If I Stay
Movie Recommendation: If I Stay. CAUTION SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me preface this by saying that I should be doing my Government homework, but this movie was good enough to warrant procrastination. I went directly from Unified Tennis to the movie theater with my Mom and we got some popcorn and settled in to the wonderful ride that is If I Stay. Now, I read the book, and it was pretty good, not my favorite, but honestly, the movie was better. The cinematography was spot on, the acting was refreshingly realistic, the soundtrack was the bomb (seriously, no other movie could so flawlessly blend Smashing Pumpkins and Beethoven. Although I think the addition of "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley and/or "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey would have been apt additions to the track as well. They both fit the theme of the story really great). Anyway, my only qualm with this film was the fact that Mia often relied a little too heavily on the influence of her boyfriend. He was a good boyfriend for the most part, and incredibly easy on the eyes (at some points, almost too hot to handle, whewee, he's a looker) but even so, I think the deciding factor for Mia to stay on earth was mostly when Adam came to see her. Which sure, was important, because she loved him and he loved her, but still. I thought her best friend and her grandparents should have had more of an impact on her decision than Adam had. But that's just my opinion. Now back on to the awesomeness of it: I thought all the actors chosen fit the descriptions of the book characters really well. Mia's BFF Kim looked a lot different in the movie than she did in the book, but she stayed really true to the personality of Kim in the book, and that's what matters most. My Mom said that Kim reminded her of SE, and that's exactly what I was thinking too!
My favorite thing about this movie is that I think Mia is a REALISTIC teenager. She's quirky and awkward and insecure, but still confident in the things that she loves, such as her strange family and her unusual love for the cello, and her punk rock boyfriend. She doesn't try to hide who she is, even though she knows she isn't the archetypical "cool kid". Also, I could really relate to a lot of what she felt. She loves the cello with all her heart, it makes her feel alive, and when she plays music, she feels like she can do the impossible, like she can fly, like she can walk on water. That's how I feel when I'm writing. It's this surreal thing that I got lucky enough to discover, and when I'm writing, I'm nowhere and everywhere and in my own little world and flying and it's awesome. I think any teenager who has an interest or a talent can relate to Mia on that level. That feeling of pure, unadulterated bliss when you're rocking out on the violin, or running across the soccer field, or volunteering at an animal shelter, or even just reading a book. I think Mia portrays that feeling perfectly.
Anyway, I loved this movie, my Mom loved this movie, it was awesome, it was realistic, and it was a must see. So if you haven't seen it, you should go see it soon before it's out of theaters! And then you should buy it when it comes out on DVD, or you should rewatch it OnDemand, or you should watch it when it comes out on Netflix or TMC, or at the very least, wait two years for it to premier of ABC Family or some other cable TV channel. Because it's worth seeing!
-VaughnDL
Let me preface this by saying that I should be doing my Government homework, but this movie was good enough to warrant procrastination. I went directly from Unified Tennis to the movie theater with my Mom and we got some popcorn and settled in to the wonderful ride that is If I Stay. Now, I read the book, and it was pretty good, not my favorite, but honestly, the movie was better. The cinematography was spot on, the acting was refreshingly realistic, the soundtrack was the bomb (seriously, no other movie could so flawlessly blend Smashing Pumpkins and Beethoven. Although I think the addition of "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley and/or "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey would have been apt additions to the track as well. They both fit the theme of the story really great). Anyway, my only qualm with this film was the fact that Mia often relied a little too heavily on the influence of her boyfriend. He was a good boyfriend for the most part, and incredibly easy on the eyes (at some points, almost too hot to handle, whewee, he's a looker) but even so, I think the deciding factor for Mia to stay on earth was mostly when Adam came to see her. Which sure, was important, because she loved him and he loved her, but still. I thought her best friend and her grandparents should have had more of an impact on her decision than Adam had. But that's just my opinion. Now back on to the awesomeness of it: I thought all the actors chosen fit the descriptions of the book characters really well. Mia's BFF Kim looked a lot different in the movie than she did in the book, but she stayed really true to the personality of Kim in the book, and that's what matters most. My Mom said that Kim reminded her of SE, and that's exactly what I was thinking too! My favorite thing about this movie is that I think Mia is a REALISTIC teenager. She's quirky and awkward and insecure, but still confident in the things that she loves, such as her strange family and her unusual love for the cello, and her punk rock boyfriend. She doesn't try to hide who she is, even though she knows she isn't the archetypical "cool kid". Also, I could really relate to a lot of what she felt. She loves the cello with all her heart, it makes her feel alive, and when she plays music, she feels like she can do the impossible, like she can fly, like she can walk on water. That's how I feel when I'm writing. It's this surreal thing that I got lucky enough to discover, and when I'm writing, I'm nowhere and everywhere and in my own little world and flying and it's awesome. I think any teenager who has an interest or a talent can relate to Mia on that level. That feeling of pure, unadulterated bliss when you're rocking out on the violin, or running across the soccer field, or volunteering at an animal shelter, or even just reading a book. I think Mia portrays that feeling perfectly. Anyway, I loved this movie, my Mom loved this movie, it was awesome, it was realistic, and it was a must see. So if you haven't seen it, you should go see it soon before it's out of theaters! And then you should buy it when it comes out on DVD, or you should rewatch it OnDemand, or you should watch it when it comes out on Netflix or TMC, or at the very least, wait two years for it to premier of ABC Family or some other cable TV channel. Because it's worth seeing! -VaughnDL
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