A Walk To Remember - film only

°*°*° Story °*°*°

We open in a deserted cement factory next to a lake. In a bid to join the 'cool kids', Clay Gephardt must jump into the water. Inevitably, he gets hurt when the water isn't deep enough and the police turn up. One of the group spends a few minutes trying to help the injured boy, and gets caught by the police. It turns out this is Langdon Carter - our main male lead.

It's the next day when we meet Jamie Sullivan, during an intentionally awkward church service, where her dad is the Reverend. She is a very plain looking girl and has the look of someone who's shy and quiet. For the first time we get to hear her sensational singing voice, and it is this that catches Langdon's eye. We quickly learn that Jamie is not part of the 'in crowd'; Langdon puts it that she is 'not exactly a reject, but defiantly in self exile territory'.

As punishment for being the one caught, and in a bid to make him 'experience other types of people', the principle makes him take part in several community projects. It just so happens that Jamie takes part in the same activities, only she does them for fun. They begin to spend increasing amounts of time together, a fact thoroughly resented by Langdon. He isn't open to these activities and clearly doesn't want to be there. Nor is he willing to listen to the advice Jamie tries to offer him.

As they begin to talk more, we learn that Jamie has a kind of 'life list' of things she wants to do in her lifetime. She tells us how number 42 was befriend someone she doesn't like - which she is doing by talking to Langdon.

The first sign of change in Langdon is when he is forced to ask for help learning his lines for the school play. He soon shows that this change is only just breaking through when he denies Jamie in front of his friends. Jamie is understandably angry with this and Langdon is forced to make effort to regain the friendship that had been starting.

A slightly improvised moment in the school play leads to a few more awkward days between them. Once again Langdon finds himself having to work to regain her trust and their continually growing friendship. Then, yet another misfortunate prank by Langdon's previous friends gives him the opportunity to redeem himself. It also shows us one of the first signs of something else big growing in her life.

Their relationship continues to develop as Langdon proves himself to be good ever more. There are several very cute scenes where he fulfils various things from Jamie's life list in this section of the movie.

In a dark alleyway, Jamie finally reveals her secret to Langdon. Initially this is met by anger, but he soon grows to understand and anger is replaced by sadness. The revelation by Jamie gives Langdon an opportunity to cry out to his previously estranged father.

Near to the end of the movie, there are some very tender and heart felt moment between Jamie and her father, and also Langdon and Jamie. There are plenty of tearjerker lines and you'll probably be struggling not to cry as the end nears. You feel like you've been on a journey with these characters, as you've watched them change and develop over the past 100minutes or so.

Once you learn Jamie's secret, the ending is pretty much inevitable, but it is still an emotional journey to get there. For a few minutes you do consider that maybe that won't be the end, but it had to be really, to keep the story believable.

°*°*° Character and actors °*°*°

Langdon Carter - A popular bad boy, turned good as the movie progresses. We learn from the beginning that Langdon is no longer in contact with his father, although his Mother (Cynthia Carter played by Daryl Hannah) would much rather he was. Langdon saw Jamie for who she could be, without her having to be one of the fashionable girls.

Shane West plays Langdon Carter. That wasn't a name I'd heard, or a face I recognised while watching the movie. I looked him up on IMBd and the only thing I recognised was ER. I believe he is well suited for the role of Langdon. You can see his transition from bad boy to good guy and its honest and believable. The only point he falls down on is his age. He is nearly 6 years older than Mandy Moore/Jamie Sullivan, and yet they have supposedly been in 'all the same classes since Kindergarten'. Then again, this seems the normal for teen movies these days.

Jamie Sullivan - Mandy Moore plays 18-year-old Jamie Sullivan, daughter of the local Reverend and a strong Christian herself. You are constantly reminded of her faith throughout the movie. The character is very plain, with out-of-fashion outfits and no make up. She's also shy and quiet, and we learn that she's hiding a secret. Well aware that everyone makes fun of her, Jamie doesn't let this bother her, and is seen at least once to give back as much as she gets - nicely of course!

Mandy Moore pulls off this role fantastically. It's clear that she is relying on her acting ability, rather that people knowing her name or from her looks. At only one point in the movie, during the play, she is made up and her hair styled, we see her beauty. Mandy Moore has reddish brown hair in this movie (naturally she is blonde) and she is totally believable as the geeky, loner, community service for fun, kinda gal. As the movie progresses, her look actually decreases even further (you'll see why) and this is pulled off well too, you could honestly believe the situations on screen.

Reverend Sullivan - Jamie's father, played by Peter Coyote. He is determined to stand in between the relationship that is forming between Langdon and Jamie. Eventually he is forced to give in and sees that it's best for Jamie anyway.

°*°*° Soundtrack °*°*°

The soundtrack to this movie is one of its strong points. Each song seems to fit perfectly where it is placed and there is a mixed of upbeat and more slower tracks. Mandy Moore features in the soundtrack at several points. These all fit in well too, and it doesn't feel like they were put there just because of her. This said, at one point it almost seems like she is listening to herself while driving in the car, and you have to listen twice to see if it's her. Seems slightly unrealistic that she would listen to her own CD, but I guess it's possible!

°*°*° Overall °*°*°

On the whole this is a great movie. It's very believable and you probably will find yourself getting attached to the characters and moved when things seem to be going downhill. Like any movie, there are a few really bad lines, and also some really bad continuity points. There are a couple of times when you can see technical equipment (such as radio microphones), but so long as you don't sit looking for them, this shouldn't detach from your enjoyment of the movie.

This movie isn't a chick flick, and it isn't just a sappy love story, although it probably is aimed at women more than men. The performances are all great and its definitely a movie worth watching.

5 out of 5 !

°*°*° Technical bits °*°*°

Some of the Cast =
Shane West - Landon Rollins Carter
Mandy Moore - Jamie Sullivan
Peter Coyote - Reverend Sullivan
Daryl Hannah - Cynthia Carter
Lauren German - Belinda
Clayne Crawford - Dean
Al Thompson - Eric
Paz De La Huerta - Tracey

Director - Adam Shankman

Certificate - PG

Runtime - 101 min

Official Website - http://www2.warnerbros.com/walktoremember/
More details at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281358/