Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references, an intense accident scene and some sensuality.
Starring Zac Efron, Kim Basinger, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Donal Logue and Ray Liotta
Directed by Burr Steers (17 Again)
Take this film for what it is…a sappy heartwarming story with extra cheese.
Zac Efron stars as Charlie St. Cloud, a small-town hero and an accomplished sailor who has it all: the adoration of his mother and younger brother, and a Stanford scholarship. His bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. Now Charlie is torn between honoring a promise he made years ago and pursuing his new found love with a former high-school classmate. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, comes this story of hope, second chances and the transformative power of love.
There are times when all I want for dinner is a big juicy steak with all the trimmings. And then there are times when a quarter pounder with cheese really hits the spot. Well this film is far from the big juicy steak, but it was entertaining. I can’t help but think it would have been so much better without all that cheese. You know what I’m talking about…the swelling music, the single tear rolling down the cheek, the close up on the “come take my hand” shot.
Zac Efron is a talented actor (at least that’s what my wife and daughter tell me). OK I’ll admit it too. I’m not ready to include him on my top ten favorite actor list, but I’m willing to give him props. He is talented but I’m not sure he is ready for non-teeny-bopper films just yet.
All that being said, the biggest disappointment was the language and sexual references. It’s as if the director forgot Zac and most of his co-stars were teenagers. The sex scene is way too mature for the film and the shot of Zac drinking away his sorrows just didn’t play well.
It may have been Theater Worthy without all the cheese and mature stuff and it certainly would have been a Rental without all the sex and language…but since they are both there, I’ll give it a Only If Free.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The accident scene (and scenes immediately following the accident) was difficult to watch and the sex scenes and references are really not appropriate for younger audiences.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: There are actually several places you can go here if you want to have a conversation with your student. You can talk about the importance of keeping your promises or the guilt we feel even when things are not our fault. But I think the big message of the film is asking the “what happens when we die?” question.
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: In the film those who pass away can stay or get stuck in “the in between,” but the Bible tells us, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Which simply means that when we die, we enter eternity. There is no “in between.” We are either forever in the presence of our holy God or separated from Him forever.
Hollywood loves the life-after stories, but they always seem to miss the mark on what really happens when we die. This is a great opportunity to talk to about life and death and eternity.
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Well the obvious response is to encourage your student to have this same conversation with their friends. Pray for them to have courage and boldness to share what God tells us awaits us in the afterlife.
