"And If You Go to Forte..." "I Know Forte."
I’m going to take it as a sign of maturity on my part that “If I Stay” didn’t turn me into a swooning mess, because sixteen-year-old me would have been all over this movie. That being said, I think I’m going to turn the rest of the review over to her.
First, sixteen-year old Hollis hasn't read the novel this movie is based on. She might do so later.
Sixteen-year-old Hollis was a huge fan of Chloe Moretz’s performance as the main character, Mia, a teen cellist who has her life turned upside-down twice: once by her first boyfriend Adam who’s on the fast-track to becoming a rock star, and then by a car crash that results in dire consequences for her and her family. She hasn’t seen much of Moretz’s work, but she LOVES HER and wishes she went to her school so that they could do high school theatre together (in younger me’s mind, this is totally a possibility). She’s a fantastic actress, making the character (who’s honestly a little bit passive) completely accessible and likeable. Young Hollis also thought that Adam was super dreamy, but he looks a little too much like her childhood friend for her to really find him attractive. Still, his openness about his attraction to Mia is so romantic, and she wishes she knew more boys like him. How hard is it to just go ask a girl out? Seriously.
Sixteen-year-old Hollis recognizes that this movie is a little on the cheesy side, but she doesn’t care. She sobbed like a baby through the whole thing. The details of this movie really make it work, the strength of Mia’s family and the relationship we see her build with Adam all fully lived through. The actors are all having a blast in this movie, even during the heart-wrenching moments, and that level of community and care is really nice to see.
Really, though, sixteen-year-old Hollis was most excited by the music and the passion the film’s two romantic leads shared for their art. Mia speaks often about how she feels the cello chose her and took her life in its hands. Sixteen-year-old Hollis completely understands what she means, having a similar relationship to the stage. It’s a huge leap when you’re young to go from enjoying an artistic hobby to thinking you can spend the rest of your life doing this, and watching young people be so passionate about what some people would call an unrealistic career choice is not only wonderful to watch, it’s really important. The romance is an important aspect of Mia’s story, but it’s not the most important thing in the film. Her cello fills that role. Mia’s main goal is to carve out her place in the world and find where she fits. Sixteen-year-old Hollis hasn’t seen many characters her age who have such strong goals. She really appreciates it.
I don’t know if this movie is any good. I don’t know if people will remember it ten years from now. But for sixteen-year-old Hollis, this filled a void, and she would love to own it on DVD and rewatch it on rainy afternoons.
DRINK:
Sixteen-year-old Hollis shouldn't be drinking anything. 24-year-old Hollis will choose either champagne or mimosas, because you drink them out of a flute.
POSSIBLE RULES:
-Drink whenever a character plays an instrument.
-Drink whenever Kim takes a picture or mentions photography.
-Drink when someone drops the name of a band, composer or singer (fictional bands included).
-Drink for platitudes.
-Drink whenever someone says the word "Julliard".
This review was written by Hollis Beck (Krissy Pappau). "If I Stay" is produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, and distributed by Warner Bros. Studios. This film is rated PG-13 with a run time of 106 minutes.
Sixteen-year-old Hollis was a huge fan of Chloe Moretz’s performance as the main character, Mia, a teen cellist who has her life turned upside-down twice: once by her first boyfriend Adam who’s on the fast-track to becoming a rock star, and then by a car crash that results in dire consequences for her and her family. She hasn’t seen much of Moretz’s work, but she LOVES HER and wishes she went to her school so that they could do high school theatre together (in younger me’s mind, this is totally a possibility). She’s a fantastic actress, making the character (who’s honestly a little bit passive) completely accessible and likeable. Young Hollis also thought that Adam was super dreamy, but he looks a little too much like her childhood friend for her to really find him attractive. Still, his openness about his attraction to Mia is so romantic, and she wishes she knew more boys like him. How hard is it to just go ask a girl out? Seriously.
Sixteen-year-old Hollis recognizes that this movie is a little on the cheesy side, but she doesn’t care. She sobbed like a baby through the whole thing. The details of this movie really make it work, the strength of Mia’s family and the relationship we see her build with Adam all fully lived through. The actors are all having a blast in this movie, even during the heart-wrenching moments, and that level of community and care is really nice to see.
Really, though, sixteen-year-old Hollis was most excited by the music and the passion the film’s two romantic leads shared for their art. Mia speaks often about how she feels the cello chose her and took her life in its hands. Sixteen-year-old Hollis completely understands what she means, having a similar relationship to the stage. It’s a huge leap when you’re young to go from enjoying an artistic hobby to thinking you can spend the rest of your life doing this, and watching young people be so passionate about what some people would call an unrealistic career choice is not only wonderful to watch, it’s really important. The romance is an important aspect of Mia’s story, but it’s not the most important thing in the film. Her cello fills that role. Mia’s main goal is to carve out her place in the world and find where she fits. Sixteen-year-old Hollis hasn’t seen many characters her age who have such strong goals. She really appreciates it.
I don’t know if this movie is any good. I don’t know if people will remember it ten years from now. But for sixteen-year-old Hollis, this filled a void, and she would love to own it on DVD and rewatch it on rainy afternoons.
DRINK:
Sixteen-year-old Hollis shouldn't be drinking anything. 24-year-old Hollis will choose either champagne or mimosas, because you drink them out of a flute.
POSSIBLE RULES:
-Drink whenever a character plays an instrument.
-Drink whenever Kim takes a picture or mentions photography.
-Drink when someone drops the name of a band, composer or singer (fictional bands included).
-Drink for platitudes.
-Drink whenever someone says the word "Julliard".
This review was written by Hollis Beck (Krissy Pappau). "If I Stay" is produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, and distributed by Warner Bros. Studios. This film is rated PG-13 with a run time of 106 minutes.
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