Summary

• Including the "just keep swimming" detail from the book would have enhanced the depth of Lily and Atlas' relationship in the movie.
• The phrase serves as a guiding principle for the characters and symbolizes their shared experiences and perseverance through tough times.
• While the movie hints at the importance of "Finding Nemo" to Lily and Atlas, viewers miss out on fully understanding the bond between them.

The switches between Lily's life in the present and her years in high school, which she spent with a boy named Atlas. Lily and Atlas were both faced with incredibly difficult situations in their teenage years, which led to the two bonding and developing a deep romantic relationship. Though the two distance from one another, they find themselves reconnecting as adults.

While some changes the film version of It Ends With Us made to the book ended up working out for the better, the movie was not able to fully capture the depth of Lily and Atlas' relationship. While it's unsurprising that the movie was unable to include all of the details from the book, as it would have slowed down the storyline, there was a defining element that should have made its way in. This missing detail would have served the movie well and provided additional context as to why Lily and Atlas continue to have such a strong connection even in their adult years.

It Ends With Us Movie Should Have Included The "Just Keep Swimming" Detail

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While the It Ends With Us still managed to convey the strong bond between Lily and Atlas during both their teenage and adult years, including one key detail from the book would have served the movie well and better explained the two's relationship. In the novel, the phrase "just keep swimming", from Disney's Finding Nemo, becomes Lily's mantra. It serves as a reminder to her to persevere through the tough times that she's facing as she witnesses her dad physically abusing her mom. When Lily and Atlas watch Finding Nemo together in the book, Lily thinks to herself that she is Dory and he is Marlin. She feels as though she is helping him "just keep swimming" and get through his own tough times.

As adults, Atlas gifts Lily a signed copy of Ellen DeGeneres' memoir that he inscribes with the words "just keep swimming". It's his reminder to her that he is always there for her to get through tough situations that life throws at her and that she has the strength to remove herself from the abusive relationship she has with Ryle. Ultimately, the saying serves as a guiding principle for Lily and Atlas, and reminds audiences that the two are connected by their shared experiences and perseverance. Without including it in the movie, viewers did not get the chance to fully understand how deep the two's bond was and how much they truly helped one another as teenagers.

The It Ends With Us Movie Did Hint At The Importance of "Finding Nemo" To Lily & Atlas

Though the It Ends With Us movie did not ever use the phrase "just keep swimming" or explain the meaning behind it, there were a few hints at its importance to the characters. In Atlas' restaurant, Roots, there is a sign that can be seen when he's talking to Lily. The sign has a picture of Dory on it and reads "just keep swimming". When Lily is setting up her future daughter's nursery, there is a large Nemo stuffed animal that can be seen in the room. While the movie doesn't explicitly explain the meaning behind these references, they serve as Easter eggs for readers and prove how impactful the idea of "just keep swimming" continues to be for Lily and Atlas.