As someone who is looking forward to the film adaptation of It ends with us With bated breath, I have to say I was impressed. Sure, there was plenty of speculation that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (who also served as the film’s director and male lead) had some sort of falling out due to their lack of joint press for the film. And of course, there were differences between the book and the film that left some fans (myself included) a little disappointed. Overall, though, I was impressed with this book adaptation, and one of my favorite parts of the project was the world-building.
In the novel and in the film It ends with us is set in Boston, Massachusetts, because of course “everything is better in Boston.” The story revolves around the romance between Lily Bloom, played by Lively, and her partner, neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, played by Baldoni. While Lily falls in love with Ryle, her path crosses that of her first love Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), whom she dated in high school and who also happens to have moved to Boston.
A key element of their story is Atlas’ love of cooking, which he fully embraced by opening his restaurant BIB, also called Root in the film. The scenes filmed in Atlas’ shop caught my eye because the space was so beautifully decorated. I was sure that Root was probably built by the film’s production designer, but I was completely wrong: it’s a real restaurant in New Jersey.
root of It ends with us is better known as South House in Jersey City. The restaurant aims to “represent southern hospitality” and share “the joy of good food and good cheer” with all guests. South House is just as charming, if not more so, than in the film.
TikTok creator @alonainthecity shared a video following the film’s August 9 release date, confirming that the restaurant was not just used as a backdrop for the movie. In the creator’s video, she revealed that South House was closed for two weeks for filming and some interior remodeling was done, but the original elements were retained for the film.
Atlas’ restaurant is the setting for some crucial moments in the film’s plot. It is the first place Lily and Atlas have met in person since their teenage years. After Lily and Ryle’s first visit to the restaurant with their mother, Ryle insists on taking his sister and her husband. However, their second visit was shortly after Ryle’s first scuffle with Lily. When Atlas notices Lily’s black eye and Ryle’s bandaged hand, he pulls her aside to ask if she’s OK, and a violent fight ensues between the men. After the fight, Lily does not return to the restaurant until she turns around to ask Atlas for help after her final altercation with Ryle.
If I’m ever in Jersey City, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t check out South House.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.
