All the Bright Places ending: Justice Smith reveals one condition he had for Netflix film's heartbreaking twist
Actor had one big concern about kids watching the film
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Your support makes all the difference.The stars of All the Bright Places have revealed the one demand they had about the Netflix film’s ending before signing up to star.
Based on the bestselling novel by Jennifer Niven, the film, which focuses on mental illness, stars Elle Fanning and Justice Smith as Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, two people who bond over their struggles with emotional and physical scars of the past.
*Spoilers follow for those who are yet to see the film*
The film ends with Violet discovering Theodore has taken his own life after running away from home.
Speaking to Collider about the heartbreaking reveal, Smith said: “One thing that was important to me, when I signed up for the film, was that Finch wasn’t martyred. I didn’t want young kids to see themselves in Finch and think that, if they were to pass, people would finally see how special they were. That was not the lesson I was trying to show with the character.”
He continued: “Finch’s passing was a result of him not reaching out and getting the help that he needed to manage his mania and his depression. The effect that it has on the other characters is that they see how important it is that they didn’t reach out.”
Smith called the film “a cautionary tale”, adding: “If [viewers are] upset about Finch’s passing, it’ll hopefully show how important it is to reach out or to let somebody know what you’re going through because Finch’s death has such an effect on the people around him, and you would never want the people who love you to experience that.
“It provides insight into what it’s like to be gone and to be missed.”
Fanning added: “This really happened to [Jennifer], when she was young. She had a boyfriend who this happened to. So, we wanted to make sure that it was handled with care.”
All the Bright Places is available to stream on Netflix now
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