Netflix's latest YA adaptation, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, finally captured everything rom-com diehards love most about the genre. There's the girl who dreams of finding her soulmate in a sea of high school drama, the jock who really just wants to feel things for once, and a slew of messy (albeit predictable) obstacles they must overcome to find true love and happiness. Like we said, it's pretty much perfect — though, that doesn't mean it's entirely original.
The story — both in the novel and in Netflix's small-screen rendering — is inspired by '80s and '90s teen rom-coms such as Dirty Dancing, Say Anything, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Breakfast Club (lead character Lara's personal favorite). Thankfully, that's not something author Jenny Han or the film's cast shy away from at all, as evidenced by a series of hilarious and completely heartwarming clips Han released over the weekend.
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"When I was on the set of #ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore, I coerced the cast into making these teen movie moments bc I'm a pushy queen," Han tweeted.
When I was on the set of #ToAlltheBoysIveLovedBefore, I coerced the cast into making these teen movie moments bc I’m a pushy queen ? pic.twitter.com/pGYXMFs6q5
— Jenny Han can't come to the phone right now (@jennyhan) August 19, 2018
In the clip, Noah Centineo (Peter) and Lana Condor (Lara) imitate the final scene in Dirty Dancing, where Johnny (Patrick Swayze) hoists Baby (Jennifer Grey) into the air to the tune of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." Sure, Centineo and Condor swapped '80s formal attire for athleisure, but we'd argue that the heart is still there.
If you thought that parody was good, wait until you see the second, in which Centineo channels a young Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club, trench coat and all.
— Jenny Han can't come to the phone right now (@jennyhan) August 19, 2018
Seriously, all he needs to do is grow out his locks, and he's got the perfect Halloween costume for this year.
Next up, Han shared a clip of Madeline Arthur (Chris) doing her best impression of John Cusack in Say Anything. It's only appropriate that Arthur, who starred in the movie Big Eyes, would get to (pretend to) hold up a radio blaring "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. The brooding is really the key to successfully remaking this particular John Hughes scene.
— Jenny Han can't come to the phone right now (@jennyhan) August 19, 2018
Finally, Han asked Centineo to pay homage to the late Heath Ledger by jog-dancing through the bleachers to "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."
— Jenny Han can't come to the phone right now (@jennyhan) August 19, 2018
And yes, she did have some notes while filming. "Me: noah can you get your knees up a little higher? Big smile, big smile," she tweeted. We'd say he did a pretty great job considering he didn't have a campus security team chasing him as a live band played on the field below.
Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got some serious rom-com bingeing to do.
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