It Ends with Us

She might not have designs on saving the world with superpowers, but the protagonist of It Ends with Us is a resilient and empowered heroine nonetheless.

It’s disappointing, then, that this breezy cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel seems insincere if well-meaning in exploring contemporary gender politics and cycles of abuse through a woman seeking closure, starting over, and finding fulfillment.

Fans of the book — and there are lots of them — might not care that this earnest relationship drama from director Justin Baldoni (Five Feet Apart) feels too detached from reality, which undermines the desired emotional impact.

It strains to be taken seriously despite eye-rolling character names such as Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), who returns to Boston for her estranged father’s funeral. It’s not until after she decides to stick around that Lily realizes she hasn’t quite shed all of the baggage from a volatile childhood, as evidenced by tense exchanges with her mother (Amy Morton).

Enter dashing neurosurgeon Ryle (Baldoni), who initiates a meet-cute on a rooftop and becomes infatuated with Lily, who in turn lets her guard down yet initially rejects his more aggressive advances.

Lily finds her calling by opening a quaint flower shop. She hires quirky co-worker Allysa (Jenny Slate) before learning she happens to be Ryle’s sister. When Lily and Ryle inevitably become an item, Allysa is skeptical: “I’ve seen how afraid he is of opening his heart to anyone,” she cautions.

Not long afterward, Lily is triggered by Ryle’s controlling behavior and jealousy issues, particularly when she’s revisited by another figure from her past.

The slick and cliched screenplay by Christy Hall (Daddio) is hardly subtle in conveying worthwhile messages about self-esteem and standing up to abuse. However, it merely skims the surface of its deeper psychological themes.

Lively (A Simple Favor) generates sympathy with a fully committed performance that outshines the material, which struggles to mesh a cutesy trifle about a fling between affluent millennial singles with a more provocative examination of trauma and healing.

As it transitions away from fanciful romantic escapism, It Ends with Us essentially downplays moral complexity and meaningful character dynamics in favor or treating weighty issues with a soap-opera gloss.

Rated PG-13, 130 minutes.