If I Stay

Rating: 3/10 (1 October 2015)

"If I Stay", a movie that almost has five stars on Netflix, is not worth the watch. It started out as a book and should have stayed a book. The movie is like every other drama movie. It makes you cry like you never thought you would and keeps you in suspense. The movie is watchable because of the tear-jerking plot, and the way you can relate to the characters, but if you're looking for a movie with good acting, I suggest looking elsewhere.
The movie starts out with Mia (Chloe Grace Moretz) eating breakfast with her family. After finding out it was a snow day, Mia's parents, played by Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard, decide to take her and her little brother to their grandparents' house to get Mia's mind off her crazy, teenage life. Little did Mia know that that was the last time she would be eating breakfast with her family. On the way there a tragic accident occurs and leaves Mia in a coma. Mia has an out-of-body experience and can see everything that goes on but no one can see or hear her. She now has to decide whether or not it is worth waking up to a life she never expected. As the movie progresses it flashes back to events that happened in the past and introduces her hunk-of-a-boyfriend, Adam (Jamie Blackley) and her best friend, Kim (Liana Liberato).
The acting in the movie makes a huge difference in how the movie is portrayed. Mia, the main character, has a lot of weird moments. The movie sometimes made me feel uncomfortable because of how awkward of an actor Chloe is. An example would be the part when Mia gets stung by a bee at one of her parents' potluck dinners and Adam sucks the stinger out of her hand. It is a hard scene to watch because you feel uncomfortable for them because of all Mia's "family" sitting around the table. There is a part later in the movie that shows Adam and Mia getting intimate and as she is taking clothes off Adam she rehearses notes or strings like she is playing her cello. Extremely weird!
The script is also something that contributes to the terrible acting because there are some awful attempts to be funny. The part where Mia tells Kim she wants to lick the side of Adam's face is a dreadful way to fit in humor. Alongside the part where Mia dresses up as a rock star for Halloween to impress Adam at one of his shows and then does this weird "grr" to Adam when asking if he likes her better dressed in this costume or her normal, boring self. Adam replies with something sweet, like he always does.
The reason that this movie is highly rated is because of the storyline. It is a heartbreaking movie. Unlike some drama movies, the director, R.J. Cutler, really keeps you guessing on whether or not Mia will decide to wake up. Another reason this movie has good reviews is because you can connect with the characters. It is a very relatable movie because the director puts you in their shoes. When tragic events happen to Mia and her family you get chills thinking about how that could be your family. It is amazing how a movie can make you feel so real.
Despite the terrible acting and the awkwardness of the characters it was an acceptable movie. I am sure the book is more pleasurable to read than the movie is to watch, but if you like typical drama movies with actors that make you feel uncomfortable then "If I Stay" is the movie for you.