A moderately sad film with Ms Cyrus giving a surprisingly solid performance.

Rating: 7/10 (3 May 2010)

I was really impressed with the acting quality of several of the actors and actresses in this film. The young boy who plays Jonah (Bobby Coleman) does a magnificent job of portraying a youngster fighting his own inner turmoil whilst bravely trying to maintain some kind of peace between his sister and their father. Greg Kinnear does a decent job of playing a man delicately balancing his desire to regain his daughter's affection against her determination to remain stubbornly distanced from him. Miley Cyrus also delivers a surprisingly mature performance; one that suggests to me that, if she keeps performances as good as this up, she will most certainly be able to ensure for herself a successful post Hannah Montana portfolio of roles. Other character parts are all adequately and believably played. The screenplay is well paced with plenty of interesting plot details and a there is a good selection of more or less likable characters with whom to empathise (or otherwise). Cinematography is unremarkable and unobtrusive - yet vibrant and colourful. The film also benefits from incorporating quite an interesting theme (one which the Ronnie character in particular has to come to terms with) as events unfold and difficult decisions have to be taken. Please don't be put off by the ridiculously low rating this film has on IMDb for some reason. I highly recommend this film to anyone who appreciates poignant drama, sensitive acting and gorgeous beach settings.