Everything, Everything - Ellie Marmoll

     The film Everything, Everything, based on the novel by Nicola Yoon, follows the life of newly eighteen-year-old Madeline living with a rare autoimmune disease that prevents her from leaving the protection of her sealed home in which she is isolated from the outside world. Maddy is extremely imaginative, especially when Olly moves in next door and her curiosity for life outside of her home grows, causing her to push the boundaries that formerly kept her safe. With the bond that they had formed with their limited contact, the pair fall deeper in love, and over time Olly helps Maddy realize what she has been doing is not really living.  

Trailer

    The particular scene in this screenshot is the main turning point of the movie where things drastically begin to change. In this scene, Maddy takes a dramatic leap and decides to leave her house to go to Hawaii with Olly. She packed a bag and purchased the tickets and accommodations, so all he needed to do was say yes. He protests immediately, not wanting to put her in any danger, but eventually he gives in to her request. Her goal is to find out if she truly is sick, but the audience can see this as an emotional act of love and devotion for Olly. She knows the risks and the potential for her to get sick, but she is determined to execute her plan and finally see the ocean in person, something she had always dreamed of. This scene shows us the power of not only her love for Olly, but her independence and drive to change the life she has become accustomed to, while finding out the truth for herself. 

    This scene follows a phone call between Madeline and her doctors who had treated her in Hawaii after she had gotten sick. When they disagree with her that it is possible for her to have SCID, she rushes into her mom's office and begins rummaging through the records her mother has held onto her whole life. She cannot find anything about SCID, and when her mother enters the room, Maddy immediately begins to ask questions. When her mother cannot answer them, her worst fear is confirmed. This scene breaks down every sense of comfort Maddy gained throughout her life as her mother is the most, if not only, consistent figure in her life. The betrayal and distrust that Maddy feels at that moment completely destroys the relationship her and her mother have built. Not only that, but she is also forced to come to terms with all that she has unnecessarily missed out on.  

    Everything, Everything’s significance spans far beyond the film itself and its overall message. The film explores the idea of love and more so, what someone is willing to do for love. Maddy wasn’t going to examine her situation in order to make decisions for herself and her life, up until Olly came along and encouraged her to do just that. She had yet to take a single risk in her life and was content with her situation, but when she falls for Olly, she begins to love herself in a different way by advocating for herself. Realizing she can only cultivate a life she truly loves by taking these risks, she is able to live a much happier life, even if it’s less safe. The film adapting a Black woman as the main character, a deliberate choice by the author, while making no mention of her race really enhances its message while also providing the audience with a Black perspective that is not centered around society and how that perceives them. I think this type of casting for the film will serve as encouragement for other filmmakers and allow for them to see that stories such as these are important and necessary. 

 

Discussion Questions: 

- Forgiveness is something we do not see by the end of the film, but the first thing on our minds when we finish. If you were Maddy and your mom had been lying to you for your whole life, could you forgive her? If not, would you try? 

- The idea of risking everything is an essential part of telling this story. Do you believe taking risks is worth the potential outcome? At what point do you believe it is not worth it? Do you think it is irresponsible?