An Adaption That Harbors a Romance but Leaves Out Much Needed Drama (Red, White & Royal Blue)

Casey McQuiston’s critically acclaimed novel, Red, White & Royal Blue, has been adapted into a streaming film that brings a very timely and heartwarming romance to life. Like most rom-com, it does have a very cliche premise between lovers that cannot be together because politics and tradition become a factor in their relationship. Despite two straight actors portraying a gay romance, the film does capture nuances that make the book unique. To be fair, there is a reason the book is a best seller apart from it being a steamy queer romance. It features characters that are interesting as each is introduced but the book would be nowhere without Alex and Henry. The plot revolves around both protagonists, introducing readers to their respective perspectives and supporting characters. Moreover, the book also features real-world themes of politics in the case of First Son, Alex’s life while featuring the struggles of being part of a monarchy with Prince Henry. All characters are ambitious and fit well in both nations of Washington and London while there are some that are underappreciated or just the highlight of a scene, whether they are written with good intentions or not.

The film adaptation does manage to capture a lot of the book which can please fans of the source material to a degree. Still, as a fan of the book myself, the changes made for this adaptation do somehow damage a lot of what made this novel relatable and timely to the current political climate leaving a lot of the underlying themes to be underwhelming. From character dynamics to changing certain motivations, the real injustice is the axing of characters in Alex's life such as his sister and the rest of the White House trio but that isn't the axe that most viewers will be affected by. 

Originally named Rafael Salva, played a vital role in the events of the novel as Alex's mentor, and friend to the family while having the responsibilities as Senator good terms with White House residents. The film does keep the betrayal of this character by Rafael outing the discreet couple but flipping Rafael into Miguel, a vindictive ex from Alex's past, influenced by jealousy is a tad degrading, a questionable choice indeed. Or at least that's how the film depicted it but might not be the case considering they barely fleshed out the character compared to the novel counterpart it was based on. 

Certain elements of the film were left on the cutting room floor but thankfully, it did not affect the main parts of the film involving Alex and Henry. The enemies to lovers trope is one we have seen far too many times and yet, these two manage to keep the idea fresh while having great chemistry in each scene they share. A problem arose amongst the queer community that Alex and Henry were going to be portrayed by heterosexual actors, the same way a lot of people were and have been criticizing Brokeback Mountain all those years ago. With that drama aside, their performances are believable. Like the intentions of the book, their romance makes history as they bring both changes to their respective lifestyles while having a healthy relationship on and off the public eye. 

Among both of them, Nicholas Galtzine carries Henry's existential crisis and fear of rejection - not only from his family but the rest of the country - well. Unlike most closeted characters are dealt with, Henry's internal struggle is a burden that he thinks he is forced to carry, rather than expulse as disgust on other queer individuals to avoid the lifestyle. Galtzine brings the character to life more than the readers can expect. Taylor Zakhar Perez, however, only seems to be a step-up actor when he is next to Galtzine. Alex alone, trying to point out ideas and trying to be a part of his mother's reelection campaign falls flat. It is disappointing for Alex's individual attributes to be sidelined. Pointing out that they are sidelined is another thing but unlike the book, the film goes out of its way to only barely follow Alex's journey into politics, his issues with it, and doing the work to understand all of it to prove to his mother his worth in her campaign ended up being overpowered by his growing solely by his attraction with Henry. 

As previously said, what the film gets right is the palpable chemistry between the two, especially with the sex scenes. What people may not believe is how important the intimacy between the characters is. Yes, most of their connection is cut as it rushes to when they start 'snogging' as the Brits say, but it does not affect the arcs that are obviously presented in the film nor does it affect the viewers to be captivated by their ability to have us swooning.  

It is really hard to see a great supporting cast given no chance to shine. And don't even get me started on Uma Thurman's accent that jarringly bothered me every time she was onscreen. Amidst all the unnecessary changes, the pacing felt rushed but that is probably because they were capturing a whirlwind romance in this low-budgeted Amazon Prime film. Most of the sceneries you will see are mostly CGI which ruins a lot of the shots especially the final one when the world embraces the queer romance. Luckily, there is much to salvage for a good time as the has us rooting for a romance that drips with chemistry from start to finish. 

Catch Red,White, Royal Blue on Prime Video, streaming now.