A Walk to Remember: Work Cited Page for The New York Times review

Scott, A. O. "Movie Review - A Walk to Remember - FILM IN REVIEW; 'A Walk to Remember' -        NYTimes.com." Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times - The New York Times. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. <http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9402E0DB163AF936A15752C0A9649C8B63>.

A Walk to Remember: Response to review

A Walk to Remember is one of my most favorite movies, and a lot of other girls my age think it's a really good movie, so I was surprised to read a review on the film that didn't really agree with me. The review was from The New York Times (online) and written by A. O. Scott. "I'm still not sure what I did wrong, but for some reason I was sentenced to spend 97 minutes in the wholesome purgatory that is ''A Walk to Remember.'' I wish I could say that the experience left me a better person, or that, in the favored idiom of studio publicity copy, it ''changed my life forever,'' but by the end I was tempted to go off in search of some industrial scaffolding and a shallow river of my own" (Scott). I feel like that comment he made was to get laughs out of people (well obviously), but in actuality he made himself look very immature. The movie wasn't supposed to "change your life forever", but instead to inspire you, or to simply entertain you. 


"No indeed. One indication of Landon's reformation is that he tunes out Missy Elliott's naughty ''Get Ur Freak On'' in favor of Christian pop. The movie's deep message seems to be that bad music is good for you" (Scott). I semi-agree with this statement. The part in the movie when Landon turns off Missy Elliot to listen to Christian music WAS an indication that he was changing but it wasn't supposed to how that bad music is good for you. I understand that the review was from his opinion, but if the writer is supposed to be giving a GOOD review and going to be recommending or not recommending movies for people, he shouldn't have been so biased.


Half way through the review, i was shaking my head in disagreement at everything the writer was saying about the movie, clearly he had missed the beauty of it, the chemistry between the characters, the flowing plot, and the touching/heart-breaking moments. Then I decided to read the comments and I came across someone who basically took the words right out of my mouth. "When I first went and saw this film at my local movie theater the first night it was out in January of 2002, my first thoughts were like "Okay, I just wasted $6 on a not worth-a-sh*t movie, I'll proabably get up and leave about halfway through, and demand my money back." But as the film progressed, I began to realize "Hey, this is one of the best movies I have ever gone to see in my life"; in fact, never before, and only one other time, since, have I ever seen such a somber audience during such a film. That's what made this movie so special, because in some places, it will break your heart, such as when Jamie reveals that she has cancer (leukemia, more specifically), and when she goes Home to be with God at the end, leaving Landon by his lonesome. But it also leaves you breathless, because it makes you see that miracles really do exist" (ericebac24). 


I completely agreed with that comment made by a reader. Yes, it is a really sappy love story, and for someone doesn't like that type of movie, then thats definitely not the movie for them. But for people who are open-minded, they might be able to see the beauty of it the way, the way it breaks your heart and puts it back together in the blink of an eye. As for the review, I completely disagree with it, but by looking at the comments made me reader, I see that i'm not alone :)


*work cited included in separate blog*

A Walk to Remember: Film Response

When i first started watching the movie, i was immediately exciting because the film stars Mandy Moore and Shane West. I LOVE Mandy Moore, i think shes such a good actress, so i already had a feeling the movie was going to be really good. When the movie started, I began to realize that Landon and Jamie's names were still kept the same, but the names of Landon's friends were changed (nothing major though). The movie starts out with 3 cars driving into a junk yard, and the camera shoots this from a birds eye view. Landon and his friends all come out of their cars and they're waiting for a boy named Clay. Clay wanted to be a part of their "cool" crew, so that night he was going to have to pass the test. There's this really tall type of boardwalk that has a big mass of dirty water under it, and Clay had to make the dive. Landon tricked him by saying he was going to jump in with him, but when they counted down to three, Landon didnt jump. Clay belly flopped into the water and hit a pole that was in there. Landon climbed down the ladder and went in the water to save him, but by the time landon got in the water, a suspicious security guard was already calling for back up. Everyone left except for Landon, who couldnt leave in time. He was arrested by the police and got off with a slap on the wrist. As punishment by his principal, he had to participate in the school play (where he and Jamie started connecting). This whole part was not included in the book.

There were also other things that were different between the book and the novel. The play wasn't as big of a deal in the movie as it was in the film, Jamie's father was not involved in the play at all, although she did play the leading role, the play was not about her. A lot of the specific things that happened in the novel, like visiting the orphanage and Landon collecting jars didnt happen in the movie. But the overall plot of the story was kept.

I reaaaaaaaaallllyyy enjoyed the movie, but it wasn't as good as the book. I feel like with the book, you really got to understand there thoughts and watch them gradually fall in love with each other. Whereas in the movie, Landon falling in love with Jamie happened pretty quickly. I would definately recommend the novel and the movie to anyone, and also any novel by Nicholas Sparks, he's AMAZING!

A Walk to Remember (pages 155-207)

Jamie had been acting weird lately, then Landon finally told her how he felt. He said "I Love you, Jamie" and Jamie began to cry. As he hugged her, Landon realized she was very thin, his arms went all the way around her, she had lost weight. She told him he couldnt be in love with her, because she was dying.

Jamie had Leukemia and everything became so clear. Landon understood why Jamie was the christmas angel in the play this year, why hegbert freted that he keep coming by the house, why she wanted christmas at the orphanage to be special this year, why she didn't think she'd go to college, why she gave him her bible.
Jamie was getting very sick, very fast. Landon felt in his heart that there was still something he needed to do. He read the bible daily with Jamie and his father even paid for the medical machines to be brought to jamies house, so she could spent her final days at home. Landon prayed for a miracle, for jamie to get better. Then Landon realized what he had to do, what his heart was longing to do, marry Jamie.

So Landon and Jamie had a nice wedding, it was short notice but almost everyone in town showed up. As weak as she was, Jamie was determined to walk down the aisle on her own, and so she did. With her father holding her arm, Jamie walked down the aisle to her teary groom. there wasnt a dry eye in that church! Jamie and Landon got married and he recalls it to be the best moment of his entire life.

Quote: " I was so in love with her, so deeply in love that i didn't care if she was sick. I didn't care that we wouldn't have long together. None of those things mattered to me. All i cared about was doing something that my heart had told me was the right thing to do. In my mind it was the first time God had ever spoken directly to me, and I knew with certainty that i wasnt going to disobey" (Sparks, 202).

Reaction: I really loved the ending of this novel. I feel like it didn't have a happy ending, but then again it did. It would've been great if, jamie and landon, complete opposites, fell in love, got married, and spent the whole rest of their lives together, but that wouldve been too predictable. It wouldve made A Walk to Remember just like all those other cliche romance novels out there. The fact that Jamie doesnt live, takes away from the "happily ever after" ending, but on the other hand, the fact that they both found love and we able to get married before she died, gives it that happy ending that warms people's hearts <3.