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Landon Carter (Shane West) is the campus heartthrob—rich, aimless, and reckless, who breezes
through high school by virtue of his good looks and popularity. Caught orchestrating a dangerous diving stunt which nearly paralyzes one of his friends, Landon is punished by
tutoring poor kids and acting in the school's spring drama. He plays the male lead opposite female lead, Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). Jamie is the daughter of the town's
Baptist minister (Peter Coyote)—nice, quiet, and intelligent, but definitely not with the in-crowd. She is the target of cruel remarks for wearing dowdy clothes and her
perennial blue sweater, and for being openly faithful to her religion. Finding difficulty in memorizing his lines, Landon seeks Jamie's help. She agrees but on one curious
condition: that he does not fall in love with her. He agrees with an 'as-if-I-could-fall-for-the-likes-of-you' look. But as fate would have it, Landon finds himself
unwittingly falling in love with plain Jamie, while Jamie tries running away from love until she can no longer deny it. Landon rages, then quietly suffers, upon learning that
their love is a love that cannot be.
A Walk to Remember is one movie that people cannot help but love and remember. Its
storyline is simple, at times a bit corny with some seemingly contrived predictables, yet it will surely touch the hearts of all romantics. The lead stars are two ordinary
small townsfolk, very well cast in their inspired low key performances that young audiences can easily relate to. While most popular pop singers find difficulty when invading
the big screen, here Moore displays not only great music but also great acting. The photography is beautiful, showcasing the rustic scenery of a small town in Carolina,
providing a wonderful backdrop for the blossoming of first true love. Sentimental though not mushy, this is definitely a feel-good-must-see movie, not only for the young, but
for all viewers.
Here is a love story complete with all its beautiful elements—sincerity, respect, care and
concern, trust and forgiveness, hope and sacrifice, and bringing out the best in the loved one. The last may especially be gleaned in the way Jamie, in her every move and
speech, affects and inspires Landon, to have faith in himself and transform his life into something worth living. Landon, in turn, becomes her ever-dependable stronghold,
especially in the face of tragedy. Jamie is a positive role model for teenagers: She believes that beauty or riches is not everything, and that one should stand up for one's
values and beliefs, and never mind what other people think. In this age of cynicism and the amoral crudities of today's typical screen romances, this is a refreshing gem of a
movie where love is portrayed in all its beauty and wondrous power. In their yearbook, Jamie wrote under ambition: "To see a miracle". As Landon is about to leave, he tells
Jamie's father that he is sorry that he could not give Jamie her miracle. "But you did!" argues the minister, "And the miracle is you!" For the transformed Landon gave Jamie
not only love but also joy and hope and more.
(Date reviewed: June 7, 2002)
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