Better Than Expected

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2002)

I saw "A Walk To Remember" last Sunday, and I gotta say, I went in with low expectations. I mean, Mandy Moore is a pop star, just like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Lance Bass.
However, the movie really exceeded my expectations. Moore just kept pulling me into her complex character. 'Jamie Sullivan' isn't the easiest character to play, especially for a first time actress (in a staring role), simply because Jamie reaches both high and low in one hour and forty minutes. A character of that range is a challenge for anyone.
Shane West also proved to make a great transformation from "Once & Again" to "Remember". West's Landon Carter experiences the same character changes as Jamie, yet in different ways. He manages to loose one personality and develop another completely.
All in all, "A Walk To Remember" was a great movie. I was pleased to see Moore take on such a complex character, especially for her first staring role. Moore's big screen potential shines through, West provides a decent love interest, and Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah make great supporting characters.