Breaking the Cycle for Good

The highly anticipated movie adaptation, “It Ends With Us,” taken from Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, is highlighting the serious issue of domestic violence.

The plot centers around Lily, a florist played by Blake Lively, pursuing her dream of opening her own shop. Justin Baldoni, who co-stars and directs the film, takes on the role of Ryle, a neurosurgeon who initially appears charming but turns abusive. Initially, Baldoni had no plans to cast himself, but it was a heartfelt email from Hoover that motivated him to embody Ryle’s character.

“I was looking for movies that could be commercial and speak to the human experience,” Baldoni explained. “I had never read a romance novel before. By the end of the book, I was crying too much to even read the text.”

Baldoni noted that Hoover’s novel, which sold 6 million copies, drew inspiration from her mother’s real-life experience of enduring domestic abuse.

“She was Lily Bloom. If this book could affect me in this way, I can only imagine its impact on women and people around the world who are in similar situations,” he said. “We all have a cycle that we need to break.”

He hopes the movie will spark change. Too frequently, Baldoni remarked, people question, “why did she stay?” when discussing a woman in an abusive relationship, whether in real life or within a story.

“We should be asking, why do men harm? That was crucial for me. What I learned is that there is real love, charm, charisma, and passion in these relationships. Believing they can change is complex and not so straightforward,” he said.

To portray an authentic depiction of what women experience, Baldoni collaborated with No More, an organization dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence.

Baldoni aspires for “It Ends With Us,” which premiered on Tuesday, to foster a safer world through empathy and compassion. He wants men to watch the romance film and reflect on their own lives.

“I want men to see elements of themselves in the characters,” he stated. “Atlas and Ryle have both faced trauma, but they handle it differently. I hope that men who haven’t done the work to heal see a part of themselves in Ryle and take a step back to say, ‘I don’t want to harm the person I love the most.'”