A Walk to Remember

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border=0 width="137" height="89" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="113d895a0.png" border=0 width="137" height="90" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="113e88590.png" border=0 width="136" height="89" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>A Walk To Remember *</B>*  (PG)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> Reviewed by Brenda Sexton</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="588" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Cool, Smart or Both?</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="593" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Jamie Sullivan:  Mandy Moore</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Cynthia Carter:  Daryl Hannah</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="293"><div> Landon Carter:  Shane West</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Reverend Sullivan:  Peter Coyote</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="293"><div> Director:  Adam Shankman</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="293"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="293" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line:  </B>A love story about a high school boy gone bad who falls for a preacher's angelic daughter and is redeemed.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:  </B>The story opens with its most dramatic scene.  It's late at night and a teenage boy is dared to jump off a high ledge into a pool of water as an initiation into a new group of friends.  The kids are in an industrial park after closing, and claim they all had to complete this daring deed to join the group.  It all goes wrong; they drag him unconscious out of the water and leave him half-dead on the embankment.  Landon Carter (Shane West) is the only one who doesn't escape the police, crashes his car while trying, and is nabbed.  Now on crutches, he meets with the school principal for his punishment.  Instead of getting expelled, he is required to do some community service and perform in the school play.  It's in both of these activities that he begins to work side-by-side with Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). </div> <bR> <div> Jamie is the preacher's daughter and, in addition to her Amish country dressing (long skirts, a modest sweater, anklets and baby doll shoes), is literally bible toting, making her perfect fodder for the teasing target of Landon's tough, cool, group.   She is unfazed by their taunts and exudes an authentic inner peace.  Against stern warnings from her strict father (Peter Coyote) she begins to help Landon rehearse his lines.  He struggles with his conflict of falling in love with the least hip girl in the school while his friends jeer him with their snide remarks.  During the opening night performance, his love becomes apparent to the entire school--all his cool friends, the preacher, his mom and to Jamie herself.  Landon is a changed man, and like Jamie, now even puts together a wish list of his life's accomplishments-medical school included.  There is a problem though that challenges their future together, but regardless, Landon is a changed man. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It:</B>  Mandy Moore is terrific in her portrayal of Jamie, giving the role warmth and depth.  Mandy exudes Jamie's inner-peace often with just a word--standing her ground while being harassed by the cool kids.  She is the most mature character in the movie and carries it off with convincing style.  Unfortunately, the movie falls short in its syrupy sweet dialog and predictable outcome.  It is over dramatic and instead of creating a role model for teenage girls who may want to live a more conservative lifestyle in these fast moving times, it gives us an unrealistic angel who often is to good to be true.    Mandy Moore clearly has a great future ahead of her in film, playing seductively well with the camera.   </div> <bR> <div> I was disappointed with the film, especially since it would be wonderful to see a teenage story that successfully delivers the message that it is in fact more cool to be smart and have good values than to have sex at 16 and get high at every party.  That is the valuable message <I>A Walk To Remember</I> attempts to deliver, but the syrup is just too sticky.  I don't see 14-year-old girls buying into this confection.  The portrayal of Jamie as a saint, and the over-the-top challenge to her relationship with Landon leaves us, unfortunately, unconvinced and gagging.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> PG  (language and some sexual innuendos)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> Brenda Sexton <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >Ó</FONT> 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> <A HREF="mailto:brendasext@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:brendasext@aol.com"><U><U>mailto:brendasext@aol.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="593" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="293"><div> Mandy Moore:  film debut</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Peter Coyote:  <I><B>Erin Brockovich</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Shane West:  Once and Again </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Adam Shankman:  <I><B>The Wedding Planner</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="293"><div> Daryl Hannah:  Roxanne</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="293"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="293" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>