Rewriting the past: the One Day reinterpretation
I was mesmerized when I saw the One Day movie for the first time as a little teenager.
Even though I hadn’t experienced either of the protagonists’ struggles at the time, Dexter’s dependence and frivolous life or Emma’s unnerving routine, the movie stuck with me immediately. It became apparent to me that these represented a somewhat likely outcome of life for the future me, as I understood that it would be easy to succumb to a completely mundane life if I were to accommodate to routine and basic affairs, or to a life of chasing the daily dopamine hit, disconnected from people. I was determined not to be Dexter and not to be Emma. I was determined to chase beauty in balance.
As years went by, I rewatched the movie a couple of times on cable television. Every time it came up, I had to stop zapping and patiently wait for Hathaway’s collision and death just after the couple finally got together. Admittedly still with the aching heart of a hopeless romantic, I had concluded that the crash was perhaps an inevitability given that despite the circumstances, they never really put the proper effort to fight for what they wanted in life. The reconciliation after all those years was, in the end, undeserved.
The TV series version (2024) on the left, and the movie version (2011) on the right.
Fast forward some years, I was shocked to find that One Day was being remade as a Netflix mini-series. I am always skeptical of remakes and plot continuations on the big screen: I hated that 13 Reasons Why ruined the original story with the “revelations” of the second season; I hated the mediocrity of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions compared to the first installment of the series. This, however, was slightly different, as it was a readaptation of the original story by a different set of producers.
Having not read the book, the longer series revealed to me some details that never made it to the movie, such as Emma’s short affair with the school director, her relationship with her best friend and a more in-depth look at Dexter’s connection with Sylvie. Although not awful, I felt that the chemistry between the new protagonists was off and that the new details did not add much to the story, or change my opinion about the characters in any relevant way. My indifference was not met by the universal acclaim of critics: 91% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.
While I do not discard my convictions with ease based on other’s opinions, it is obvious that the critics enjoyed the series much more than the movie. They claim that it “has found gold in its leading duo” and mention “Mod and Woodall’s chemistry, charm, and adaptability”, versus the “lack of the depth” of the original movie’s characters. Perhaps I was too harsh, was mistaken, or felt that this story had this image in my mind that could not and must not be changed. After all, who enjoys watching their past being rewritten?