Sydney Sweeney and Blake Lively are two of the biggest celebrities working in the entertainment industry today. While both belong to different demographics, they've been involved in the filmmaking process of some of their most recent films, serving as producers and having a hand in the marketing that goes into each project. Following the release of "Christy," Sweeney's most recent movie exploring the life of boxer Christy Martin, fans have taken to comparing Sweeney and Lively for one specific reason.
The subject stems from the fact that Lively and Sweeney have portrayed domestic violence survivors.
One of the main topics of "Christy" is the abuse she's subjected to from her husband, a subject that has been at the forefront of the movie's campaign. "She's an incredible role model, so being able to bring her story to a wider audience and hopefully save lives through that has been the greatest gift that I could've ever been given," said Sweeney in conversation with Deadline.
Despite the awards buzz that the film has inspired, especially for Sweeney's performance, and the rediscovery of Martin's inspirational life story, the movie performed poorly at the box office, highlighting the ways in which the industry doesn't understand what audiences want out of the theater-going experience.
The release of the film has inspired many comparisons with Lively's most recent movie, "It Ends With Us," which also explored similar topics. Based on the Colleen Hoover novel, the film explores violence across generations and doesn't shy away from showing these moments onscreen.
'It Ends With Us' complex legacy
The film has been one of the most controversial releases in recent memory, resulting in a long and painful legal battle between its stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Still, the film performed incredibly at the box office, facilitating the film adaptations of many of Hoover's books.
Around the time of its release, the film inspired controversy in its marketing, with media articles criticizing its focus on florals and on its lead stars' personalities, with some viewers claiming that it gave a difficult topic like domestic violence a shallow treatment and approach.
Following the criticism, Lively shared a statement online. "It Ends With Us is a story of the female experience. All the highest highs, and lowest lows." She supplemented her post with different PSAs, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and statistics about intimate violence in relationships.
Following the legal battle between its stars, Hoover has shared her complicated feelings regarding one of the most profitable books of her career. “I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it,” she said in an interview with Elle. “I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I’m just like, ‘I’m a writer. Please don’t ask me what I wrote.’”
Sweeney and Lively’s projects highlight a growing appetite for stories of survival, both from the creators behind the films and the audiences who watch them. While reactions to each movie couldn’t be more different, they mark a significant cultural moment, showing that audiences are increasingly aware of and engaged with these kinds of stories.