This article contains mention of domestic abuse.
Summary
Talk show host Meghan McCain has slammed actor Blake Lively for her interviews promoting her newest movieIt Ends with Us, claiming her comments to be insensitive to the subject the film is focused on. Based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, the movie focuses on Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who ends up in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni).It Ends with Usreceived mixed reviews, with some claiming the commentary the film has to offer could have been delved into with more tact.
Now, in her podcastCitizen McCain(viaEntertainment Weekly),the talk show host slammed Lively for her interviews promotingIt Ends with Usas a seemingly fun experience for womenand their friends in theaters. The host explained her anger, believing the star was promoting the movie in the wrong way due to its focus on domestic violence and abusive relationships. Check out what McCain had to say below:
If you’re taking on the responsibility of telling the story about a woman in a domestic violence situation, you have to be respectful that you’re representing victims millions and millions of women and men who are victims of domestic violence. I was very surprised at some of her responses. I think the tone she’s setting in a lot of the press with this, saying, put on your florals and come together, girls.
[I don’t] want to put florals on and go with my girlfriends and go watch a fun girl movie about domestic violence. [It’s] very insensitive and, quite frankly, strange.
I don’t understand why she’s famous other thanGossip Girland [being] married to Ryan Reynolds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything she’s actually in.
Is McCain Right About Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us Comments?
Her Comments Can Be Interpreted In Different Ways
The interview McCain is referring to is a promotional clip for the movie,where she encourages women to see the film with friends while wearing florals.While the comment made to promote the film can be seen as out of place, Lively’s character Lily runs a flower shop, making the use of florals thematically appropriate for the movie, even if the comment itself feels inappropriate given the subject matter of the movie. Depending on the interpretation, the statement can be seen in a positive or negative light.
It Ends With Us: Why Colleen Hoover’s 2016 Book Is So Controversial
Colleen Hoover’s romance novel It Ends With Us has become very popular among readers, but it has garnered a significant amount of controversy as well.
However, out of everyone in thecast ofIt Ends with Us, Lively has taken the spotlight for a variety of reasons, including her performance aging Lily up from the book,alongside criticism for other ill-fitting comments about the movie.The Hollywood Reporteralso claimed there wason-set cast drama between her and Baldoni, who also directed, involving how the final cut of the movie would play out. This information makes some of McCain’s critique surrounding the film justified, as sunny promotions about a movie to watch with friends could potentially undercut the story’s serious focus on domestic abuse.
However, McCain’s critique also seemingly comes from a personal place toward Lively, eventually questioning her fame instead of focusing on the original angle of how she promoted the movie. SinceIt Ends with Usis a box office success, though,it proves that she does have draw regardless of the way she promoted the movie.Given the controversy surrounding the film as a whole, though, it’s easy to see why critiques could be drawn toward comments that may not reflect the severity of the subject matter involved.
As of writing,It Ends with Ushas made $186.3 million against a $25 million budget, making it a huge theatrical success.
It Ends With Us
Cast
Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, It Ends With Us is a drama-romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. The film follows a recent college graduate named Lily, who meets a man named Ryle and falls in love with him. However, a traumatic incident compounded with her former high-school sweetheart re-entering her life complicates her plans.
