It Ends With Us: Blake Lively Needed Ellen DeGeneres’ Cameo to Make Atlas More Than Just Another Side Character

SUMMARY

• In the book, Ellen DeGeneres serves a crucial purpose in Atlas and Lily's bond.
• The character of Atlas could've really benefited from the involvement of her.
• Atlas actor Brandon Sklenar debunks one rumor surrounding the film.

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It’s not uncommon for adaptations to miss out on some aspects of the material they’re adapting from, and Blake Lively’s new release is no different. Based on Colleen Hoover’s novel that goes by the same name, Blake Lively’s It Ends with Us has become a smash hit at the box office, but like most adaptations, the film isn’t immune to the aforementioned issues.

It Ends with Us | Credit; Sony Pictures Releasing

Unlike the book, the movie doesn’t delve into Lily’s strange obsession with Ellen DeGeneres, which robs us of a very powerful scene from the book, which adds another layer to Atlas’ character.

The Absence of Ellen Degeneres Hampers Atlas’s Character in the Adaptation

Ellen DeGeneres in her 2018 Netflix special Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable | Credit: Netflix

In the novel, Hoover doesn’t shy away from highlighting Lily’s fixation with Ellen DeGeneres, as all of her diary entries began with the salutation “Dear Ellen”. Moreover, her bond with Atlas strengthens after she invites him to watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show together, and when she loses her virginity to him, Lily once again writes it to DeGeneres. This eventually culminates in a very powerful moment that sees Atlas getting a sign from the Finding Dory star for Lily, further exhibiting his love for her.

However, the adaptation skips through it, and the references to Lily’s obsession with the host is few and far between. It also doesn’t help that other than Blake Lively’s Lily, not many get their moment to shine. So having Atlas meet DeGeneres could’ve further boosted his character. But one can’t blame the filmmakers for their decision to stray away from this aspect of the book, as the controversies surrounding DeGeneres could’ve proven to be detrimental to the release.

Brandon Sklenar Clears the Air Surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s Alleged Tensions

It Ends With Us | Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

While it’s a shame that Atlas wasn’t fleshed out like his novel counterpart, Brandon Sklenar did excel with the material he was given and was only let down by the film’s duration. Sklenar, who previously came forward in support of Blake Lively after the latter found herself amidst an online hate brigade, recently debunked another rumor surrounding the film.

Touching on the rumors surrounding Lively and Justin Baldoni’s alleged on-set tension, Sklenar clarified that it’s silly and counterproductive to the themes of the film.

It just seems silly to me. It’s kinda defeating the whole purpose of the thing to spread any negativity. It’s an important film for so many women and for so many survivors of domestic abuse. And yeah, that’s what it’s all about, is making people feel heard and strong and loved. So to project anything but that seems counterintuitive. And I appreciate those people that appreciated it,

Even though the adaptation had its charms, had it been given some more time in the oven, they might’ve had the opportunity to flesh out other characters aside from Lily.

It Ends with Us is currently running in theatres.

Written by Santanu Roy

Articles Published: 1722

Santanu Roy is a film enthusiast with a deep love for the medium of animation while also being obsessed with The Everly Brothers, Billy Joel, and The Platters. Having expertise in everything related to Batman, Santanu spends most of his time watching and learning films, with Martin Scorsese and Park Chan-wook being his personal favorites. Apart from pursuing a degree in animation, he also possesses a deep fondness for narrative-driven games and is currently a writer at Fandomwire with over 1500 articles.