Published in 2022, Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him has sold more than six million copies in the United States, and has been translated into forty-five languages. Now, Reminders of Him is transformed into a feature film about motherhood, redemption, and the power of love in overcoming every obstacle.
The film is helmed by an all-female filmmaking team, with Vanessa Caswill leading as the director. The screenplay is a collaboration between Lauren Levine and Colleen Hoover, and it stars Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Laren Graham, and Bradley Whitford.
Reminders of Him begins with a perfect outing between Kenna (Maika Monroe), and her boyfriend. A horrible mistake follows that sends Kenna to prison, and released seven years later. The journey of trying to rebuild her life begins, as well as a chance to reunite with her daughter Diem, who she has never known.
The novel began as a conversation between Colleen Hoover and her younger sister, who was studying prison reform for her graduate work. “We talked a lot about what people go through after they get out,” Hoover says. “She was so passionate about it that it stayed with me. After one of those conversations, I felt compelled to write about a woman whose life is shaped by a tragedy that sends her to prison, and what it means to try to rebuild her life after she is released.”
The story grew, and soon Kenna Rowan was created, a mother estranged from her daughter by circumstances. Hoover’s own experience as a mother was integral to creating the story. . “My experiences as a mom influenced this story a lot,” Hoover says. “I was immediately drawn to Kenna and her longing to be part of her daughter’s life. I cannot imagine having a child and not being able to be in their life.”
Hoover’s co-writer and producer Lauren Levine saw the potential of Reminders of Him early on, having had an emotional connection to the novel after reading it. “When we worked on Confess, Colleen came to set and immediately stood out for how instinctively she understands film and television,” Levine says. “Every question I asked was met with an answer that pushed the material further. Over time, we developed a great creative shorthand. When I read Reminders of Him, I ended up in a puddle of tears, which does not happen often to me. I called Colleen right away and said, ‘I think this is a movie.”
Levine was right about Hoover’s filmmaking instincts, and the author has also been very involved in the adaptation of her work. “I did not anticipate rewriting as much as I did,” Hoover says. “But being there every day meant I could see immediately when something was not working, or when Vanessa or the actors had questions. We could talk through it and adjust in the moment. That responsiveness became one of the most rewarding parts of the process for me.”
Another important theme of Reminders of Him is the love permeating through different forms, between family, romance, and friends. . “I have always been drawn to stories that tell the truth and still leave room for tenderness,” Hoover says. “Stories that make you feel everything all at once. This one lives in the messiness of love and the aftermath of tragedy, but it also believes in connection. It believes that even when nothing comes easily, people can still find their way back to themselves, and to each other.”
Reminders of Him touches hearts as it arrives in Philippine cinemas on March 11. Check out Universal Pictures PH (FB), UniversalPicturesPH (IG), and UniversalPicsPH (TikTok) for the latest news and updates.
