Walk To Remember, A

Starring: Mandy Moore, Shane West, Peter Coyote
Director: Adam Shankman

Rating: PG

Review Posted: 7.19.02

By John Teves

Love brings together what peer pressure and lifestyles seek to keep apart in this coming-of-age story based on a best seller by Nicholas Sparks (Message In A Bottle) and directed by Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner). Mandy Moore plays Jamie, a preacher's daughter whose self-confidence doesn't depend on the opinions of others. Shane West (TV's Once And Again) plays Landon, who's skating through high school on looks and bravado. But when events thrust him into Jamie's world, he begins an unexpected journey he'll never forget.

I wish I could say that I liked A Walk to Remember, but I can’t. This is an awful movie that will only appease to the most ardent of filmgoers. The acting illustrated by Moore was remarkable, I felt that Mandy Moore was believable in her role as Jamie; look for additional roles to come her way, but it’s the miasmatic story line that destroyed it for me. The film paves a little too much sap with sobbing tragic love. One may find scenes that are truly heartbreaking, but other moments are too teary for their own good.

A Walk to Remember has its heart in the right place, but it’s unoriginal, tiresome and dippy.

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A Walk to Remember appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9. Warner Bros. offers a solid transfer. Sharpness was strong; the movie looked crisp and detailed. No jagged edges appeared, and I also detected no signs of edge enhancement. I saw an occasional speckle here and there, but otherwise this was a clean and fresh transfer.

Colors appeared natural and precise. Black levels were deep and rich, and shadow detail was appropriately heavy. All in all, A Walk to Remember offered a sharp visual experience.

The film’s Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack also worked very well. The front channels presented a broad presence; dialogue sounded crisp and customary with no edginess or problems related to clarity. Effects were clean and realistic and showed no signs of distortion; music came across bright and lucid, ultimately, the movie offered a fine audible experience.

The only extras on this disc are:

• 2 Separate Commentaries: One by Shane West, Mandy Moore, and Director Adam Shankman -- The second by Novelist Nicholas Sparks and Screenwriter Karen Janszen

• Mandy Moore "Cry" Music Video

• Theatrical Trailer

• Cast Film Highlights

Should you rent it or buy it? The DVD provides strong picture and sound plus some extras. Although I remain not overly fond of A Walk to Remember, it's hard not to recommend this DVD as a rental. The film can be an entertaining film but it's so unreal and artificially sappy that it makes me queasy. For those with a strong interest in the subject or the actors may want to consider seeing this film.

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