If you went into Netflix’s People We Meet on Vacation expecting the same level of spice as Emily Henry’s book, but noticed things were toned down, the author has now revealed the real reason why the sex scenes were changed.
The film stars Emily Bader and Tom Blyth as Poppy and Alex, best friends who slowly realise they’re in love after years of travelling together. And while the movie keeps the heart of the story, the intimate moment between them is far more subtle than many readers expected.
So, why did they change the sex scene in the movie?
via Netflix
Speaking to Variety, Emily Henry revealed the decision wasn’t about being shy or playing it safe, in fact, the scene was originally filmed much closer to the book.
“So here’s what I’ll say. I saw the scene as he shot it, and it was gorgeous and perfect,” she said. “I mean, I feel a little bit guilty because I went and told all of my friends, ‘It’s one of the sexiest sex scenes I’ve ever seen in my life.’”
She even compared it to a famous movie moment, adding, “Like, genuinely it was like ‘Titanic’ level to me. It was so, so good and raw and tender.”
However, after early test screenings, it became clear the moment wasn’t landing the same way for everyone. “They had started doing test screenings and people who, especially people who weren’t familiar with the books, felt kind of like it was a hard right turn in the movie,” Henry explained.
Because of that, director Brett Haley went back to her to talk it through. “He first brought that to me and asked, how important is seeing the sex scene to you and to your readers?” she said.
While the scene mattered to her, Henry ultimately felt the film had to come first. “My opinion would be that if it doesn’t fit in the movie, then it doesn’t work,” she said. “It has to serve the larger movie. I don’t want anyone to feel like they were jolted out of the story, and feel like they hopped rails into a different movie.”
How did the film’s tone and timeline affect the decision?
via Netflix
Another key reason was the way the movie shows Poppy and Alex growing up over time. “I think part of it is that we start with Tom and Emily in college, and they feel very young in those scenes,” Henry said. “You look at them in a different way, and you get to watch them grow up.”
Because the audience has followed them from such a young age, the tone had to stay softer. “You’ve been with them since they were just-barely-not children,” she added.
Director Brett Haley also said the explicit version simply didn’t suit the kind of rom-com he wanted to make. “We shot a scene that was literally, exactly what’s in the book, and readers know what that means,” he told Variety. “It, frankly, just didn’t gel with the film. It just didn’t tonally work.”
He added, “You have your classics, like ‘When Harry Met Sally’ and ‘Notting Hill,’ where there’s very little sex there. The level of spiciness does not fit this tone.”
Could we ever see the original, spicier version?
Interestingly, the author hasn’t ruled it out completely.
“And Brett and I have also talked about, I wonder if someday there could be a director’s cut where people can see this scene? Because it is really so beautiful, like, they all just outdid themselves. It feels so tender and real, but very, very sexy and romantic, and it just didn’t fit in the movie. And that’s what they say, kill your darlings. Like, if it doesn’t work in the larger project, it doesn’t really matter how good it is on its own,” she said.
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