"It All Comes Down To Who's By Your Side"

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 2006)

A Walk to Remember
Rating: PG | for thematic elements, language and some sensual material Theatrical Release: 2002 Runtime: 102 min.
Critique: The foundation for "A Walk to Remember" is built upon hope, faith and love. The age old story of good and evil is portrayed here, yet not in a traditional style. The rebellion of Landon and his friends is introduced first. Jamie is portrayed as the preacher's daughter who sets the good example. The contrast of their characteristics is clearly defined in the movie, showing good and evil. Even though resentment is taken against their newfound relationship, they prove their love and stay together. Do you hate sappy love movies? Well this movie is anything but sappy. The care for realistic emotions between Landon and Jamie is carefully created while cheesy love is left in the can. Even though this is a romance, a small amount of comedy is added to keep the movie flowing smoothly. Jamie and Landon soon find themselves facing a serious roadblock. This problem is quite unusual for teen movies because I feel it's something that would be presented to an older audience. I can't reveal the situation since it will give away the movie, but I encourage everyone young and old to view the film. I'm glad this plot was chosen because it's something anyone could face at anytime and it should be considered more in film-making. Although "A Walk to Remember" isn't a true story, novelist Nicholas Sparks adds some similar situations in his life to the movie. The crew denies that the movie is a Christian film. However the use of faith, hope, and love develops their relationship. Without these values there wouldn't be a film because it's based on those principals. A specific religion isn't really discussed since it focuses upon a generic stance in the belief in God and the values I just mentioned. What a clever approach to make it basic don't you think? It tries not to offend by taking one side of a religion. The conclusion of the movie is wrapped up very beautifully, being based on faith and love; the values that Jamie cherishes oh so much. You're in for a great experience of faith and hope, proving that love never fails.
*Audio 8/10: There's music ranging from Cold to Switchfoot, however the film score steals the show easily. "Only Hope" is performed in it's entirety by Mandy Moore for the school play scene. It's not one of the highlights because it seems to last for an eternity. Shane West(Landon Carter) delivers a voice-over during the start of Mandy Moore's "Cry", making it a great way to end the film with a punch. There are some minor errors that could be fixed for the audio, but nothing major. Subtitles are presented in English, French and Spanish. Languages are available in English and French (Dubbed in Quebec) in Dolby Surround 5.1.
*Video: 8/10: A crisp and clear picture is presented throughout the entire film. There is some grain but you have to look close to see it. Beautiful arrays of colors are presented from the filming locations in and around Wilmington, NC. The video is offered in a letterbox widescreen format. Scene access and interactive menus are also available.
*Extras 7/10: The extras are quite nice for the film. Two commentaries are provided, the first by film director Adam Shankman, Shane West and Mandy Moore. The second is by novelist Nicholas Sparks and screenwriter Karen Janszen. A theatrical trailer, cast film highlights, and a music video are also provided. The first commentary is rather outlandish since they seem to goof off rather than giving us good details of the story as in the second commentary. Deleted scenes and a 'making of' should have been added for an in-depth analysis, but they fail to give us that. The best extra is the music video entitled "Cry" by Mandy Moore, which is based exclusively on the film.
*Since studios release a variety of DVD editions with extras: the audio, video, and extra reviews may be directed at one specific version.