I regret watching this negative piece of crapola.
“Regretting You” is based on the book by Colleen Hoover, who also wrote “It Ends With Us.” The movie version of that film was a big hit last year, and I was one of the critics to enjoy it with my sister and her friends. However, I saw “Regretting You” by myself and I regret seeing it.
It’s supposed to be dealing with a grieving process regarding the death of a loved one, but it ends up being so negative and cynical to the point of headaches. It’s like watching a soap opera, when you’re more interested in the book you’re reading than the characters you see on screen.
Allison Williams plays a young mother named Morgan Grant, who lost both her husband Chris (Scott Eastwood) and younger sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald) in a car accident. While Jenny married Morgan’s ex Jonah (Dave Franco) with a baby boy, Morgan and Chris have a teenage daughter named Clara (McKenna Grace).
Then, there’s Clara’s potential boyfriend Miller (Mason Thames), who smokes pot with her, when she should be attending all of her father’s funeral. It’s clear the teenager has entered full rebellion mode when she gives her mother negative looks and doesn’t answer her cellphone. I guess it’s all part of the grieving process.
And what might make things more complicated is that Chris and Jenny may had an affair before they died. So, Morgan and Jonah must keep it from Clara. The young lady tries to be the voice of reasoning for these two adults, but they don’t want her acting like one. For example, Morgan grounds Clara for missing most of the funeral, and when her mom throws a fit, Clara checks on her, but she angrily sends her to her room. Some adult Morgan is acting.
The mom also suggests that Miller might be a bad influence on her daughter, but he might be a better person if he works a steady job at an AMC Theater, suggests safe sex, has the potential to go to film school, and tries to take care of his ill grandpa (Clancy Brown) and his farm. Of course it has to be an AMC Theater, and of course the old man smokes. I work at an AMC Theater, too, but I don’t promote their franchise in my work. And at one point, he offers to give her free movies by promising to tell the staff she’s his sister. At least the film is smart enough not to get to incest jokes, like if a manager caught them making out.
“The Fault in Our Stars” is the best book-to-movie transition that Josh Boone has directed. “Regretting You,” however is the worst transition he has done. You can start with Williams, who is unconvincing as the mother and her negative attitude doesn’t make us want to care about her turmoil. Losing loved ones is hard, but the film never really makes that conviction. And Grace, who has earned our affection with “Gifted” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” is just aggravating, as the teenage daughter, who should be talking about her problems, instead of acting like a bratty teenager.
The movie tries to earn our affection when the characters eventually realize the error of their ways, but it’s all so flimsy and predictable. And you’re still annoyed by how everything else goes in the screenplay by Susan McMartin. As a romantic drama to feature corny dialogue, product placements (which also features Jolly Ranchers), and secrets and lies, “Regretting You” might as well be labeled a comedy. And it’s not very funny at that.
