Just the Right Mush

One thing that attracted me to the movie A Walk to Remember is the relatively tame bashing it got from critics – a rare feat for teen flicks nowadays.

Teen movies have continued to spiral downward in the onset of the ‘90s (with the exception of the delightfully comedic Legally Blonde). I can name several worthwhile teen movie fare in the ‘80s, perhaps even a number of predictable ones, and still they far outdo the trashy movies that teenagers are fed these days. American Pie was bad enough but the studio deemed it worthy of a sequel. What about the inane Road Trip? And who can forget the classic Freddy Got Fingered?

A Walk to Remember movie tells the story of Landon Carter (Shane West), a reckless youth whose life is seemingly headed nowhere – fast. When a misdemeanor forces him to mingle with the school’s "out" crowd by participating in the spring play and tutoring inner city kids on weekends, he crosses paths with Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), the plain, Bible-toting daughter of the town minister (Peter Coyote). There’s more to Jamie than her grubby sweater, as Landon would discover, and (you guessed it) the popular and angst-ridden dude falls for the nice but homely girl with a big secret.

What sets A Walk to Remember apart from the other teen romances is the treatment. There’s no overkill when it comes to the kilig and crying scenes. There is an effort to make the characters more real by downplaying the scenes that, if handled by less competent moviemakers, would have been laden with histrionics. Thank God they went easy on the waterworks.

The acting is commendable, too. West is perfect as the angry young man who was changed by love. His transformation from hell-raiser to lovestruck teen was convincing and touching. Moore still has to work on getting rid of that pout of hers but, overall, her performance is praise-worthy. She never once went over-the-top and was effective in emotionally heavy scenes. She lets Jamie’s spirit shine through beneath the plain exterior. I’d choose her over the other blonde pop princesses anytime. Peter Coyote and the almost unrecognizable Daryl Hannah (who plays Landon’s mother) provide steady support to the two leads and give subtle but nonetheless engaging performances.

Sure, A Walk to Remember has its head-scratching moments. Moore did not have to sing Only Hope in its entirety. There are parts that are rather slow and predictable. However, the film is still worth your 50 bucks. It brought me back to the time when I sat in front of the TV and cried as tomboyish Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) saw her best friend – and the love of her life –Keith kissing the popular Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) in a stadium. I’ve always wondered if any other teen flick can top Some Kind of Wonderful on my list. A Walk to Remember came really close.