NOT the same old story.

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2006)

Here's the thing I don't understand. You know, opinions are opinions, to each his own. But at very least, I'd like to know how you people can group this movie in with "teen flicks" or "chick flicks". Trust me, I hate sappy teen flicks pretty much with passion, and this is my favorite movie of all time. Maybe your idea of these kinds of movies is different than mine, but to me, chick/teen flicks usually consist of things like sex, a desperation to be popular, changing oneself to fit a mold, crazy drunken parties, the skanky popular girls, the jocky football players, the nerds who'd do anything to be/date them, oh and a little more sex if there's time. All set up with a backdrop of a cute little California high school where everyone knows their place on the social ladder and in the end, it's all about how the unpopular finally defeated the popular. You know, stuff like that. Maybe you'll laugh a little, but you end up walking away with nothing more than some funny(ish) quotes and the same old story. I have several movies in mind now that I've said all this, don't you? OK. now...moving on to AWTR. Let me just say...NOT the same old story. Whoever tells you that it is wasn't quite paying attention, either that or their mind just doesn't work with the ideas that come across in this movie. (In less nice terms, they're shallow and don't think about things much.) Read the book first, really liked it, so of course my next step was to see the movie. Since I knew the story already, I wasn't expecting (I really couldn't) the whole overused cheesy "sappy teen flick" thing. I'll admit then when the beginning music started up and I started seeing people getting out of their cars I was confused. Wasn't this like 1958? But it the movie version it's not, and it didn't take away from the story at all. If anything it made it more relatable, seeing modern day teenagers in situations that are honest, realistic (if you disagree, go watch Mean Girls or She's All That and compare them to this) and very moving. Very.
Don't, PLEASE don't make the mistake of ignoring this movie because of Mandy Moore. Jamie Sullivan is easily my favorite movie character of all time, just because of who she is. And guess what? It never changes. Never once does she come close to even wanting to change who she is for anybody else. Instead it's pretty much the opposite. She changes them, without even trying. Even as the "plain Jane" she is so beautiful. This character just grabs your heart and holds on. Watching her is just incredible...I wish I could describe how amazing she makes this movie experience the way some of the reviewers on here have. Trust us- she is just amazing.
Landon's transition is also amazing to watch. I mean..ahh, I can't even describe it in a way that does it justice. Just watching the people, the emotions in their eyes, the tears, the joy, being overwhelmed, everything like that...you feel it, and you believe it. You just do. It's nothing I can really describe perfectly, or make you grasp unless you watch it for yourself.
Yes, there's Christianity in this movie. But whether you believe or not (and I know some nonbelievers who absolutely love this movie), the idea that it's possible for someone's entire life to change by being exposed to faith when they least expected it, can and definitely does affect anyone, as I have personally seen.
As for me...you know what? Never in my life has a movie affected me like this, it just hasn't. It doesn't matter if some people don't believe me when I say it...it's made me want to change. It's that believable. I won't give anything away obviously (duh), but it brings about things that you will not expect. Maybe this movie is in a way, like Jamie Sullivan herself...you think you know what it's all about, but once you really understand it, it will change everything for you, and it's quite possible you'll fall in love.