In recent years, numerous young adult novels have been adapted into major films, and have proved to be extremely popular. If I Stay, a young-adult romance novel written by Gale Forman, is one such example. This film is heart-wrenching and joyful all at once. It is sure to elicit smiles, tears, and aggravated sighs from viewers.
If I Stay revolves around Mia, a shy and extremely gifted cellist who dreams of attending the prestigious school of performing arts, Julliard. She contrasts deeply with her ex-rocker parents and rock-and-roll boyfriend, Adam. Mia’s life comes to a standstill when her family is involved in a car crash that takes the lives of her parents and younger brother. As Mia remains in a coma she experiences flashback of her life with Adam and her family, and she must make the ultimate decision of whether she should choose to stay or die.
The blockbuster film stars Chloe Grace Mortez as Mia. Mortez perfectly portrays the innocent, fragile, and timid Mia. The film also stars Jamie Blackley (We Are the Freaks and Uwantme2killhim) as Adam and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Which Project) makes an appearance as Mia’s father.
The story predominately focuses on the relationship between Mia and Adam. Unfortunately, their love story was lackluster and unoriginal. The same type of relationship has been shown a million times before; a shy girl meets a bad boy and slowly starts to come out of her shell. The worst part of their relationship however, was Mia’s constant use of her boyfriend’s name, which was probably the most repeated word in the script. Her repetition of “Adam, Adam, Adam” is sure to cause viewers to grind their teeth and roll their eyes.
One of the best parts of the movie by far was the set. The movie was filmed at various locations all over Canada in British Columbia. This location with its beautiful and serene scenery is the perfect backdrop for Mia’s simplistic life. This location is especially astounding in the scenes that portray fall and winter, bright autumn leaves and beautiful glistening snow are sure to awe viewers.
In contrast, the worst part of the movie must have been Adam. He is meant to be a stereotypical bad boy with a troubled past, but underneath it all he is supposed to have a kind heart. Unfortunately, his kind heart only shines through on rare occasions; when it comes to major occurrences, he comes across as extremely selfish. He goes after his own dreams but hinders Mia from chasing hers.
Overall viewers are sure to love the message the film presents, “And that’s just it, isn’t it? That’s how we manage to survive the loss. Because love, it never dies, it never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it.”