Everything, Everything

The illness featured in this romantic “girl in a bubble” drama is severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), which prevents the creation of antibodies to protect from infection. Afflicted with SCID, exuberant 18-year-old Maddy Whittier (Amandla Stenberg) is an aspiring architect, even though she has spent her entire life in a hermetically-sealed glass sanctuary designed to keep her safe. Despite her overly-protective mother/doctor Pauline (Anika Noni Rose), Maddy is intrigued by boy-next-door Olly (Nick Robinson), who dresses in black and rides a skateboard. First, there are handwritten signs, then texts, and finally a meeting facilitated by Maddy's empathetic nurse, Carla (Ana de la Reguera), complete with the requisite decontamination protocol. Before long, the couple are running away to Hawaii, where a preposterous plot twist sets in motion a disconcerting narrative. Adapted from Nicola Yoon's 2015 YA novel, director Stella Meghie's Everything, Everything simply becomes implausible during its third act. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (16 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Trapped in Love: The Story” behind-the-scenes featurette (5 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for an uneven adaptation of a YA novel.] (S. Granger)