Having Faith. Review on A Walk to Remember Movie

This is the story of two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jaime Sullivan, who are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is made to do community service. After a schoolmate cliff-dives into rocky, shallow water at his and his friends' urging, at almost fatal consequences, Landon receives a punishment of tutoring and having to participate in the school's Drama Club play. Overwhelmed by the new responsibilities, Landon feels forced to ask for help from another underling, Jaime.

Jaime Sullivan is the local Reverend's daughter, an upstanding member of the church choir, a prize student, and a very sweet and reserved girl, if not a bit fashionably challenged. She cares not for the popular crowd, doing the things that she loves to do instead: star-gazing, reading her mother's diary, and caring for other people. And she has a horrible secret.

Landon doesn't like the flack he receives from his friends over his being seen with Jaime; Jaime doesn't seem addled one way or the other. Landon and Jaime received the lead roles in the school play, forcing them to work closely together. She tells him not to fall in love with her, much to his confusion. Slowly, Landon begins to soften for Jaime. The night of the play, he's listening to her sing ''Only Hope'', and he begins to feel something. His girlfriend, a popular girl, gets jealous and takes it out on Jaime, trying to dash her reputation. Landon steps in and stands up for Jaime and for himself, even breaking his relationship with his best friend.

On the night Landon professes his love for her, we find out why she didn't want him to fall in love with her. Because he wouldn't be able to keep her, she is dying of lukemia. From this knowledge, however, he is inspired to make her last days the best of her life, making them the best of his.

Although there are multiple other actors in this movie (Daryl Hannah plays Landon's mother), the movie belongs to Shane West and Mandy Moore. Shane goes from bad boy to respectful young man in a believable time, and Mandy Moore doesn't overact the way most singers gone actresses do. Better yet, she didn't go through a complete makeover (She's All That) to become popular and get the guy she wanted. She stayed true to her fashion.

The best part of this movie is the love between the two. It is completely believable, they had an excellent chemistry. Also, I adored Jaime's unfallable faith in God. It's difficult to find a movie where God is a positive topic.

The music is unforgettable. ''Only Hope'', sang by Mandy Moore in the play, is actually heard earlier on the radio when Landon is fixing his car and he and his friend reconcile. It is sung by Switchfoot, a Christian alternative band that I absolutely adore.

A Walk to Remember is a touching story of life-changing experiences and loving inspiration. It teaches you that you should really live, as there might not be a tomorrow; and to cherish what you have at that moment. It teaches you that the sky is the limit and there is nothing that is out of your reach, if you really want it. It teaches you to not be afraid to be different than the status quo; what's popular isn't always right.