All The Bright Places' Elle Fanning and Justice Smith on what's best about the Midwest
Netflix’s new teen romance All The Bright Places—based on Jennifer Niven’s hit YA novel of the same name—is set against the backdrop of a quiet Indiana suburb, basically Anytown, USA. Its protagonists Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) and Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) see their small town as ugly and mundane, but, as the pair grows closer, they teach each other to appreciate the beauty around them. The film shot in Northeast Ohio to evoke the novel’s sense of Midwest malaise, so we decided to ask its stars—both native Californians—about their experiences on location. Both Fanning and Smith looked back fondly at their time in Ohio, citing a love of Midwest comfort food in particular. The stars also reflected on their own personal “bright places” from their childhood, and revealed their favorite on-screen romances.
All The Bright Places begins streaming on Netflix on February 28.