ADULT NOVEL IS TRANSFORMED INTO TEEN FLICK

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

Although "A Walk to Remember" revolves around the developing relationship between two teens in their Senior year of high school in a small North Carolina town, it's doubtful that when Nicholas Sparks wrote his novel he anticipated it would be adapted to the screen as a movie marketed to the same age group as his protagonists. It's as unlikely that the crowd drawn to this film by the presence of Mandy Moore ever read the book on which it's based as it is that those adults who made it a bestseller will enjoy it very much. For one of those reasons only Hollywood screenwriters seem to understand, the plot has been altered to make Landon a delinquent forced to participate in the spring play as part of the community service required of him; in the book, he was guilt-free and his motivation to perform in the traditional Christmas pageant was of a far more personal nature. Furthermore, as portrayed by the attractive and confident Moore, Jamie is far from the "Plain Jane" described by Sparks, and her miscasting impacts a major plot point involving Landon's bewilderment as he finds himself slowly falling in love with a nondescript and inexperienced girl. The tragedy they face will bring teen girls to tears and no doubt cause their dates to squirm. Recommended for ages fourteen through eighteen; adult fans of the novel should avoid disappointment and stay away.