Red, White & Royal Blue, written by Casey McQuiston, was one of the books I read in 2020 and absolutely loved. There was so much hype around it, but it lived up to my expectations, and so yes, I was excited to see a movie adaptation in the works. 99% of the time, I say the book is always better than the movie, and yes, in this case, it still is, but the Red, White & Royal Blue adaptation met my expectations and then some.

Alex, the son of President Ellen Claremont, currently up for re-election, and Prince Henry of England are not fond of each other. Their icy relationship causes an embarrassing accident at Henry’s brother’s wedding, prompting the Palace and the Presidency to push the two men together for damage control. Their rivalry turns into attraction, but the two must keep their new relationship secret because of the President’s shaky campaign and, of course, the monarchy’s traditional values.

Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine were perfectly cast as Alex and Henry, and both inhabited their characters quite well. One thing that made me love the book so much was how McQuiston conveyed Alex and Henry’s chemistry, which I thought might be difficult to replicate on screen. But Perez and Galitzine are great together, whether they’re making out, having a heart-to-heart, or arguing about the future of their relationship. There’s no doubt in the viewer’s mind that Alex and Henry are into each other and later in love.

The supporting cast is great too, though they don’t get much screen time except for Uma Thurman, as Alex’s mother and American President, Ellen Claremont. She has a thick Texas accent, but, for the most part, pulls it off. Sarah Shahi is one of the film’s highlights as Ellen’s no-nonsense deputy chief of staff. Stephen Fry pops in for a quick scene as the King, Henry’s sister, played by Ellie Bamber, and Alex’s best friend, Nora (Rachel Hilson), are somewhat wasted in this adaptation, but I enjoyed them when they were featured.

Red, White & Royal Blue successfully captures the novel’s snappy snark and humor, and I found myself laughing quite a bit, especially in the moments between Alex and Henry before they found common ground. Director Matthew Lopez, who also rewrote much of the screenplay, does a nice job keeping the story moving along, giving us enough of Alex and Henry together to believe that both are willing to put their futures and the futures of their families in jeopardy to be together. There’s romance, humor, and just enough angst to keep me interested.

All that said, I am not sure why this movie got an R-rating. Not that I expected graphic smut and obscene language, but I think I heard one curse word, and the sex scenes are relatively tame compared to what I’ve seen in PG-13 movies.

In any case, I loved this movie. Like the novel, it’s optimistic about what the world could be if we all learned to accept that love is love (and to get out and vote, thank you very much). Antiquated views should be a thing of the past. Everybody deserves a happy ending. Maybe that’s not a realistic view of life, but I don’t care.

Lopez delivered an excellent adaptation of a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and I am sure I will watch this one again.

Watched: 08/18/2023
Notable Song: Can’t Help Falling In Love by Perfume Genius