic drama that I admit got me a little choked up at the end.

Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) was just released from prison. She served time for a drunk driving accident that killed her boyfriend, Scotty. After he died, she gave birth to their daughter, who was then taken away and put in the custody of his parents, Grace (Lauren Graham) and Patrick (Bradley Whitford). Now Kenna has returned to the town where it happened, hoping to see the five-year-old Diem (Zoe Kosovic). The situation is complicated when she falls in love with Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), Scotty’s best friend and a surrogate father figure to Diem. Ledger is torn between his attraction to her and the knowledge that Grace and Patrick blame Kenna for their son’s death.

There’s a lot to unpack in that premise, and Reminders of Him manages to accomplish the task in 114 minutes. The story relies on silly contrivances at times and there are flashback scenes from Kenna’s past to briskly provide necessary exposition. Hoover, co-writing the screenplay with Lauren Levine, achieves a good balance overall, allowing the Kenna/Ledger romance to develop credibly, while also giving quality time to Kenna’s personal struggles and building to a resolution of the arc involving Grace and Patrick that doesn’t come off as cheap. Nothing gets short-changed.

The performances are what truly make the movie come alive. Maika Monroe is arguably best known for horror movies, including It Follows and Longlegs. For that reason, her casting here may seem unlikely. In fact, she’s a phenomenal choice. Monroe knows how to bring edges and shades of darkness to the characters she portrays. She offers a truthful look at how this woman’s guilt, grief, and hope for a better tomorrow all swirl together.

The actress has strong chemistry with Tyriq Withers (who, ironically starred in last year’s football-related horror movie HIM). He transcends the usual “nice guy” cliches by mixing Ledger’s compassionate nature with a hint of self-destructiveness. Saying more on that count would give away a couple plot points you’re better off discovering for yourself.

Graham, as always, is wonderful, as is Whitford. They take supporting roles and flesh them out beautifully. Grace and Patrick have more limited screen time, but the veteran stars convey how their protectiveness about Diem is driven by pain. You completely empathize with their situation even as you root for Kenna to see her daughter.

Director Vanessa Caswill paces the story well, moving back and forth between the plot threads relatively smoothly. Under her guidance, Reminders of Him is refreshingly free of the overt sappiness that marred Regretting You. She strives to inject emotional realism into a tale that could have wound up seeming like a Lifetime Channel movie projected onto a bigger screen. With a terrific cast, led by the fabulous Maika Monroe, the film hits you right in the feels - each and every one of them.

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