A Walk to Remember (Movie)

Cast : Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Release Date: January 25, 2002
Distributed by: Warner Brothers Prictures
Running time : 102 mins.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: English
Subjects: Teen, High school, Terminal illness
Note: Based on Nicholas Sparks novel (same title). Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some sensual material.

Summary: Landon Carter gets caught violating school rules and as a punishment, he has to do community service. Some of them includes after-school tutoring and performing in the school play. He was forced to work with Jamie Sullivan, a smart minister's daughter. Landon and Jamie as they work together in rehearsing for the play. Landon falls in-love with Jamie Sullivan but Landon's friends did not approve the relationship. A prank was made to Jamie and Landon ends up fighting with his friends and stopped hanging out with his popular friends and chose to be with Jamie. Meanwhile, Jamie's terminal illness was progressing and when she finally she had to confess to Landon that she is dying. Landon stayed with Jamie through her struggle with her illness. Landon's father even paid for her home care. Landon worked on giving all Jamie's list including getting married in the church where her parents got married. Jamie passed away. Four years later, Landon returns to Jamie's father to return the book/diary Jamie gave Landon. Landon reflects on how much his life had changed with Jamie.

Comparisons to novel: Set into 1990 instead of 1950s to draw interest from modern teens. The play was a church play instead of a school play and it was written by Jamie's father, Hegbert. Landon's father is a congressman in the novel while the movie, the father is a cardiologist but they still both paid for Jamie's home medical expenses. The novel, Jamie gives Landon her mother's Bible while the movie she gives him her mother's book/diary.

Awards: Breakthrough Female Performance - 2002 MTV Movie Awards - Mandy Moore; Film - Choice Breakout Performance, Actress - 2002 Teen Choice Awards - Mandy Moore; Film - Choice Chemistry - 2002 Teen Choice Awards - Shane West and Mandy Moore; Film - Choice Actress, Drama/Action Adventure - 2002 Teen Choice Awards - Mandy Moore

Pride and Prejudice (Movie)

Directed by: Joe Wright
Released Date: November 23 2005
Cast: Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfadyen, Donald Sutherland, Talulah Riley
Distributed by: Focus Features, Studio Canal, United International Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Interest Level: 9-12
Run Time: 127 minutes
Subject: Love, Courtship, Marriage, English Class system
Summary: Pride and Prejudice is a love story based on the novel by Jane Austin. The story is about the Bennet family and the 5 daughters' luck on finding good husbands for their future. A rich gentleman Mr. Bingley visits their town accompanied by Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth falls in-love with Mr. Bingley and makes a promise to marry her but later breaks the promise. An interesting twist happens in the lives of the 5 sisters as they go through challenges about love, gossip, scandals and class.

Awards: Nominated for Teen's Choice Awards 2006 for Best Actress
Won : Satellite Award 2005 for Best Costume; London Critics Circle Films Awards 2006 for British Director of the Year and British Supporting Actor of the Year;
Golden Trailer Awards 2006 for Best Romance; Empire Awards 2006 for Best British Film and Best Newcomer; Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2005 for Best New Filmmaker

Speak (Movie)

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Michael Angarano, Halle Hirsh, D.B. Sweeney
Director: Jessica Sharzer
Release Date: January 20, 2004
Distributor: Showtime Networks
Running Time: 89 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Subjects: Teen Rape, High School life, Student teacher relationship
Summary: Melinda Sordino becomes a selective mute as she enters high school. She has been ostracized by her friends for calling the police on one of the summer parties. She finds support and comfort in her art teacher and friend, David Petrakis. Melinda finds her voice to speak about her traumatic summer experience. She learns to cope after being raped.

Notes: Based on Laurie Halse Anderson's novel, Speak. PG-13 for mature thematic material involving a teen rape. The movie is about a teen overcoming rape. There are some profanity and underage drinking scenes.

Awards: 2004 Woodstock Film Festival - Audience Award - Best Narrative Feature
Nominations: 2006 Director's Guild of America - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs

Coraline (Movie)

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShan
Release Date: February 6, 2009
Distributed by: Focus Features
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy,
Running Time : 100 minutes
Subjects: Family, Parenting

Summary: Coraline moves with her family to rainy Portland. She kept herself busy by having an adventure in her new house. She discovers a "mirror" life as she walks through a secret door. She finds similar mom and dad and enjoyed the change for a little bit. When she tried to leave, her "new" mom gets really possessive and threatens Coraline and the people that she loves. Coraline saves her family by playing a dangerous game with her "new mom" and eventually sets everyone free, including herself and her family.

Prince Caspian (Movie)

Directed by: Andrew Adamson
Cast: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto, Eddie Izzard (voice), Peter Dinklage, Liam Neeson (voice)
Release Date: May 16, 2008
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Run time: 142 minutes
Rate: PG
Language: English
Subjects: Sibling relationship,
Note: Rated PG for epic battle action and violence. Based on C.S. Lewis' book, Prince Caspian.

Summary: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia when summoned for help by a Telmarine prince, Caspian. Narnians work together to fight for their existence against the Telmarine leader, Miraz. For years, the talking animals and beast were banished by the Telmarines and forced to live underground and unseen by humans. Narnians with the leadership of Prince Caspian and the Pevensie fight against Miraz soldier but they were too great in number. At some point they were too desperate to get some help to defeat Miraz and his army that they almost brought the White Witch to life but with Edmund's courage, he stopped that from happening by breaking the ice wall.

Finally, Peter challenges Miraz on a one-man-fight. Mirz is defeated but his army still attacked the Narnians. Meanwhile, Susan and Lucy went to search Aslan for help. Aslan helped as well as the Talking trees defeating the Telmarine armies.

Aslan gave a chance for some Telmarines to go back to their ancestral home by crossing to the other side of the tree. For the ones who want to start a new life, they choose to cross while others remain and live in harmony with the Narnians with Prince Caspian as their new ruler. The Pevensies also crossed the to the other side of the tree, returning to the railway station, in England, where all the adventure began.

Comparison to novel: The Castle attack was added to the movie to make it interesting. It did not happen in the book.


Awards: 2008 Teen Choice Award - Choice Movie: Action Adventure
Nominations: 2008 Teen Choice - Choice Movie Breakout Male; 2009 People's Choice - Favorite Family Movie; 2008 National Movie Awards - Best Family Film and Best Performance - Male; 2008 Movie Awards - Best Summer Movie So Far

Stardust (Movie)

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett
Release Date: August 10, 2007
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 128 minutes
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure
Subjects: Star, Witchcraft

Reader's Annotation: Tristan promises the star to his beloved Victoria. He goes on an adventure and falls in love with the fallen star. He fights for his love and gains his throne, mother and the star.

Summary: Everyone wants to catch the fallen star, Yvaine. Tristan wants to bring the star to his beloved Victoria so she could marry him. Prince Septimus wants the Yvaine’s heart so he could be immortal. Three witches want the Yvaine’s heart for recover their beauty and eternal youth. All want the star for their selfish gain.

The movie is about the journey of Tristan to bring Yvaine to Wall Village for Victoria. They go through magical adventure meeting unicorns, beautiful and enchanting witch, singing sky pirate and many more. Tristan even gets turn to a mouse. At the end of their journey Tristan and Yvaine falls in-love. Tristan returns to the Wall Village to tell Vitoria that he no longer wants to marry her and gives her some strands of hair from the star. Tristan finds the hair turn into dust. He hurries back to Yvaine only to find out that the witches had captured her who wants her heart for eternal youth. Tristan rescues Yvaine. He finds out about his royal blood and ends up rescuing his mother too. Tristan and Yvaine ruled as king and queen of England for many years until they lit the Babylonian candle. The two return to the sky and became twin stars and still lived happily ever after.


Personal Notes: I loved this movie. It reminded me of my father's stories when I was a child about the fallen stars and beautiful beings that were believed to have lived on earth.

Awards: Empire Awards 2008 for Best Sci-Fi/ Fantasy, GLAAD Media Award for Film-Wide Release, Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2008 for Overlooked Film of the Year

Movie Website: ww.stardustmovie.com

Twilight (Movie)

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Taylor Lautner
Release Date: November 21, 2008
Distributor: Goldencrest Pictures
Genre: Action, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance
Run Time: 122 minutes
Subjects: Vampires, Werewolf,

Summary: Twilight has a Romeo and Juliet love-story plot. Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington and meets a handsome and smart guy, Edward Cullen. Bella finds out about Edward's real identity but still pursue their relationship. They struggle to keep their relationship as they face the challenges of being accepted by both sides - vampires and human and even the werewolves.

Awards: Young Artist Awards 2009 for Best Performance in a Feature Film

City of Ember (Movie)

Cast: Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Mackenzie Crook
Directed by: Gil Kenan
Release Date: October 10, 2008
Distributor: 20th Century Fox,Walden Media, Playtone
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Subjects: Overcoming challenges, friendship, family
Note: Based on Jeanne DuPrau's book, City of Ember.

Summary: A group of scientist decide to preserve mankind b creating an artificial city in a deep underground before a catastrophe that destroys every living thing on earth. The city has everything for people to survive for the next 200 years. The instructions on how to get out of the city was also given but it was lost when a mayor passed away.

The city of Ember is slowly deteriorating. Two teens discover the instruction box and tries to find a way out of the city. They had to overcome the pessimistic people along the way including the police and the city mayor that tries to cover about the existing problem of the city.

The teens go through the perilous journey to find a way out of Ember and try to save the people of the city.

Nominations: 2008 Satellite Award - Best Art Direction & Production Design and Best Costume Design; 2009 Irish Film and Television Award - Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Film