“You know how I know it’s late summer? Because I’m really reaching to find movie picks, seeing things I might otherwise just skip and not think twice about. That’s how I ended up at a sappy YA adaptation. To be honest, the only thing that even put it on the radar was Chloe Grace Moretz. Without an actress who I admire and typically enjoy, there’s no way in heck I’d have touched this with a 39 and a half foot pole. But I really had nothing to lose by tacking this on to my movie outing, other than maybe two hours that I’d otherwise have spent staring at a different screen.
Moretz plays Mia, a high school student and gifted cello player, who is at several crossroads in her life. A car crash that kills her family leaves her in a coma, and she has to decide if this life is worth staying for or if she should let go. Mia is a very serious and withdrawn girl, in a family of free spirited extroverts. She’s torn between her passion for music and her romance with local rock star Adam, whose personality matches that of her family more than her own.
I’m of two minds about the movie. As to be expected, I really wasn’t into the whole Adam/Mia thing. Overly romanticized teenage love sorta makes me gag. And oh boy was it over the top sappy. Eyes were rolling constantly. But on the other hand, the overal emotion of the movie, in particular the interactions with her family, was overwhelming. One late scene with her grandfather even made me tear up a bit. When I could focus on that, I was absolutely swept up by it, and this is the film that stayed with me the rest of the day.
Mad props to Ms. Moretz. Even at her young age, she is a fully developed actress, capable of holding down the anchor for such a sweeping film. I often forgot about the cheese that was bugging me and just saw everything thru her eyes, feeling those highs and lows. Again, I would not have touched this film if not for her, and I could not have standed this film without her in it.
Maybe not my thing usually, but it wasn’t a waste of an afternoon. Although maybe not one I’d revisit anytime soon
If I Stay – \m/ \m/ \m/