Sparks Tearjerker a Film to Remember

The first time I heard of Nicholas Sparks was when my mom read The Notebook. Someone had lent her the book, and she loved it so much that she immediately entreated my dad and me to read it as well. It was this sort of word-of-mouth momentum that propelled the book quickly into bestseller status and set Sparks up for assured success with similarly sappy tales. I don’t mean that adjective as an insult; if someone opened me up they’d probably find enough syrup to last through a hundred pancake breakfasts. For whatever reason, I didn’t get around to reading The Notebook until several years later, but in the meantime I saw two films based on his later books. The first was the rather disappointing Message in a Bottle. The second was the far more satisfying A Walk to Remember.

I saw the movie with some friends of mine on both ends of the sappiness tolerance scale. One spent half the movie bawling her eyes out, while the other groaned about how corny everything was. I fell somewhere in the middle, leaning closer to the reaction of the friend emptying a box of tissues. While the movie didn’t make me cry – I can count on my fingers the films that have accomplished this feat – it certainly qualifies as a tearjerker. I guess I don’t mind having my emotions yanked around by a filmmaker.

The movie stars Shane West and Mandy Moore as two very different teens whose lives are about to come together in a most unexpected way. Landon Carter is a troublemaker who is thrown into the school production as punishment for some deviant activities earlier in the year that resulted in the injury of another teenager. Jaime Sullivan is the shy, conservative daughter of a preacher (Peter Coyote). I just watched the movie Saved! last week and am struck by the difference between the two characters Mandy portrays in the films. While Hilary Faye, Moore’s character in Saved!, is an illustration of all the worst characteristics of overzealous Christians, the equally conservative Jaime highlights the best of Christian attributes. She is gentle, passionate and forgiving, an unassuming witness to a young man who so badly needs guidance.

Shortly after I saw the movie, I read the book and was surprised to discover how much the film veered from its source. Most notably, the book takes place in the 50s, while the film is modern day. Jaime is even more angelic in the book, while Landon is less mean-spirited than unfocused. The play in which the two are involved is a Christmas play in the book, and Landon signs up for it voluntarily. The differences continue, and I can’t decide which version I prefer. I’m inclined to say the book, but the film has increased emphasis on the redemptive quality of Jaime’s relationship with Landon, and I appreciated that.

It’s a pretty predictable story, at least as far as the romantic aspect is concerned. These are two seemingly very mismatched people, but as their acquaintance blooms into friendship and eventually even more than that, they manage to draw out the best in one another. Jaime shares her list of things she wants to do before she dies. Landon begins to contemplate the possibility of medical school. They encourage one another, and when Landon’s friends give him a hard time because of his dorky new demeanor, he has to decide if this new relationship is worth all the grief it’s going to cause him. Ultimately, it isn’t a very difficult decision.

The real conflict is a discovery Landon makes towards the end of the film, something over which he has no control. How he and Jaime deal with this unwanted twist reveals a great deal about their character. Sparks seems to insist on infusing all of his tales with tragedy, so I wasn’t surprised to find it here. But somehow, the film left me feeling contented in spite of the darkness tarnishing the bloom of young love.

I found the performances pretty solid. I especially enjoyed Moore, who I have found obnoxious in most of her other movie roles. Her Jaime is sincere and sweet-natured, a truly inspirational character. I also enjoyed Coyote as her father, who comes across as rather strict and stand-offish but clearly adores his daughter and has her best interests at heart. The soundtrack is pretty good too, especially the song Moore sings during the play. That moment, in fact, is a highlight for several reasons.

I will admit that the film has corny moments. The exaggerated horror with which Jaime responds to a cruel prank orchestrated against her – compounded by heavy-handed cinematography – is probably the most glaring example. I was surprised that she was so distressed, actually; it seemed a little out of character for her to get so bent out of shape over the teasing of her classmates.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the film. It is uplifting and life-affirming, very different from the book but still a well done adaptation. My brother agrees it’s a very good movie; in fact, he’s more likely to tear up over it than I am. So it’s not just a movie that girls can appreciate. Anyone who enjoys a good love story and doesn’t mind keeping a few tissues handy should find A Walk to Remember a film to remember.