From Book to Screen: How ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ Is A Perfect Rom-Com
About the Author
Casey McQuiston is an American author of romance novels in the new adult fiction genre, best known for their New York Times best-selling debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue, in which the son of America's first female president falls in love with a prince of England, and sophomore book One Last Stop. McQuiston made their debut in the young adult fiction genre with their book I Kissed Shara Wheeler which was released on May 3, 2022. They were included in Time magazine's 2022 Time 100 Next list.
Who is in red, white & roYAL bLUE?
Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry
Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz
Uma Thurman as Ellen Claremont
Sarah Shahi as Zahra Bankston
Rachel Hilson as Nora Holleran
Stephen Fry as King James lll
Clifton Collins Jr. as Senator Oscar Diaz
Is The Film Adaptation better than the Book?
Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
When we meet Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), he lights up the screen. While Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) has a presence but is more reserved in his role. Co-writer and director Matthew López put such thought and care into this film alongside author Casey McQuiston. They kept all the key moments that would accurately build up the relationship between Alex and Henry without missing a beat. It is a clever romantic comedy that is perfectly adapted. It will make you believe that love is out there. There are moments shared between Alex and Henry that came naturally between them, and that’s what people want to see.
Even though Alex is the First Son of the President of the United States and Henry is part of the Royal Family, the story doesn’t feel as far-fetched as it seems. The reason why is that it is grounded in enemies to friends to lovers arc for the characters. At a moment’s notice, Alex can travel to see Henry, and they can both attend these lavish parties because of their status, but the way their romance unfolds has a genuine sweetness that will make your heart flutter. It is so joyful and fun to watch. The familiar tropes are executed well because of the chemistry between them.
Why This Rom-Com is Important on a Major streaming service
Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Like in any other industry, representation matters. There should be more queer rom-coms that have two leads falling in love with each other regardless of their sexual preference or identity. For a best-selling novel like Red, White & Blue to be picked up by Amazon Prime and it has been marketed the way it has on social platforms, it gives more of a push for filmmakers to fund more stories such as this one. Alex Claremont-Diaz is a character that balances his bisexuality throughout the film, while Henry expresses how he loves even though he’s closeted. There is barely any bisexual representation in the media. Thankfully the way it was explained in the film makes an impact. Not only are McQuiston and López blunt in their dialogue when their characters discuss sexuality and love, but they have conversations regarding how the world can see queer people versus how they see themselves.
Unfortunately, queer stories are often misunderstood as this film has an R-rating. There was no swearing or nudity, apart from seeing Alex without his pants on from behind. The sexual implications of their first night spent together after falling for each other were done tastefully by Matthew López. Their sex scene was beautiful to watch because you could feel the genuine love radiating between them. McQuiston’s writing for those intimate moments in the novel was saucy. But once translated to screen those scenes were just as racy as any other rom-com. So even though this was a step in the right direction to bring this film to the Prime Video platform, the rating system for queer romances has to change.
Did you enjoy the film more than the book? Let us know how much you love Red, White & Royal Blue in the comments below! Make sure to join our discord for other fun book-related discussions.
