A Walk to Remember

Here's another example of a movie that can be called a "chick flick."

There have been some decent chick flicks in the past, such as The Family Man, Jerry Maguire, and a few select others (ED: we'd argue about Jerry Maguire being called a chick flick). Of course, this is coming from a lover of Bond and Schwarzenegger movies, so the list is probably much longer, just not to me.

A Walk to Remember is Mandy Moore's feature film debut. As far as chick flicks go, it's good enough, but is so tired and predictable it will even have some lovers of chick flicks groaning and rolling their eyes.

Moore is Jamie Sullivan, a bible-thumping nerd who is mocked for wearing the same ugly sweater all the time. As we can expect (since it's happened in eight hundred other movies), she falls in love with the town bad boy, Landon (Shane West). Even though they're from opposite sides of the tracks, Jamie works her magic on Landon and brings out the good boy in him.

Everything from the plot to the dialogue (word for word) can be figured out before it actually occurs. Even the supposed "twist" is predictable if you know where the story is going. That's exactly why it feels pointless to actually talk about the plot.

While it may not be fair to call this a bad movie, it's painfully predictable to the point of nausea. Moore and West both turn in respectable performances and have excellent chemistry, but unfortunately they're just not given anything new to do.

If you're an avid fan of chick flicks or Mandy Moore, A Walk to Remember is probably the ideal Saturday night movie. Otherwise, it'll probably make you cringe.

The DVD is not bad. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen is fairly clear, but it does get a little soft in a few places. Halo effects are minimal, and grain is almost non-existent throughout.

The picture is impressive, but the sound is lacking. Since this is a movie starring a teen pop diva, and even features a couple of "solos" by Mandy Moore herself, I was expecting a better audio track. Surround use is pretty much MIA, and even the front channels seem weak. Dialogue is audible enough, but music, sound effects, and even Moore's singing don't seem to come out as much as they should. Moore's voice during her solos should use the full 5.1, assuming that those watching the movie are fans of the singer and would appreciate such.

Extras are limited to two audio commentaries -- one by Mandy Moore, Shane West and director Adam Shankman, the other by author Nicholas Sparks and writer Karen Janszen -- a Mandy Moore music video, and the trailer.

A Walk to Remember, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
102 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) 16X9 enhanced, 5.1 Dolby Digital
Starring Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah
Produced by Denise Di Novi, A. Hunt Lowry
Screenplay by Karen Janszen, Directed by Adam Shankman

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