I was blindsided by this one

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2006)

I don't like teen movies and I hate sappy romances. I was cornered (by my wife) into watching this.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, we were into familiar teen movie territory. The handsome rebel, and the angelic good girl. Egad, is this 'Grease'? Where are the musical numbers!? But then, something unexpected happened. The leads broke from most formula conventions and actually started to develop into fleshed out, three dimensional characters. These kids grew into vulnerable, identifiable people driven by real motives. They drew my empathy. I cared about them. I especially liked the way they handled Moore's Christian character. These days, it's rare to see religious people portrayed as sincere and reasonable instead of self-righteous, Bible thumping caricatures.
Yes, it got a little sappy towards the end, but by that time, they had earned my affection, so I didn't really mind. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Lowdown's no wuss, but I hafta say, I got a little choked up near the end.
This movie proves my theory that even tired movies formulas can be made new by putting a spin on the way the characters are presented.
If you leave your tired cynicism on hold, you'll enjoy this one.