This article is clearly full of spoilers for both the Fifty Shades Freed book and movie. Please only jump in if you love spoilers or have already seen Christian and Ana get it on during the final movie in the franchise!
Fifty Shades movies have been a staple for the past few years, but we're approaching the end of an era. Fifty Shades Freed, the third movie in a trilogy based on a set of books by E.L. James, has finally hit theaters, and has done so with higher stakes and certainly more car scenes than any of the previous movies. The book is a 500+ page monster, so it's no real surprise the movie has a lot to talk about. It's also no real surprise some changes were made to the source material to keep the movie under two hours.
When you watch Fifty Shades Freed, fans of the books may notice a lot of the details in the movie have been changed to streamline the plot or soften the characters, etc. Some details have been added to the film, too. To bring you this list, I watched the flick on the big screen and have made notes of all of the biggest changes that I saw during the movie. Plenty of other details were changed in Fifty Shades Freed, of course, and feel free to comment on ones you may have found to be more noticeable. Without further ado, here are the biggest changes between Fifty Shades Freed's book and movie. Do not jump in if you want the film to be a surprise!
We get to see Christian and Ana get married. We saw the wedding dress in early promos for Fifty Shades Freed but the movie goes a little further, showing us the couples' vows and their first dance, as well. Ana makes a big deal about not promising to obey in her vows in the books, so it was nice to see that play out on the big screen.
The handcuff scene in the movie is way less intense. I wouldn't exactly call it "vanilla," as Christian and Ana are fond of joking, but the movie definitely doesn't show us that her wrists are totally torn up by the rough sex. He also doesn't leave hickies all over her body.
Speaking of Christian being less overbearing, the scene at the beginning when Ana steals away on the jet ski is cut from the movie. In the books, Ana tries to take the jet ski without telling Christian and he freaks out. Eventually, she acquiesces and she returns to the boat on their honeymoon.
There are fewer sex scenes in the movie. In fact, some notable sex scenes are cut from the movie. We don't get to see Christian and Ana shave each other or have sex as part of the mile high club. Other details about the sex change, including when Christian fucks her with the handcuffs, their safe words starts as "popsicle," whereas in the movie it's always "red."
Anna doesn't get a white Audi for her birthday in the movie. They sort of gloss over that part where she's super excited about a new ride, and the charm bracelet with the vanilla ice cream cone on it is introduced to the audience while Ana and Christian are on their honeymoon.
*Ana's father doesn't end up at the hospital in the movie. *This also means the movie cut out that awkward conversation she has in the book with Jose's father about how he thought she was always going to date his son. This change makes a lot of sense as it keeps the story more streamlined.
The topic of pregnancy is teased in the movie before we learn Ana is, in fact, pregnant. She makes Christian a steak dinner and jokes about getting pregnant, after which he seems displeased. They have a candid conversation about him not wanting a baby yet. Little did they know...
There's a fun minor sideplot in the movie where Hannah flirts a little with Sawyer. If Ana's bodyguard has to hang around SIP, he might as well have some fun with her assistant in the movie, right?
Leila doesn't visit Ana at the office in the movie. The fact that Christian has her gun is touched on, but since she doesn't visit we also don't get the scene where Christian fires Ana's female bodyguard in a fit of anger.
Gia and Ana don't fight over a particular aspect of the house in the movie. In fact, the architect wants to tear the whole thing down and build a smart home while Ana would like to preserve the traditional feel of the older home. This scene is actually even funnier than in the book, as Ana gets in a dual dig about Gia's personality and her plans, noting she's going to be "less in-your-face, more respectful."
*The Colorado trip features a few changes. *This includes a scene where everyone goes hiking without Christian and Elliot talks about how they used to fight going up. It's a convenient way to get the info about what Christian Grey was like as a child out. In addition, Elliot proposes to Kate in the club and not in a restaurant like the books. Mr. and Mrs. Bentley are nowhere to be seen, as well.
We get an ice cream scene in Fifty Shades Freed. Christian and Ana have sex on the kitchen table in the movie. She uses ice cream to get what she wants out of her husband before loudly knocking stuff off the table and going at it. In the books, they have a sex scene after going to the club, but it's more about wrestling than food. Afterward in the book, Christian opens up about Elena. (There is an ice cream scene in a different Fifty Shades book.)
*Anna attends Jack Hyde's bail hearing in the movie. *After which, she totally vomits in the bathroom. She could have chalked it up to nerves, but she knows she's probably pregnant and sees the doctor. In the book, Hannah keeps shifting Ana's birth control appointment and Ana doesn't keep track of it.
When Ana goes to retrieve the money at the bank in the movie she doesn't have any trouble. This happens because Christian calls at the right moment. In the books, Ana is having some trouble securing the money because her license still says Anastasia Steele, a call back to their earlier fight about her name.
Christian is far more in the know with Mia's kidnapping in the movie. When Ana says she is taking the money, he immediately recognizes something is wrong, rather than assuming she's leaving him. He also immediately goes into action, looking into Mia's disappearance and calling the authorities.
There's no sassy nurse at the hospital where Ana stays. After getting beaten up by Jack, Ana is hospitalized in both the book and the movie, but in the book there is a nurse around to scold Christian for getting into Ana's bed, etc.
Ana and Christian visit his mother's grave at the end of the movie. Christian's childhood horrors are touched on in the movie, but he isn't as aggressive toward his birth mother in Fifty Shades Freed and he doesn't call her a "crack whore." The grave scene seems to be a nod that Christian Grey is finally healing.
Fifty Shades Freed is currently in theaters. What did you think of the movie? Head here to discuss all your wonderful thoughts.
