A Walk to Remember is a whole-box-of-tissues weepie that is strictly for the girls. Young preacher’s daughter Jamie (singer Moore) is a nerdy good girl, endlessly teased for her frumpy ways by the cooler kids in school. When brooding Landon (ER and Nikita’s West) is assigned after-school activities as a punishment, the pair are thrown together, and despite his protestations, she predicts he will fall in love with her. Which he does. But as anyone who has ever snuffled their way through Love Story or any number of made-for-TV teen movies knows, just when you think everything is rosy, something nasty happens. Could it be anything to do with Jamie’s pale-as-chalk skin and persistent cough?
While it’s all hopelessly predictable, West and Moore deliver sweet performances and director Adam Shankman restrains himself in the schmaltz department. And parents of preteen girls should note – because Jamie is a vicar’s daughter, she’s determined to stay a virgin until she’s married, so there are no sex scenes in the film and it’s all rather sweet and innocent. Aaah.
Is A Walk To Remember suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
None.
If you like this, why not try: Remember Me, The Notebook, Here On Earth, The Last Song, Dear John,