4. A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember (2002)

A movie that was originally a book written by Nicholas Sparks, one of the forefront authors on the sappy, this is a pretty unoriginal tale.  It follows the lives of Landon Carter, the cool kid in school, and Jamie Sullivan, the reclusive and shy outcast as they meet, fall in love, have a falling out and, despite the odds, find a way to make it work in the end.  So essentially every teen romance movie made.

Since this movie is based on a book, a lot from the story is needed to be condensed in order to fit the 2 hour time limit.  Unfortunately, this means the story seems very rushed to me.  It’s hard to really get a grasp on the time that’s passed in this movie, making the evolution of the characters harder to perceive.  A lot of times, it seems like people just woke up and decided to completely change their personality.

Maybe I’m being unfair on judging it on the story, so let’s look at the actors.  For the most part, I didn’t actually believe any of these actors were their character.  They seemed to struggle with the dialogue at some points and there was rarely any real chemistry between any of the characters.  It hit all the stereotypes as well, with the Token Black Guy and the Jerkface Best Friend and Jealous Girlfriend (although they try and twist it up by making her an ex) and even the Suspicious Dad Who Comes Around At The End.  I’m not saying none of these characters are likable (or dislikable) but that they just weren’t real at all.

Both the setting and the music wasn’t really anything to brag about.  The only really memorable part of the movie was the restaurant scene where the camera pans up to a very ridiculously starry night.  I’m the first to say that using logic in a movie is a bad idea, but some things are just not a good idea.

All in all, it was what I expected from it.  Cliched story weakly performed.  If you’re looking for some sap, this is an entire forest.  Underneath it all though, the roots run dry.

4/10 

Wow! I feel sorry for The Fool, the  poor heartless cynic whom I love so dearly. Either that, or the term “Hopeless Romantic” describes me flawlessly.

I watched this movie for the first time when I was a teenager, and it moved me to tears. Everytime since then, I still cry.

But then again, I am biased. I have been a fan of Nicholas Sparks since I picked up a book of his 5 years ago. Since then I have made sure that my collection of his books and movies stays current. It is possible, however, that due to this admiration, I am able to see things in the movie that The Fool is unable to see, such as the exact moment in which Landon realizes that he is in love with Jamie. I am able to figure this out, as well as seeing the character development, as I have read the book and so find myself privy to the characters thoughts and motives behind their actions.

With that being said however, I will agree with The Fool in that the movie did seem a bit choppy. There were a few scenes in the book that Hollywood decided to cut out that I felt were pretty pivotal to the storyline and character development.

I felt that the setting, though it might not have been memorable, was at the very least, fitting to the story. The story was to be based in a small town where everyone essentially knew everyone else. Nothing really stood out, and for anyone who has lived in a small town, or hell, even driven by one, knows that small town living is very simple and things don’t stand out.

I find this movie entertaining, and inspires hope for a Hopeless Romantic. Is it predictable? Absolutely! But why mess with a classic story line that never fails?

8/10