No expectations... and they were met.

Rating: 8/10 (7 April 2002)

This is a movie which, simply, did not capture me. "Big deal", you say? At under-18, I consider myself part of the film's target audience. If there are others from this target group that share my views, than the movie has failed on a most fundamental level. Firstly, how on Earth does the drama take an entire year to unfold? Did the characters simply forget about these things for three weeks at a time, then pick up again? On this note, I was also given the impression of a year passing without *anything actually happening*. The movie seemed to stretch towards its climax, and then kind of sputtered to a close. Secondly, there is another reason why I believe this movie has failed. At its deepest roots, it is an advertisement for the book. I was not exactly filled with a desire to read the novel when I exited the theatre. In fact, if the score had not been done by John Williams I would have viewed my 2+ hours to be a waste of time.