Editor’s Note: The following accommodates Rosaline spoilers.Rosaline is the most recent movie to place a up to date twist on the works of William Shakespeare – on this case, his famously tragic romance Romeo and Juliet. This story places the concentrate on Juliet’s cousin Rosaline (Katilyn Dever), who is barely referred to in a handful of traces within the unique play. Rosaline has secretly been seeing Romeo (Kyle Allen) whereas keeping off marriage makes an attempt from her father, Friar Laurence (Bradley Whitford). But issues go south when Rosaline misses a masquerade ball, leaving Romeo to fall for her cousin Juliet (Isabela Merced). Rosaline makes an attempt to win Romeo again from Juliet, all of the whereas coping with a brand new relationship and her rising perspective on the world.
Rosaline is not simply based mostly on a play by Shakespeare, although. It’s based mostly on a e-book that adapts Romeo and Juliet to the fashionable age. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle places a contemporary spin on Romeo and Juliet, and whereas Serle is an govt producer on the movie, there are some main variations between the movie and the novel it attracts inspiration from. Rosaline additionally has a secret weapon within the type of screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, whose earlier work consists of variations of books together with The Spectacular Now and The Disaster Artist. Here are a few of the main variations between Rosaline and When You Were Mine.
The Setting Is Different
Perhaps the most important change includes the setting. While most of Neustadter and Weber’s dialogue shies away from Shakesperean prose and extra modern-day construction, the setting nonetheless options Elizabethan-era touches together with intricately crafted robes and conversations about “the plague”. This is a far cry from When You Were Mine, which shifted the story to modern-day California and up to date everybody’s names. Rosaline is “Rose”, Romeo is “Rob”, and so on. Cars and cell telephones exchange horse-drawn carriages and hand-written letters, which feels extra like an ideal match for the fashionable dialogue than setting it in a Shakespearean period. Ironically, Rosaline takes the alternative strategy from Baz Luhrmann‘s Romeo + Juliet, which transplanted the unique play to fashionable occasions however saved its dialogue intact.
Juliet Comes off Far Better in ‘Rosaline’
One of the higher modifications includes Juliet, who shouldn’t be given essentially the most favorable of characterizations in When You Were Mine. In the e-book, she’s described as impossibly stunning, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She additionally had a friendship with Rose that fizzed out after they have been younger – their mother and father incessantly argued, and Juliet ended up shifting away. Juliet finally ends up stealing Rob away from Rose, and shortly rumors unfold about her self-destructive tendencies which leads Rose to attempt to get her crush again.
Juliet comes off much better in Rosaline, as she and Rosaline reconnect. Juliet is proven to be quite naive, in search of real love above all else and taking every part Rosaline says to her at face worth. This finally ends up backfiring when Juliet learns about Rosaline and Romeo’s earlier relationships, and true to the unique play she finally ends up marrying Romeo in secret and planning to poison herself. However, the movie takes a far much less tragic flip than the unique play, with Rosaline convincing Romeo and Juliet that killing themselves is silly. (Somewhere, a substantial amount of English majors let loose sighs of reduction.) The duo find yourself crusing off into the sundown, though a mid-credits scene means that their relationship could not become the good love story that it is depicted as within the play.
Rosaline’s Love Interest Is Much More Appealing
Rosaline does ultimately discover love in one other man’s arms, however that man varies enormously between the e-book and the movie. In When You Were Mine, she falls for Len Stephens, an acerbic loner who winds up working together with her on a biology undertaking. In Rosaline, the brand new love curiosity is Dario (Sean Teale), a soldier turned potential suitor. Both tales find yourself having Rosaline understand that Romeo is not the man for her, and shifting on. However, neither Len nor Dario has a counterpart in Romeo and Juliet. Dario finally ends up being the extra attention-grabbing character, primarily as a consequence of Teale and Dever’s prickly chemistry.
Rosaline’s Friendships Are More Substantial
Rosaline’s help community additionally differs enormously within the movie. She typically turns to recommendation from her childhood nurse Janet (Minnie Driver) in addition to her lifelong pal Paris (Spencer Stevenson). In truth, the subplot of Paris marrying Juliet takes on a brand new dimension because of the truth that 1) Rosaline is the one who suggests it and a couple of) Paris is homosexual. It’s this help community that helps Rosaline by way of the robust time in her life, and eventally results in her beginning a relationship with Dario.
In distinction, Rose’s associates Charlie and Olivia are primarily props in When You Were Mine. The two’s considerations primarily revolve round Rosaline and being well-liked, and that is about it. But much more damning are the rumors they unfold about Juliet, from her suicidal tendencies to her sexual historical past. It will get to the purpose the place one wonders why Rosaline is even associates with them, so shifting the main focus to Paris and Nurse Janet was clearly the fitting alternative for Neustadter and Weber.
Rosaline is streaming on Hulu.