If I Stay

Plot synopsis:
Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) begins by saying that Beethoven was deaf at the age of 26, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream of being a composer. This is what has driven Mia to pursue her dream of being a skilled cellist. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her parents, Denny (Joshua Leonard) and Kat (Mireille Enos), and little brother Teddy (Jakob Davies). Denny used to be in a band called Nasty Bruises, while Kat was a punk rock girl who became a travel agent. Mia reads a newspaper with her ex-boyfriend Adam (Jamie Blackley) on it. Adam's touring with his band, even getting to open for The Shins.Flashback to high school when Mia first met Adam. He saw her playing the cello in her classroom long after everybody has left. Her best friend Kim (Liana Liberato) tells Adam who Mia is. Kim pulls Mia out of class and walks with her, snapping a picture of Adam on the way out. All the girls are gaga over Adam, but he ignores them to go introduce himself to Mia. He notices her locker has a sticker that says "I Love Yo Yo Ma", prompting him to invite her to see a cello player. She is surprised that Adam is asking her out, though she accepts.Mia waits at home for an acceptance letter to Julliard. As it is snowing heavily outside, schools are closed. Denny suggests they take a drive together. Kat offers to let Mia pick the music on the trip. They drive and she plays Beethoven. She reminisces over watching her dad play in his band when she was a kid. In second grade, she saw a cello for the first time and wanted to play it. Since cellos are expensive, she had to borrow one from school. She would play for hours, to the point where it drove her parents nuts, but they were still proud over what their daughter could do. Denny even went and bought Mia her own cello as a gift. As Mia thinks to herself how funny it is that life is one thing and then it becomes something else, a car swerves on the road and collides head on with the family's car.Mia has an out-of-body experience and sees herself lying in the snow as paramedics are on the scene trying to save her and bring her family into the ambulance. She calls for her family and then climbs in the ambulance to be near her body.In another flashback, we see Mia getting ready for her first date with Adam. Kat helps her pick out her outfit. Adam comes over and meets Denny, flattering him by mentioning his love for Nasty Bruises. Adam takes Mia to see the cello player, and afterwards, they take a walk and share their first kiss. He later takes her to see his own band, Willamette Stone, perform. Mia feels awkward and uncomfortable around the people there. She even notices Adam's bandmate Liz (Ali Milner) getting close to Adam. Mia brings this up when he takes her home. Adam says Liz is a lesbian, and she is seen making out with her girlfriend. Adam invites Mia to a party with them, even though it's past her curfew. Kat is watching from the window and encourages Mia to go. Mia fakes having come down with something and stays in. Kat steps out and invites Adam to come over for a Sunday meal before he leaves. Mia tells Kat that wasn't cool and she goes inside. Kat doesn't think it's bad that Mia would hang out with Adam and his friends because they're just like her and Denny. Denny replies, "Exactly."At the hospital, Mia undergoes surgery while her OOB (Out-Of-Body) self frantically searches for her family. The nurse whispers in Mia's ear that it's up to her to decide whether or not she wakes up. Her grandparents (Stacy Keach Jr. and Gabrielle Rose) arrive to check on the status of the family.In more flashbacks, we see the progression of Mia and Adam's relationship. He goes over to her house for the Sunday dinner, welcomed by Mia's parents and their friends. While they sit down for their meal, a bee stings Mia. Adam sucks the stinger out of her hand, to the amusement of everybody watching (especially Kat). Mia later wants to be closer to Adam's world, so Kat helps her dress up like Deborah Harry for a Halloween party, while Adam is fittingly dressed as Beethoven. However, Adam thinks Mia is perfect as she is and doesn't need to change for him. They make love for the first time in a shed.Kim and Adam both rush to the hospital to see Mia, but as she is in the ICU, the head nurse tells them that they are not allowed to see her since they are not part of her immediate family. Mia continues to find out what happened to her parents. She sees Denny in a room with a patch over his eye. She overhears the doctors say that both Kat and Denny are dead, and that if Mia wakes up at all, she is going to be an orphan. Fearing for Teddy, Mia runs to his room to check on him and promises to never leave his side.Mia and Adam had begun to think about after high school. They had hoped to live together as Mia goes to Lewis and Clark College while Adam continues with his music. Mia still continued trying to improve her music, even when she thought she wasn't good enough. With the encouragement of her family, she applies to Julliard. She is later invited for an audition in San Francisco. She goes to find Adam while he plays with his band to tell him about this. He is visibly unhappy that Mia has told him about her decision after already having made it. The next time she sees him play in a band, they have a fight over her choice to go as well as his choice to go off and continue his music with the band.In the present, Kim creates a distraction at the hospital so that Adam can sneak into the ICU and see Mia. The mean nurse calls security on him and he is pulled out forcefully. Before he and Kim are taken away, Mia's parents' friend Willow (Lauren Lee Smith) comes in to vouch for the two. Then she breaks down in Kim's arms. Mia runs downstairs and sees Teddy's room empty. The doctors talk to her grandparents and inform them that Teddy had an epidural hemorrhage and they couldn't save him. Mia breaks down and realizes Teddy will never get to grow up and live a full life. This sudden shock physically disturbs Mia, and the doctors take her out of the ICU for further medical attention.Mia had her audition at Julliard with her grandfather taking her. She plays an incredible composition, which Gramps watches from a TV backstage. He drives her home and tells her that the judges are fools if they don't accept her.Mia and Adam later reconciled, though there was an obvious strain on the relationship. Eventually, they broke up, which hurt Mia as she was really in love with Adam. Kat tells her that life is messed up but that's also the beauty of it.Many people visit Mia at the hospital, from her grandparents and Willow to Kim and even Adam's bandmates. Gramps tells Mia that Denny quit his band for her, and the whole family was right behind her for her musical career. Kim later sits by her friend's bed and promises her that she has a family if she wakes up. She takes out her phone and shows a picture of Mia smiling and looking happy. Mia remembers this from a Labor Day party, which she says was the happiest day of her life. Denny and Adam convinced her to play the cello with them for a performance. They play "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins, and everybody has fun.Adam is finally able to see Mia and sit by her side. He pulls out a letter from Julliard, as he admits he stole her mail. He opens it and weeps as he reads it, because Mia has been accepted. He vows to go with her if she chooses to go to New York. Then he takes out his guitar, having written a song for Mia. It's a beautiful piece, and it causes Mia's life to flash before her very eyes until...a flash of white. And then, after a brief moment of silence, Mia's eyes finally open. The first thing she sees is Adam standing over her, calling her name.

Tags: flashback

Review:
Chloe does a wonderful job portraying everything she's going through and she moved me to tears many times.This film makes me think about my own family and everything I would do for them.
Anyone interested in this film already knows the premise by now if they have read this far, so I won't rehash it.All I will say is that this film could have easily been contrived and cheesy and hokey and clichéd but rather, the end is result is truly one of the finest, most real representations of youth and love I have seen in a long time.
And the fact that it seemed so genuine is exactly why I have not cried in a film so much since...."The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Chloe Grace Moretz has already proved she is a force to be reckoned with, but by an accomplishment like playing the key character in a film that was made to be a tearjerker without coming across as completely laughable shows what a strong actress this young woman truly is.Excellent, relatable script, wonderful direction and perfectly edited, the fact the a bunch of tween girls went "Huh?
The movie has a good balance between family tragedy of a horrific car accident and teen romance of young love.
In fact although the tale is a sad one, it's the best of the recent teen based romance movies far better than "The Giver".Chloe Grace Moretz proves she can do anything from horror (Carrie) to action (Kick Ass) to moving romantic drama.
'If I Stay' is a tearjerker film about a teenage-girl who experiences an out-of-body experience whilst in a coma.The teenage-girl is played well by Chloe Grace Moretz.
'If I Stay' does however share one thing with both of those other films, a love story.Flashbacks tell us that the teenage schoolgirl Mia Hall, has fallen in love with older boy Adam, played by Jamie Buckley.
Here, in 'If I Stay', we once again see Miss Moretz play a somewhat shy girl, that sometimes seems dreamily unaware, but that at other times capture perfectly the utmost depths of the rawest of emotions.Shauna Cross wrote the screenplay of the Gayle Forman novel.
However, after having finally seen it this weekend, I am sad to report that If I Stay is nothing like that at all, and is instead probably my most disappointing movie of the summer.If I Stay follows Mia, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, an 18 year old girl who likes classical music and cello, and who's still not quite over her ex, Adam (Jamie Blackley).
In this coma, she has an out of body experience in which she needs to decides either to die and go up to heaven or live with the physical and emotional repercussions, all while flashing back to the relationship she and Adam had.The movie is primarily made up of flashbacks to the relationship that Mia and Adam had, and the chemistry that the two of them share isn't very strong and can be described as okay at best.
Chloe Grace Moretz is a talented young actress who really gives it her best in this film, whereas her costar Jamie Blackley ranges from decent to mediocre.
The one exception to all this would be Mia's grandfather, played by Stacy Keach, and he had one scene in particular that I did really like (those who have seen the movie can probably guess what scene it was).
The trailer makes the movie seem like a tear-jerking drama that takes place all in her mind about her decision to live or die, when in reality, it's a high school love story consisting of 70% flashbacks that only spends a small portion with her out of body experience.
Everybody's a good guy.Based on Gayle Forman's 2009 young adult novel of the same name, 'If I Stay' chronicles the emotional experience of a buttoned-up 17-year-old cello prodigy Mia Hall, played here by actress Chloe Grace Moretz, and her worlds-colliding romance with an up-and-coming young rock-and-roll guitarist named Adam.
That both Mia and Adam are on the cusp of professional breakthroughs in their musical pursuits accounts for most the of the ups and downs in their relationship.Unfortunately, their romance is in the middle of one of its downs when Mia and her family are involved in a catastrophic auto accident, casting Mia into an out-of-body experience in which she can observe the people she loves, but not communicate with them or interfere with their actions.'If I Stay' is a picture that gives you the kind of satisfaction you get from being on time for an appointment, following your doctor's orders, eating the right cereal, taking your medicine as prescribed, or getting a flu shot: You might rather be watching 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' a 'Fast and Furious' movie or 'The Expendibles,' but you just know that a movie with this much cello music in it has got to be good for you.And it is fairly good.
Leonard especially, late of 'The Blair Witch Project' hysteria of 1999, has matured into a solid character actor and possesses a sort of good-natured, loopy appeal which in 'If I Stay' contrasts nicely with the buttoned-up performance of Moretz as his daughter.In the film, it's shown in flashbacks that Mia's folks grew up and embraced responsibility when it became apparent to them that the late nights and party lights did not blend well with parenthoodan epiphany which makes even more perplexing their almost pushing young Mia out the door to be with her rocker boyfriend.As Mia's rock guitarist boyfriend, Jamie Blackley is somehow manages to be sullen without actually pouting, and is simultaneously withdrawn and inarticulate about romance yet strong-willed and verbose about music.
You can see why Mia's attracted to Adam, but if you're like me you might be more than a little conflicted about their falling into bed quite so quickly, especially if, like me, you view the picture with your girlfriend's adolescent daughter present.Unfortunately, at some point—I'm not exactly not sure when, but I think it's about an hour into the picture—the narrative becomes sticky and manipulative, and the picture begins to rely on broad characterizations, familiar stereotypes, and the familiarity of plot devices from movies past, to sort of swindle the tears from the audience.And that's too bad, because by that point I'd already decided I enjoyed the picture, and was unprepared to modify my opinion.
One of my favorite movies of all time is the Japanese Oscar Best Foreign Language film winner "Departures" and a cello played a prominent part in that one.
Though I appreciate that it wasn't as lovey-dovey as most young romances (or high-school relationships) tend to be, I would've liked if there was more to the story other than that.The music element was pretty cool, and I wonder if she really plays the cello herself, because it looked really authentic.
In my review of KickAss2, I pointed out that Chloë Grace Moretz was not merely good in the film, she was the ONLY good thing in it, showing a knack for saucy dialog and delivery, and generally (given her age) being willing to go further with her character than other members of the cast twice or three times her age.And I have always had a weak spot for these tales of life between life, Enter the Void, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Stairway to Heaven, these are some of the films that spring to mind.So, how can you not have a great film here?
Here it seems the budget can't even afford an editor NAMED Oscar.Chloë Grace Moretz, who verily stole KickAss2, and had the best lines in KickAss1, seems here lost and completely unconnected with her character or the hapless audience.In fact, it is veteran Stacy Keech who actually steals the few scenes that he has, and for mere moments in an otherwise forgettable exercise makes the viewer CARE about what happens next.Fans of Ms. Moretz (and there are many, including, don't forget, this scribe) need not feel compelled to shoot the messenger (reviewer) here, a quick glance at her bio shows her to be a very hot property now, with multiple projects underway, and many chances in her long career ahead to make up for this travesty..
It is about a girl called Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) and how her life changes after her whole family is in a car accident, leaving her in a coma.
It's a true love story on so many levels.I like this film because it has stayed true to the book and oh my it just made me feel all emotions all at once.
I start my review off this evening with the latest popular drama entitled If I Stay Why we have yet another somber, emotion engorged screenplay when we just had one, I will never know, but Hollywood is eating up the profits from movies like this.
I found this movie to be pretty boring, and excessively cheesy as well.Moretz plays Mia Hall; a teenager that's in love with classical music, and playing cello, despite the fact that her parents, Kat (Enos) and Denny (Leonard), are really into rock music; and her dad was in a mildly successful alternative rock band (when he was younger).
Just when she's deep into making really tough and dramatic teenage decisions, about her new love life, her family is involved in a horrific car accident; and Mia falls into a coma.
What i find funny is that I had a great time watching this movie and i love it, but i just cant seem to figure out what to write in my review.
This movie, directed by R.J. Cutler, is based on a novel by Gayle Foreman about a teenage girl named Mia, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, who has an out of body experience after a massive car wreck that leaves her comatose.
There are a few redeeming plot elements and it will definitely tug at the heartstrings, but movies like this are better suited to the Hallmark Channel.In the end, it's nothing more than a tear-jerking Chloe Moretz vehicle trying to be the Fault in our Stars (which is a much better film)..
But they didn't really have the whole, deeply-in-love-for-the-first- time-chemistry.Got the impression they were just going through the motions And the characters are kind of shallowMy biggest problem with the movie was,actually the whole stereotype clichés recipe they have used.Just to make it teen bait.= The boyfriends are always the one who starts an argument, the girls is always the victim.
Huge fan of Chloë Grace Moretz who plays Mia. Mostly because of her role as Hit girl in the Kick Ass movies, but it was cool to see her do other things.
And it get's cheesy to a certain degree, you can even argue if Chloe Grace Moretz was the right choice for the part playing the shy misfit (altough I think she did a terrific job).But I have to admit, that movie got to me, I just couldn't hold back my tears in many scenes, that said being a married man in my 30s.I don't know why, but I just felt the pain and sadness in it, especially when seeing the flashbacks that are beautifully build up.The end is a little abrupt, maybe more than you'd expect and are comfortable with, but it makes sense in itself when you see the whole movie.So, I guess this movie is not for everyone, but if you let go and feel with the characters it will touch you, and that's the most important part to me..
The story follows Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) bred from a rock and roll family who ends up with a love for playing the cello.
Based on the novel by Gayle Forman, If I Stay follows 17-year old Mia Hall (played by Chloe Grace Moretz), a violin prodigy who falls for a handsome guy named Adam (played by Jamie Blackely).
This is the kind of movie that money minded studio executives dream up and from their success at the box office, they got what they wanted.The thematically heavier material like death, out of body experience and the bereavement of losing all of one's family is strangely only incidental and treated as an appendage to the teenage love story.
Actresses were great especially Mian's grandfather playing player was very good.love, sadness, happiness you feel each emotion separately.only some visual effects were bad because, was a low budget movie but i liked it very muchthe most beautiful side of the film was the songs used very well,
The story of Mia's family is also warm, I feel the unconditional love of them.P.S This is not worth to spend your free time on this movie..
Other than the fact that she fought a lot with her boyfriend, the though of just us knowing that her life can change just like that is something that is great and should definitely be in a movie!
After loving the roles that Chloe Grace Moretz played in "Carrie" & "The Equalizer", I decided to give this one a shot after recently having watched (and enjoyed more than I thought) a similar teen drama in "The Fault In Our Stars".
Unfortunately, I felt that this one was kind of based on a gimmick.For a basic plot summary, "If I Stay" tells the story of Mia (Moretz), a high school girl who plays a beautiful cello.
Has this been done before because I feel like I've seen a similar movie but with less interesting main character?One of the things I hate about this film is the dialogue.
The movie is just perfectly written if you give it a chance and really makes you feel with all the people involved in it, especially Mia Hall who is a wonderful character.
Mia ends up in a coma, but ends up experiencing some sort of afterlife and is in a position to see the aftermath of the accident which ultimately makes her re-examine her whole life where she realises that she has some tough choices to make.Although If I Stay initially feels like it's ripping Ghost off I have to admit that this is a relatively interesting and involving film.
The second strand of the story is a little more interesting where we get to see what would have happened if Mia would have stayed and gone on her date with Adam rather than go out in the car with her family.
The ending of the film is also a little cheesy.I can't really fault the performances and I can see that If I Stay is a film that's full of good intentions as well as offering some interesting insights into the afterlife and life verses death, but the story is unbearably slow, repetitive and a little tedious at times.
Mia Hall (Moretz) has a decision to make: attend Julliard for music (cello) or stay with boyfriend Adam (Blackley) an almost successful rocker for life.
This film items the story of a teenage girl who is very good at playing the cello.
I like Chloe Grace Moretz, and I think she's really good in this film.
"Isn't it amazing how life is one thing and then, in an instant it becomes something else."If I stay is the latest film adapted from a YA novel, and even though this movie is in no way aimed towards an adult audience, it does have some moments that aren't as superficial as one would expect coming from this genre.
The fact that both these characters are in to music helps out the film because the soundtrack stands out, but at times the romance feels like it's part of a music video clip with beautiful scenery and good looking people.
If I Stay hovers uncomfortably in the middle, a first-rate tearjerker with some third-rate narrative twists.Mia Hall (Chloe Moretz) is the oddball in her family: obsessed with her cello and classical music, she can't imagine how her super-chill, hard-rockin' parents - dad Denny (Joshua Leonard) and mom Kat (Mireille Enos) - could ever have produced someone like her.
Teetering quite literally between life and death, she revisits her romance with budding rock-star Adam (Jamie Blackley), and watches as her grandparents (Stacy Keach and Gabrielle Rose) and best friend Kim (Liana Liberato) wait in breathless, heartbreaking anticipation for her to wake up from her coma.There's a tantalising question in the film's title - what is there left for Mia if she chooses to stay, to live?
The movie starts out with Mia (Chloe Grace Moretz) eating breakfast with her family.
And I am happy that she chose to wake up.The scene that impressed me the most was on the last part of the movie when Mia looked back to the party she had with her family, her parents' friends and Adam's friends.
Chloë Grace Moretz does a great job at playing the part of Mia and really makes you empathise with the character, as the story line is one of which could happen to everyone (depending on your beliefs of course).
I was crying throughout most of this film as it makes your heart race, but also you cant help but fall in love with Adam and Mia's relationship, its just such a strong story line and keeps you entertained throughout.
Does she leave with her family or does she stay and continue fighting through life with Adam by her side?I honestly really enjoyed this movie and thought multiple times during it that this movie is really good.
there was nothing new in the story line, the same clichéd issues about high school teenagers fell in love, a girl was interested in music and has a full support of her family, all characters were good people everything was perfect in their life.
He loves music, he loves life, and most importantly, he loves her.Most of the film is spent in the hospital, as Mia watches everyone's reaction to her family accident.