For many years, I have held, with very few exceptions, that romance on film works best when we the audience want to fall in love with the people falling in love on screen. I not going to back down from that, but I will make a counter for People We Meet on Vacation, a romance in which I liked the people, but felt horrified at the idea of falling for either one.
First off, Poppy (yes, “Poppy”) and Alex (Tom Blyth) are completely different people. The potential sequel [“Other People We Meet on Vacation?”,”People We Meet in the Supermarket?”] will invariably go into how these two have nothing in common besides school affiliation and probably never should have gotten together. She’s too pushy and he’s too blah. As “adults,” Poppy (Emily Bader) is a travel writer, living out her fantasy … heck, living out the fantasy of a lot of folks, tbh. How would you like to live on vacation abroad for a living? Yeah, I could go for that. Alex, however, just likes being in his hometown in Ohio. Blinders are fun! This is kinda the way it is with these two – she is adventurous and aggressive; he’s … not. At all. They balance well, which is to say they average well -I think- what the film is going for.
I mean, hey, they don’t agree on much, but they’re both pretty … and what’s important in a romance, anyway? Do we really want to see two Quasimodos fall in love? [Psst … If written well, the answer is “yes.”]
People We Meet on Vacation plays a lot like a poor man’s When Harry Met Sally … The two meet driving home from college, pull an instant dislike, and yet somehow find common ground in a motel. Well, sorta. They find enough common ground, that is, to meet again in a year on one of those Canadian camping/skinny dipping trips we’ve all heard so much about. After Alex inadvertently gets his outfit washed out to sea, Poppy takes pity on him and they decide to vacation together every summer after that.
I think this is what we like about this film – that these two only meet on vacation, where everything is 500% better than homebodyism, and we the audience realize they’re falling in love before they realize they’re falling in love. Yeah, I gotta admit, I have a soft spot for that particular screenplay gambit.
The premise here is that in the 
present, Poppy and Alex are reuniting at a Barcelona wedding after their two-year estrangement, so we get to see in retrospect how they fell in love in the first place and why they haven’t talked to one another in many moons. If nothing else, the film decided that we could enjoy an extended travelogue.
I have no special love for stupid romance. I have no special love for Christmas romance. I have no special love for mismatched romance. I have no special love for romance where the best and only asset is “pretty people.” People We Meet on Vacation checks two, maybe three of those boxes. And darned if I didn’t end up liking this silly film anyway. Yes, it is lazy sitcom writing when Poppy’s dad mistakes Alex’s fear on flying with fear of sexual performance; maybe I was just in a good mood; maybe that struck me as humorous this time. I don’t know. I won’t go to the mat for this one, but I liked these two well enough to like the film, barely.
Two collegians, Alex and Poppy
Have a romance that starts off quite sloppy
Their feelings slowly rally
As they parallel Harry/Sally
Sadly, theirs is a pale photocopy
Rated PG-13, 117 Minutes
Director: Brett Haley
Writer: Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo
Genre: The lighter adventures of Harry and Sally
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Romantic fools
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Realists
