Review by Callie Fahsholz "A Walk to Remember" incorporates Christianity without letting it overload the film.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Send mail to The Voice Movie honors teen's faith The movie is based on a book by the popular author Nicholas Sparks. -Daniel Stent, photo Teen movies of the last few years have generally been the same: filled with drugs, sex and swearing that lead to boy meeting girl. The recently released movie, "A Walk to Remember," contains some of the above but adds something that other teen movies have left out: faith and God. In the movie, produced by Warner Brothers and based on the novel by Nicolas Sparks ("The Notebook," "Message in a Bottle," "A Bend in the Road," and "The Rescue"), Jamie (Mandy Moore) is the quiet and unpopular, yet confident, pastor's daughter. Landon (Shane West) is the popular troublemaker. When Landon's trouble finally catches up to him, he is forced to do community service and participate in the school play -- a play that Jamie also participates in. The more Landon gets to know Jamie, the more he sees something different about her. Jamie's plans and goals are directed by her faith in God. Community service and school plays are punishment for Landon, but Jamie finds joy in them. While Landon has no plans and no faith in himself or anything else, Jamie's faith in God is unwavering. She compares faith to the wind: Neither can be seen, but they can be felt and their effects can be seen. Although Landon is unable to understand this concept, it makes Jamie more intriguing. Through the course of the movie, Landon begins to care less about his image and more about Jamie. He realizes that he is heading in the wrong direction and sacrifices his old friends for a new one. Jamie and her father take some persuading because of Landon's reputation, but Jamie gives him a chance despite her father's warnings. And just when everything seems perfect, the conflict begins. "A Walk to Remember" incorporates Christianity without letting it overload the film. Jamie shows strong confidence in herself and faith in God despite what other people think of her. Jamie is not a "Bible Thumper," but she speaks openly about what she believes. She has strong convictions, telling Landon that she "cannot be seduced." Most teen movies portray the love between the two main characters by their sexual relationship. But in "A Walk to Remember," Jamie refuses to have sex. Whether viewers see this as Christianity or just strong morals, our culture needs this example. This movie has little action. The film borders on being sappy because of its seriousness, but humor is sprinkled here and there. If you cry easily, bring Kleenex because you will need it. Some parts of the movie will seems a little unrealistic and mushy for those who rarely watch romance movies or read romance novels. Unlike most teen movies, this movie is enjoyable for both adults and teen-agers. The movie's opening shows Landon and his friends playing a dangerous prank on a new student and incorporates sexual references, swearing and alcohol use. The PG rating seems a little weak in view of this scene; the content may be a little strong for a younger audience. These scenes fade from the rest of the movie, but they warrant a PG-13 rating. The soundtrack features two songs from the Christian band Switchfoot, and includes the title track from its recent album, "Learning to Breathe." This powerful song plays during a crucial scene in which Landon must make a decision about his relationship with Jamie. The movie has strong characters. Contemporary Christian Music magazine quoted Mandy Moore as saying that she wished she could be more like her character in the movie. This a good film to see even if only to witness something out of the ordinary for Hollywood. The film will be out on video in a month. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2002 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.