The Love Hypothesis director explains why Holden was cut from the ending amid backlash

The Love Hypothesis director Claire Scanlon has explained why Holden was cut from the Prime Video film, as the adaptation makes several changes to the ending of Ali Hazelwood’s novel.

The Love Hypothesis film keeps the central love story between Olive Smith and Adam Carlsen, but it changes parts of the book’s ending. One of the biggest changes is removing Holden and giving Anh a much larger role instead.

So, why was Holden cut from the film?

Speaking to Swooon, Scanlon said, “Sarah Rothschild did such a wonderful adaptation, paying homage to such wonderful moments. For instance, the sunscreen moment, the kiss, the unicorn socks, everything was so very much on point.”

She added, “[In a movie,] you can’t have everything in the book in there. I love the female-forward change.”

So, rather than keeping Holden in the story, the film increases Anh’s importance during the final part of the story. And this also changes who knows about Olive and Adam’s fake relationship.

In Hazelwood’s book, Malcolm is the person who knows they are fake dating. In the film, that role goes to Anh, who has apparently worked out what is really happening between her friend and Adam.

For Scanlon, that reveal worked particularly well. She explained, “Also, in the book, it’s Malcolm who knows they’re fake dating, but what I loved about the Anh reveal is you don’t see that coming. I didn’t when I was reading the script; I was like, ‘Oh, whoa! They didn’t pull the wool over her eyes.’”

She also said, “Anh’s not telling her, ‘I know this is bulls**t, but you guys are cute and awkward together. Maybe if you kept pretending, it would become real,’ and it did.”

That also leads into one of the film’s biggest changes to the ending. Instead of Holden being part of that final stretch, Anh becomes the person pushing Olive towards making her own decision.

The change also means Anh is the one who tells Adam about Tom harassing Olive. Scanlon said Anh does this because she cares about both of them.

She said, “She loves Adam, and she loves her friend. That’s why she says, ‘Did you know? Did he tell you?’ And he’s like, ‘No, what? What are you talking about?’ He’s a good guy, so she makes the decision [to tell him], and that’s why he says, ‘You’re such a good friend.’”

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