*This story contains discussions of domestic violence. For domestic violence and crisis support service information, please see the end of the article.*
In the past couple of weeks, you might’ve seen actress Blake Lively, best known for playing Serena Van Der Woodsen in ‘Gossip Girl’, promoting her new movie ‘It Ends With Us’.
Taking to red carpets and press interviews she dressed in a plethora of florals.
I’ve read the book that this film has adapted, which is loosely based on the real-life story of author Colleen Hoover. Lively’s character, Lily Blossom Bloom, has a passion for flowers and opens her own flower shop.
Lively chose to express this element of Lily’s character through her fashion choices.
However, what sits funny with me is that the promotion of this movie has primarily positioned its premise as a love triangle drama.
A rom-com to go see with your girls, wearing your florals. This is what Hoover and Lively said in a promo video posted to TikTok.
Whereas, after reading the book it becomes obvious the story is about domestic violence.
The book was confronting, triggering and emotional. Those who hadn’t read it entered the cinema expecting a lighthearted plot about a love triangle, and instead were met with the complete opposite.
It seems a little tone-deaf to me.
You could say ‘Why don’t viewers just watch the trailer or find out what the movie’s about before buying a ticket’? Understandable - but these avenues are not going to show you the full story when the cast is also promoting the film as a romance.
I can see why so many entered the cinema blindly.
“This movie is about a woman who experiences every colour of the human emotion,” Lively told People at the New York premiere.
Speaking to a viewer of the film, Bella Eierweis, who was somewhat aware of the ongoing controversy, said she didn’t know that domestic violence drove the plot.
Coming away from the movie and learning more about “the divergence in the cast’s attitudes towards the movie was very surprising”, she said.
Bella believes the rollout of this movie “is symptomatic of a broader issue in Hollywood where celebrities are unwilling to attach themselves to controversial issues, in fear of losing their good favour”.
The controversy has completely steamrolled any real discussion of the actual movie, she said.
With this in mind, it is also harmful for victims and survivors to view the film with no content or trigger warnings. Romance is a theme that is explored but domestic violence is the main plot line.
The movie experience sold to them from Lively’s side of the press tour becomes somewhat untrue - and when I say ‘Lively’s side of the press tour’, I’m speaking to the reported feud between Lively and co-star/director of the film, Justin Baldoni.
Baldoni, best known for his role as Rafael Solano in ‘Jane the Virgin’, was notably absent from the majority of the promotion of the movie.
While he did attend the New York premiere with his wife, he was not photographed with any of the cast.
The Hollywood Reporter stated sources have said creative differences in post-production where two potential final cuts of the movie caused a rift between Lively, a producer on the film, and Baldoni.
The film was originally scheduled to release on February 9 before being pushed back to June 21 and then finally, August 9.
Fans of Baldoni and social media at large have favoured his approach to the marketing of this movie.
In interviews where Baldoni talks about the film, he is praised for handling the topic of domestic violence delicately. Lively’s interviews are edited to look like she only talks about what she is wearing.
Baldoni told CBS Mornings that he wanted to “make this film as truthful as possible and hopefully do justice to all the women who experience [domestic violence]”.
In the days following the backlash, Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios and the nonprofit they partnered for the film, NO MORE, released an ‘It Ends With Us - A Viewer's Guide’. The not-for-profit helps to end domestic violence globally.
Meanwhile, Lively posted to her Instagram stories sharing a snippet from a press interview she did for the movie with text overlay about the message of the movie.
“This movie covers domestic violence but what’s important about this film is that she is not just a survivor and she’s not just a victim,” she said to BBC News.
In the next slide, she shared a link to a domestic violence hotline and statistics about it.
The Hollywood Reporter detailed that Baldoni has hired Melissa Nathan, a PR crisis manager. So, I would say that there is more information here to be revealed.
That being said, you can compare both Lively and Baldoni’s separate approaches to promotion all day. You can analyse the format of their Instagrams or every outfit worn on the press tour.
But it’s not important.
You can believe that Lively and the rest of the cast were tone-deaf in the deliverance of the film, whilst also believing that Baldoni handled the topic of domestic violence better.
Both can be true.
Domestic violence is a topic that raises important conversations about women’s safety, harmful gender expectations, and the need for change - now more than ever.
The misstep taken in the marketing for this film feels damaging to those most central to the storyline - victims and survivors of abuse.
The appropriate way to promote films involving sensitive topics will no doubt become an ongoing area of focus for production companies, directors, actors, and fans.
If the content in this article has been distressing in any way, the following helplines can be good places to start in finding support:
Safe Steps - Victoria’s 24/7 family violence response centre for confidential crisis support, information and accommodation.
Phone: 1800 015 188
Email: safesteps@safesteps.org.au
LifeLine - We are a national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Phone: 13 11 14
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