Adapting a bestselling book for the screen comes with a lot of challenges but director Matthew Lopez has pulled it off in his debut feature film Red, White & Royal Blue, which has been the most-watched movie on Amazon Prime Video for two weeks. Casey McQuiston’s novel ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is a heartwarming story of enemies turned lovers with two high-profile characters at the centre — Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of a US President, and Prince Henry, fourth in line to the British throne. Here’s what we loved about the adaptation from book to screen.

Boy-meets-boy with a twist

Alex and Prince Henry — played by Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, respectively, in the film — get off on the wrong foot when they meet at a wedding reception. Alex, who takes a deep interest in politics, feels constrained by the symbolic tasks that his social position demands of him but he fulfills nonetheless. On one such duty, Alex accompanies his best friend Nora (Rachel Hilson), the granddaughter of the US vice-president, to a royal wedding in England.

At the wedding reception, Alex and Prince Henry get into a heated argument and crashland on the wedding cake. So that this doesn’t snowball into an international PR disaster, Alex and Prince Henry are forced to fake a friendship for damage control. As they spend time together, their initial dislike turns into a genuine connection, sparking off a secret romantic relationship.

Two characters from opposite ends

Alex presents a tough exterior that hides his sensitivity and compassion. He is known for his rebellious streak, an optimist who believes in the transformative potential of politics for marginalised communities, and he takes pride in his working-class heritage. Prince Henry grapples with the baggage that his royal status brings with it and the emotional toll it takes on him when the expectations are at odds with who he is.

And it helps that Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine have great chemistry. Both the actors have led Young Adult romcoms in the past — Perez in The Kissing Booth (2018) and Galitzine in Cinderella (2021). They exude a magnetic energy that grounds the occasional absurdity of events surrounding them.

The journey from book to film

Red, White & Royal Blue delves into the personal struggles of Alex and Prince Henry around their identity, politics and family expectations while navigating the complexities of their high-profile positions.

The film focuses on the evolving dynamic between the two characters and then goes beyond the romantic core to explore themes of self-exploration and acceptance — Alex coming to terms with his bisexuality and Henry striking a balance between his royal duties and his queer identity.

It also stresses on the support that one’s folks can provide during such transitional moments. For instance, Alex’s coming-out scene with his mom (played by Uma Thurman) in the Oval Office. The warm hug he receives from her, and the talk that follows, is one of the standout moments of the film.

What’s also fascinating is Lopez’s innovative approach in bringing Alex and Henry’s romance alive on screen. Fans of the book are aware that the geographical distance and their responsibilities keep Alex and Henry apart for a certain period when they communicate mostly via texts and emails. Lopez creates an atmosphere of intimacy by presenting their late-night conversations — happening in separate locations — by placing Perez and Galitzine together and at times with them sharing the same bed.

A few deviations from the source material

The film stays loyal to the source material, making only some minor changes. While in the book England has a queen, in the film Stephen Fry wears the crown of the British monarch.

The screen adaptation gives Alex a former boyfriend, Miguel Ramos (Juan Castano), a journalist who exposes Alex and Henry’s secret affair on his web portal. Alex’s sister June, his confidante and best friend in the book, doesn’t make it to the screen version. Instead, Nora becomes Alex’s best friend in the film.