by: JOELLE THERESA V. NGO
“Isn’t it amazing how life is one thing, and then, in an instant, it becomes something else?”
Mia Hall is a 17 year-old cello prodigy who dreams of going to Julliard. She falls in love with Adam, although they have nothing in common other than their love for the music they each play. She is at the point of her life where she faces a crossroads of decision- having to choose between chasing her dream, and being with the love of her life, Adam- when she meets a sudden tragic accident on a day out with family. Mia is a victim of car crash that leaves her helplessly wondering the halls of the hospital where no one can see or hear her as her body lays comatose. She is torn between trying to fight for her life with every ounce of strength that is left of her, and being with her family-which means letting go of life and everything that she has ever known.
Just two months ago, we had the charming Shailene Woodley as a teen cancer patient, fighting for time while learning about life and love in The Fault in Our Stars. Last week, we had Aussie heartthrob Brenton Thwaites in The Giver, risking his life for the sake of truth and memory.
“Isn’t it amazing how life is one thing, and then, in an instant, it becomes something else?”
Mia Hall is a 17 year-old cello prodigy who dreams of going to Julliard. She falls in love with Adam, although they have nothing in common other than their love for the music they each play. She is at the point of her life where she faces a crossroads of decision- having to choose between chasing her dream, and being with the love of her life, Adam- when she meets a sudden tragic accident on a day out with family. Mia is a victim of car crash that leaves her helplessly wondering the halls of the hospital where no one can see or hear her as her body lays comatose. She is torn between trying to fight for her life with every ounce of strength that is left of her, and being with her family-which means letting go of life and everything that she has ever known.
Just two months ago, we had the charming Shailene Woodley as a teen cancer patient, fighting for time while learning about life and love in The Fault in Our Stars. Last week, we had Aussie heartthrob Brenton Thwaites in The Giver, risking his life for the sake of truth and memory.
And now we have the sweet Chloe Grace Moretz in If I Stay, spending the movie in a state of limbo between life and death, after a catastrophic accident shatters her comfy world. Like all successful young adult novels brought to screen, If I Stay, based on the 2009 teen tearjerker by Gayle Forman, brings with it a ready-made audience. All the filmmakers need to do is cast the most appealing couple they can find and stay faithful to the story, and the kids should be happy.
Fortunately, Mia (Chloe Moretz) and Adam (Jamie Blackley) perfectly depicted the example of young love; and how it passionately grows without the certainty of it ever going to last, but bold and brave enough to try. Their love is one of the most genuine representations of what it’s like to fall head over heels for the first time. The film could have easily been contrived and cheesy and hokey and clichéd, but rather the end result is one of the finest portrayals of youth and love, and the fact that it is so genuine makes you so much more teary-eye. As if that weren’t enough, Chloe Moretz’s incredible acting will make you feel even weepier. Not to mention, the great music that are played in the movie totally helped in evoking emotions from the audiences, making it more breathtaking and worth watching.
Most of the film is filled with Mia’s beautiful memories which consist of her uber cool rocker parents and adorable little brother who care for her endlessly, a loyal best friend who always got her back, and her extremely sensitive and romantic boyfriend who loves her to pieces. The fact that all the memories shown were so blissful makes it an absolute tearjerker, because the next thing you know almost everyone in those memories (Mia’s mom, dad, and little brother) is gone.
If I stay is a film that will move you to tears, or if you’re not the crying kind, it will surely tug at your heartstrings as you watch Mia get torn between fighting for life and letting go. But most of all, it is a story that will make you reflect upon life, and all the good stuff in it that you should cherish; because one day, before you know it, everything’s gone and it’s too late to do anything about it.
So live, love, and laugh as much as you can; because life is too precious to waste moments not doing so.
Fortunately, Mia (Chloe Moretz) and Adam (Jamie Blackley) perfectly depicted the example of young love; and how it passionately grows without the certainty of it ever going to last, but bold and brave enough to try. Their love is one of the most genuine representations of what it’s like to fall head over heels for the first time. The film could have easily been contrived and cheesy and hokey and clichéd, but rather the end result is one of the finest portrayals of youth and love, and the fact that it is so genuine makes you so much more teary-eye. As if that weren’t enough, Chloe Moretz’s incredible acting will make you feel even weepier. Not to mention, the great music that are played in the movie totally helped in evoking emotions from the audiences, making it more breathtaking and worth watching.
Most of the film is filled with Mia’s beautiful memories which consist of her uber cool rocker parents and adorable little brother who care for her endlessly, a loyal best friend who always got her back, and her extremely sensitive and romantic boyfriend who loves her to pieces. The fact that all the memories shown were so blissful makes it an absolute tearjerker, because the next thing you know almost everyone in those memories (Mia’s mom, dad, and little brother) is gone.
If I stay is a film that will move you to tears, or if you’re not the crying kind, it will surely tug at your heartstrings as you watch Mia get torn between fighting for life and letting go. But most of all, it is a story that will make you reflect upon life, and all the good stuff in it that you should cherish; because one day, before you know it, everything’s gone and it’s too late to do anything about it.
So live, love, and laugh as much as you can; because life is too precious to waste moments not doing so.