If You Don't Like This Movie, You're An Insensitive Jerk

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2006)

The story is simple: a rebel boy with a broken childhood (Shane West) gets placed with a good Christian girl (Mandy Moore) and she begins to change him into a better person. Yes, the plot is really that simple.
I have seen this movie a bit more than a handful of times and would go so far as to say the film is my third favorite movie of all time (behind "Mallrats" and "Waterworld"). So if my opinion is a little biased, my sincerest apologies.
The star of this film is Shane West, who went on to be a big star on the television show "ER" and the mismanaged film "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". I was convinced that he was a rebel, a lover and a confused little boy. He seemed very good at expressing a wide range of feelings and it was easy to identify with him. Excellent casting, especially considering at the time he was an unknown.
Mandy Moore also stars, but she is clearly following Shane's lead. With the exception of her solo scene (where she will amaze you with her vocal beauty and stunning good looks), she doesn't really do very much. She walks with her head down and talks in a monotone voice. There are times where I wasn't sure if this was bad acting or a poorly written character. But maybe you won't notice. I didn't notice until my third or fourth viewing (and I think it helps if you're watching with someone you care about). Even in her solo scene, the director seems to be unsure of what angle he wants to work with, which seems to distract from the whole. My friend Shannon also found the song a bit long, although I disagree.
Multiple viewings are required to pick up on all the subtle hints left throughout the film about the twist. You might catch some, but others you will completely miss. I guarantee.
I think the budget went almost entirely to the soundtrack. Daryl Hannah ("Kill Bill", "Blade Runner") and Peter Coyote ("Return of the Living Dead 4: Necropolis") must have worked for free, because there are something like thirty songs in this movie (including at least three by Mandy Moore, but a variety of other things like Jars of Clay and "Big Pimpin" appear). If you pay attention to just the music, you'll notice very few scenes aren't loaded with some song -- so again, is the movie selling the soundtrack or is the soundtrack selling the movie?
But anyway, yeah, watch this with someone you love. You might cry your eyes out. I did on my first viewing in the theater with my girlfriend at the time. Of course, if you're a girl, you might cry anyway. And that's cool. Guys like chicks who cry. We totally dig that. Why do you think we let you watch Lifetime? This film, like Lifetime, is a guilty pleasure -- maybe nothing Oscar-worthy, but a fun and emotional movie. Also, it makes a great precursor for the much bigger and much sadder Nicholas Sparks masterpiece, "The Notebook".