Another Colleen Hoover bestseller is making its way to the screen, and the cast behind the film are weighing in on the rules of adapting her novels.
Co-written by Hoover and Lauren Levine, <em>Reminders of Him </em>centers on Kenna Rowan, a young woman who, after getting in a car accident with her boyfriend that results in his death, is sent to prison for seven years. Upon her release, Kenna returns to her Wyoming hometown in the hopes of reuniting with her young daughter, only for her boyfriend’s parents to refuse out of blame for their son’s death.
Along the way, Reminders of Him sees Kenna start growing close to Ledger Ward, a former NFL player now living in the town as an owner of a bookstore transformed into a bar, and who also shows a compassion for her tragedy. When they learn of their shared relationship with the Landry family, their relationships with each other and the family are put to the ultimate test.
Longlegs alum Maika Monroe and HIM‘s Tyriq Withers lead the Reminders of Him cast as Kenna and Ledger, alongside Outer Banks‘ Rudy Pankow, Twinless‘ Lauren Graham, The Diplomat‘s Bradley Whitford and Yellowstone‘s Lainey Wilson. The film’s female-driven production is also headed by Love at First Sight‘s Vanessa Caswill in the director’s chair.
In honor of the film’s release, ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan interviewed Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford to discuss Reminders of Him. When asked about their feelings going into making the film, Whitford humorously shared that the one rule for a Colleen Hoover adaptation is, “Don’t f–k it up,” explaining the importance of “doing justice” for the author’s work:
Bradley Whitford: I was not deep into the genre, and I was blown away when I read this. What an incredible piece of storytelling it was, just setting up the most excruciating, painful situation, and then having everybody navigate it truthfully, to this sort of hopeful, loving, wonderful, forgiving ending. I was blown away by it.
Pankow went on to share that one of the other big factors he kept in mind, which is also what “drove me to the script,” is that “each character has an ethics question” attached to them in Hoover’s novel. Looking at his character, in particular, he finds Scott is questioning whether “I’m right to start a life immediately with Kenna” before what comes develops between her and Ledger.
For Withers, he acknowledged that going into an adaptation of a Hoover novel comes with the expectation that “there’s going to be some drama in the script” and is coming with “a really big following,” while viewers are “going to cry” along the way. Monroe concurred that Hoover’s fanbase was the first thing on her mind when she received the script for Reminders of Him, describing it as being “intimidating” to tackle.
Recreating 1 Reminders Of Him Book Scene For The Screen Was “Intense” For Monroe & Withers
ScreenRant: Did you do a chemistry test, and was there a certain scene or moment that you did, where you felt the moment that you two clicked?
Maika Monroe: Yeah, we did the meet-cute scene, and you got shakers, what are those called? I think they are called shakers. And he was doing the thing, and I was like, “Wow, I’m…”
Tyriq Withers: Obsessed with it. I went fully committed —
Maika Monroe: Fully committed.
Tyriq Withers: It was on Zoom. It stood out for everyone else. It was great. I’m shaking. Mixologist, running a bar. You know, Harvard. But yes, you were in, like, with clothes, in the tub.
Maika Monroe: I was moving to a new house. There was chaos in the house, and I had to go to the bathroom to have it be quiet.
Tyriq Withers: Mind you, she had the role. She had the role already, so she’s in the tub.
Maika Monroe: Much more relaxed.
Tyriq Withers: More relaxed. I’m like, “I’m in my moment.”
Maika Monroe: I know. And I’m like, “Oh God.”
Tyriq Withers: It was immediate.
Maika Monroe: Yeah, for sure.
ScreenRant: What are the shaker skills?
Tyriq Withers: Oh, you got to … What would you like? Dirty martini? Alright. One dirty martini coming right up.
ScreenRant: Fell in love with a bartender. I get it.
Maika Monroe: Yeah, you’re like, “Understood. Understood.”
ScreenRant: Was there a scene or moment that you’re most proud of or were most anxious to recreate that was directly from the book?
Maika Monroe: Oh my God. All of it.
Tyriq Withers: The field scene.
Maika Monroe: Yeah. That was intense.
Tyriq Withers: It’s intense. The field scene where I don’t want to give anything away, but she’s letting Ledger in on how she truly feels, and she’s showing her true emotions a little bit more, and I think Ledger’s receiving that. And yeah, every take Maika brought it. I’m excited for the world to see that scene.
ScreenRant: You’re essentially playing two versions of the same character. There’s who they were before the accident and who they were after. So how would you describe who they were before and who they are when we re-meet them?
Maika Monroe: The younger version of Kenna is very carefree and loving. And I think through trauma, your DNA kind of changes. I think with anything that intense and losing someone that you love so much,[it], changes you forever. So I think she’s much more hardened but also she’s so driven to meet her daughter and be a part of her life that I think there’s also still hope.
ScreenRant: Yeah, it’s like you could see it in her face. Their expressions change. It’s brilliant. He’s grieving two things too. His friend and his prospective career which I think is a lot.
Tyriq Withers: Yeah. You don’t really see too much of a Ledger before but you can get a sense that he’s very distant. I think his identity was rooted in sports. And I think he … Was he chasing something or running from something? I think there’s that discussion and I think he felt like his sports defined him. And when this tragedy of losing his best friend happens I think his whole life is flipped upside down. And I think there’s new meaning and what does it mean to live? And I think that’s surrounding yourself with people who love you for you and not because of who you want to be. And I think he’s more humbled more hardened as well and just hurt.
ScreenRant: This is relevant I promise. Is it harder to act drunk or high?
Maika Monroe: I would say high.
Tyriq Withers: I can’t smoke. I don’t smoke. So that’s — harder to act. Yeah it’s harder because it’s more nuanced. It’s like slow blink red eyes. I think you have a good makeup team to make your eyes red but high definitely.
ScreenRant: One part that got me is when Scotty tries to impress Kenna just by buying the plate. I want to know what’s the oddest thing either you’ve done to impress somebody or that somebody’s done to impress you or get your attention?
Tyriq Withers: I tried out for the football team to get the attention of somebody who was on the cheerleading squad. In college I was interested in somebody and I would walk the longer route to my class — four times as long because I knew her work/study schedule. Man I am a hopeless romantic but yeah you got to get creative.
Maika Monroe: Yeah you do yeah it made me think of when I joined the school golf team because there was a boy on it that I really had a crush on. I lasted about a week.
Graham & Whitford Got To Play 2 Very Different Versions Of Their Characters
ScreenRant: And you two [Lauren and Bradley] are essentially playing two different characters emotionally because there’s before the accident and then there’s who they are after the accident. So how do you describe who they were before versus who they are after and how it affects their marriage?
Bradley Whitford: I mean I feel like there’s an innocence before tragedy hits a family. The way I deal with it and what’s painful about what happens in the course of this movie with her showing up again is I feel like we’ve just gone through the valley of death and I feel like my wife is coming to see the sunshine and this little child and we’re actually having some healing and now we have to deal with it all again which is difficult. I feel like he’s trying to sort of take care of her a little bit.
Lauren Graham: Agreed in terms of what they were and where they are now. And I think I’ve developed just a terrible fear of things changing a fear of what can happen overnight because of what we went through losing him. So anything that’s different or really as Bradley said we’re just now on our feet and this little girl is attached to us and we’re attached to her so I start from the standpoint of like “No nothing I don’t want any new information” and look at what happened when we let this girl in last time so it’s a very tough place to be but it’s a good place in terms of where we end up it’s a big distance.
Bradley Whitford: It’s really kind of hopeful actually kind of instructive look at how to deal with grief because I keep saying one of the difficult things about grief is when healing can feel like a betrayal of the person who you’ve lost and I think this whole story is a great sort of answer to that because the irony is the people you’ve lost want you to be here be open-hearted and forgiven I think.
ScreenRant: I mean the question about the big reaction—people were up in arms about JJ [Outer Banks] What is it like to kind of look at that from the other side metaphorically?
Rudy Pankow: No kind of going off what we just said there’s a responsibility and honor to play characters that burn bright and then unfortunately end because I think part of life is that we all will at some point experience losing someone hopefully it won’t be sooner rather than later but we can’t control that it’s important to tell this story.I find it a huge responsibility and honor to portray characters that we miss.
ScreenRant : You have two icons playing your parents . You guys are legends in household Ash Crossan , that’s me . Did you know each other before ? How did you meet ?
Bradley Whitford :I remember night met Lauren when shooting West Wing Gilmore Girls .
Lauren Graham : At same time .
Bradley Whitford : Both shows historically terrible hours .
Lauren Graham : It was competition who’s still here . Just West Wing .
Bradley Whitford : And remember running lines .
Lauren Graham : They have lot more people cast .
Bradley Whitford : There’s Back Future Lot , think bumped beautiful girl Gilmore Girls . That 26 years ago something ?
Lauren Graham : don’t remember But even better because sort feel always known Even time had scene together Studio 60 , already known long time… don’t know really helps In situation can’t imagine else would been if didn’t have somebody I’d known , trusted , loved work , admired , obviously , just some sort shorthand because some work so vulnerable Even though one been doing long time , want honor characters story So really … felt worked All pieces felt supportive , happy helpful , director great .
Bradley Whitford : moment knew Lauren was go “Yeah”.
Rudy Pankow : Then moment heard was too.
