Based upon the acclaimed novel of the same name, The Idea of You celebrates boy band obsession in this gold-standard rom-com from co-writer/director Michael Showalter (Spoiler Alert, The Eyes of Tammy Faye). For anyone who has ever had a celebrity crush, imagining the fulfillment of that pipe dream seems only possible in the land of make believe. That is quite obviously where the origins of this story took root, but what blossoms from its seeds feel exceptional. Anne Hathaway, no stranger to a great rom-com (see: The Devil Wears Prada, Love & Other Drugs, The Princess Diaries, and more), leads the film as Solène, a successful mom and gallery owner who has all but given up on the prospect of love. Leave it to a gorgeous pop star (Nicholas Galitzine, Red, White & Royal Blue, Bottoms) to pull Solène out from her “safe” existence. The setup may seem simple; thankfully, the execution tells an entirely different story. Get ready to blast all five original songs from faux boy band August Moon, and swoon over the irresistible romance of The Idea of You.
Despite her fortieth birthday fast approaching, Solène’s sole focus remains her daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin). Solène plans a solo camping trip as a way to prove to herself that she does not need anything other than artists, her gallery, and family. For Izzy, her father managed to snag VIP meet and greets with backstage access for Izzy’s seventh-grade obsession, August Moon. The plan was for him to accompany Izzy and her friends to Coachella, but when his company merger unexpectedly blows up, her ex comes begging for Solène to take them instead. Little does Solène know, an unexpected sexual reawakening and a potential otherworldly love story are in store for her just beyond the meet and greet. Izzy acts as a mere footnote to the grander story, staying sidelined for much of the runtime.
In one of the more adorable bits of the story, Solène first meets superstar Hayes Campbell when she stumbles into his trailer looking for the VIP bathroom. Solène’s brutal honesty about her daughter’s disenchantment with the band and self-deprecating charms catch Hayes by surprise. From their initial meetcute, sparks already fly between the duo. The actual meet and greet taking place shortly after only further stokes the flames, before Hayes decides to show up in person at Solène’s art gallery to buy literally every piece on display. Sporting his natural British accent, dark hair, and boyish good looks, Nicholas Galitzine portrays Hayes as a deeply complex individual who also just so happens to be an absolutely gorgeous person. Without the red-hot chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine, the movie would have fizzled out before it even began.
Furthermore, none of this would work if August Moon the band was not believable. From top to bottom, music has been seeped into the very DNA of The Idea of You. Not only have the songs been lovingly crafted by renowned Grammy-nominee Savan Kotecha, but August Moon performs spectacularly in front of huge audiences. Daisy Jones & The Six music supervisor Frankie Pine ensures that August Moon has a fluid rhythm coupled with impressive choreography. If they are supposed to be similar to One Direction: mission accomplished. For one small critique about the band, I do wish we had spent just a little more time with them. Hayes is really the only one to make an impression, though that is apt considering Galitzine’s obvious charisma and central focus in the narrative.
Lest one assume Oscar-winning Hathaway would be wasted as some kind of mindless mom who falls for a twenty-four-year-old, think again. Solène may be one of Hathaway’s greatest roles yet. The script and source text posit interesting takeaways about age gaps in relationships and various levels of emotional maturity one may or may not possess. Also acting as producer, Hathaway was clearly invested in making Solène as three-dimensional as possible. She constantly weighs the opinions of her daughter and those around her higher than her own happiness. In Hayes, Solène appears to see a mirror of her own loneliness. The two have a genuine connection that goes beyond mere physicality. That said, the sexual tension and intimacy takes advantage of the R-rating. The camera follows skin-to-skin contact, morphing the longing into an aching release for both parties. In Galitzine and Hathaway, Showalter plays up the natural charisma of both very pretty actors every chance he gets.
Aside from the romance itself, sharp commentary on the state of celebrity/tabloid obsession begs for reexamination. Never read the comments section. Stay away from overly public places for fear of being harassed for photographs. Do not display any public signs of affection. These are not ideals that any normal individual should ever be forced to contend with, yet such is the nature of the world we live in today. As someone who has often been swept up in the allure of the celebrity, it is always important to remember that they are all human just like we are. At one point, they were not even famous at all. As Hayes points out, at age fourteen he auditioned for being in a play or being in August Moon at the same time. The level of fame he eventually obtains cannot be an easy thing to handle. He struggles with feelings of being a joke to others, as August Moon can be directly associated with gaggles of screaming teenage girls rather than containing an iota of relevancy in the music industry. As cliche as it may sound, celebrities and their spouses deal with far more criticisms than one’s average person. The viewpoint shown to us within is not one visited or even thought about as often as it should be.
Boosted by split-screen framing to put an exclamation mark on its high-energy concert scenes and a tearjerking romance teeming with cutesy moments, The Idea of You taps a music-injected spin on the rom-com not glimpsed since 2007’s Music & Lyrics. As Showalter explores the love story, he also follows Solène as she finally emerges from the tragic decomposition of her previous marriage. Refreshing and sweet, this rom-com will go down as one of 2024’s most charming and rewatchable comfort films. Long live Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine on their reign over the booming subgenre!
Try to imagine The Idea of You, belting out a fresh romance globally for Prime Video audiences on Thursday, May 2nd.
