Yellow means hope: ‘Reminders of Him’ comes to life on screen

Very few book-to-film adaptations manage to truly capture and satisfy the fans who loved the original story. Often, something gets lost along the way, characters feel flat, moments are rushed, or the emotional connections are lost. But Reminders of Him, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover, manages to accomplish this. Through strong performances, careful attention to the novel’s themes and a compelling press tour, the movie brings Kenna’s emotional journey to life. 

At the center of the novel, Reminders of Him tells the story of Kenna Rowan. She is a young woman returning to her hometown after being imprisoned for years, after being charged with killing her boyfriend, Scotty Landry, in a car accident. Kenna returns with hope to reconnect with her daughter, Diem, whom she was pregnant with during the accident and had to give up once she went to jail. However, Scotty’s grieving parents, who have had sole custody of Diem since the accident, want nothing to do with Kenna. The movie follows Kenna and her grief, forgiveness and the complicated process of rebuilding a life after all this trauma.

The film stays true to Hoover’s original plot, one of the reasons fans of the novel have embraced the movie. Rather than rushing through Kenna’s deep-rooted trauma and her past, the movie gives the story room to breathe. The audience witnesses Kenna’s attempts to reconnect with Diem. They also get to see her relationship with Scotty’s best friend, Ledger Ward, played by Tyriq Withers. The pacing allows viewers to fully understand the pain on all sides. This includes Kenna’s guilt, Scotty’s parents’ pain and the innocent curiosity of Diem. 

One of the film’s biggest strengths lies in the performances. The cast delivers deeply believable portrayals that make the emotional stakes feel real rather than melodramatic. The actress portraying Kenna, Maika Monroe, captures the character’s quiet guilt and determination with remarkable nuance. Kenna is not written as a perfect protagonist; she is flawed, emotional and often unsure of how to move forward. That complexity is reflected beautifully in the performance, making it easy for the audience to root for her even when other characters cannot forgive her.

The actors portraying Scotty’s parents also deserve recognition. Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford go to extremes to make sure their grief feels authentic, and the film avoids portraying them as villains. Instead, they represent the lingering pain of losing a child, which makes their resistance to Kenna understandable even when it feels heartbreaking. This layered characterization adds depth to the story and reinforces the idea that everyone in the film is navigating loss in their own way.

The most visually striking element of Reminders of Him is its consistent use of the color yellow as a central motif. Throughout the film, yellow symbolizes hope, healing and the enduring memory of Scotty, played by Rudy Pankow. Early in the movie, the color barely appears against a palette dominated by muted blues and grays. The colors reflect the emotional heaviness surrounding Kenna’s return. Scotty’s parents, still trapped in their grief, are frequently shown wearing these darker tones.

Yellow’s significance stems from the fact that it was Scotty’s favorite color. Even the song playing when he passed in the car was Coldplay’s “Yellow” by Coldplay. Because of this, the color becomes a bridge between the past and present. It allows Scotty to feel present even in moments where he is physically absent. In flashbacks showing Kenna and Scotty’s early relationship, yellow appears in clothing and scenery. It creates a warm contrast to the colder tones that dominate the film’s present timeline. These scenes feel bittersweet, emphasizing both the beauty of their relationship and the tragedy that follows.

The color also becomes closely associated with Diem, flipping the narrative of the color for Kenna. One small but meaningful detail is Diem’s love for a lemon-banana snow cone.  A bright yellow treat that visually reinforces her connection to the father she never knew. It’s a subtle reminder that Scotty’s presence continues through her.

The film’s final reunion scene between Kenna and Diem brings the motif full circle. The meeting takes place near Scotty’s old jungle gym, surrounded by bright yellow details, from the swings to the surrounding walls. The characters themselves wear hints of yellow as well. In this moment, the color shifts fully from representing memory to representing healing. What once symbolized loss now reflects the possibility of joy and forgiveness.

Ultimately, Reminders of Him succeeds because it respects its source material while embracing the strengths of visual storytelling. The performances feel genuine, the plot remains emotionally grounded, and the film’s use of color adds a powerful symbolic layer. By the time the final scene fades, the story leaves audiences with the same feeling the novel did: that healing is possible, even after the deepest loss.