The film stars two up-and-comers you might have heard of, Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton of Black-ish/Grown-ish and Riverdale fame respectively. Yara plays the books main protagonist, Natasha Kingsley and Charles plays Daniel Bae, two New York City high school seniors who meet and fall in love in one day.
The Book
How is that possible you might be asking? But through the circumstances set up by the author it’s more than just a plot device. These events are all to real and easily ripped from today’s headlines you can’t help but go along for the ride. I lived in New York City for long time and now I live in LA. Before that, the thought of urban High Schools was foreign to me. I didn’t understand how you would travel so far just to go to high school. Even this unexpected, star-crossed, chance meeting in Manhattan was just meant to be.
The Trailer
Natasha
Natasha is smart, believes in science not fate. She also just happens to have been born in Jamaica. And her family is going to be deported. Now, she is going to make one last ditch attempt to try and stay in the country. Falling in love is not on her to-do list today. Until she met Daniel.
Daniel
Daniel is responsible, college-bound, a romantic, a poet, a son of immigrant parents. Wants more for his life and to follow his dreams and then he stumbles into Natasha.
To Fall in Love With Anyone Do This
In the book, Daniel references a study about 36 questions to make two strangers fall in love. I did some digging. There are two New York Times Articles he might be referencing one has the questions and the other circles back to those questions. The 36 Questions That Lead to Love and To Fall in Love with Anyone Do This. Now, did dating sites steal from this study? possibly, but allowing mutual vulnerability fosters closeness. And, well, did it work for Daniel and Natasha? You’ll have to read the book or watch the movie.
