The film adaptation of David Levithan’s 2012 novel, Every Day (Knopf), opened in theaters on February 23. The story, which blends elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal romance, centers on a 16-year-old named Rhiannon who falls in love with a spirit named A. The spirit exists by inhabiting the bodies of others, and switches to a new form every 24 hours. A has a consciousness, but while occupying each body, the spirit is also able to tap into the awareness of that individual. When A inhabits the body of Rhiannon’s distant boyfriend, Justin, and falls in love with Rhiannon over the course of a day, A begins inhabiting individuals who will allow the spirit to stay near her.
The story follows A and Rhiannon’s efforts to find one another day after day, while ultimately leading to the question of whether the two can ever really be together. The film, from Orion Pictures, stars Angourie Rice (The Beguiled) as Rhiannon, Justice Smith as Justin, and Debby Ryan as Rhiannon’s sister Jolene. Jesse Andrews, author of the novel (and the screenplay for) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, wrote the screenplay for Every Day, and Michael Sucsy directed.
Last summer, Levithan spent time on the Toronto set for the film and has been actively involved in pre- and post-release promotions. In recent weeks, Levithan has attended numerous fan screenings in multiple cities and bookstore events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Dallas, which have included one-on-one conversations with Rice and Andrews about the film.
Throughout the course of the movie, A occupies the bodies of teenagers from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as different genders. All told, 15 actors were cast to play A over the course of the movie. The film has earned praise for its unconventional approach to teen romance, particularly in regards to its treatment of gender fluidity. Levithan, who published a companion book to Every Day called Another Day in 2015, recently spoke with the Huffington Post about the film.
Levithan discussed his hopes that young viewers of all genders, orientations, and backgrounds will be able to see themselves in the film—and in the many different embodiments of A—as readers did in the book. He said, “One of the most amazing things about the book’s life, so far, is because of its paranormal conceit, a lot of people who would not otherwise gravitate toward a queer story come around to it. I hope non-queer viewers will start to question the notion of gender and how we’re defined by our bodies after seeing the movie, too.”
