If I Stay

"Sometimes you make choices and sometimes they make you." Mia has a great and loving family. A boyfriend who is in love with her and she is one step away from her dream of going to Juilliard. All that changes after a car wreck leaves her alone and fighting for her life. Watching her family and friends at the hospital and looking back over her life she must decide to stay living and chase her dreams or let go and be with her family. First thing I have to say is that while this is a sad movie it wasn't as depressing as I was expecting. The movie did a really good job of making it emotional without feeling forced. The movie was able to stay away from becoming overly melodramatic or too cheesy. On the other hand though the movie was a little generic in some parts and you were able to see certain things coming. The whole movie you are trying to guess whether she will stay or go and I had a feeling that the choice would make or break the movie. I could see points for both sides and I have to say that I thought the ending was perfect. Overall, a movie that wasn't cheesy but it was a little generic in some parts. The ending was perfect and really helped the movie. This was better then I was expecting. I give it a B.

hey I loved this movie. If a movie stirs my emotions to a point where my body can't control itself, cry, laughter, anger etc, then in my mind it's done it's job. Movies are escapism. If you don't feel like you've been transported into the movie, then you're just not into it.

As a father I relate to this movie, the sacrifice the father makes for his talented daughter.. It well and truly stirred my emotions. It's a 10 in my book. The concept might appear cheesy to some, but it was up my ally.

If you're a romantic at heart, you will enjoy this flick. If you don't want to embrace being taken on a journey of what it might be like in he next world, then go check out something else.

The cello is my favorite musical instrument. One of my favorite movies of all time is the Japanese Oscar Best Foreign Language film winner "Departures" and a cello played a prominent part in that one. "If I Stay" is another film in which a cello takes center stage, and I would not miss it even for that reason alone.

"If I Stay" is a dramatic film about a shy cello-playing teenager named Mia Hall. She has cool supportive parents, who were once in the punk scene. Her boyfriend Adam is the front man of an up-and-coming rock band. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly with her. She is awaiting for her acceptance letter from the Julliard School. Then one beautiful winter day, a tragic car accident happens.

I was looking forward to good cello music, and it did not disappoint. Those music in those scenes showing Mia auditioning for Julliard were breathtaking. As it turns out though, the cello music is not the only thing good about this film.

This film is a tearjerker of the highest order. The script was written in very emotional language by Shauna Cross based on a best-selling novel by Gayle Forman. Thankfully, the cast, though mostly unknown except for the lead actress, does very well in bringing this script to life.

Chloe Grace Moretz is really a phenomenal young actress. She gained attention as the ultra-violent It Girl, the best part of the "Kick Ass" films. Now a little more grown-up as Mia, Moretz provides this role the grace and elegance. A lesser actress may have made those death scenes mawkish and those romance scenes cheesy. Those cello-playing scenes were killer scenes.

Jamie Blackley was fine as Mia's boyfriend Adam. He seemed uncomfortable at times, and his chemistry with Moretz was not entirely convincing. I like the actors who played Mia's parents Denny and Kat better, Joshua Leonard and Mireille Enos. That New Year's Day scene where Kat was drying the dishes while Mia washed was especially well-written and well- acted out.

I had seen Liana Liberato in her devastating film debut as a victim of child rape in "Truth." She also did well her as Mia's loyal friend Kim. I think this is the first time I have seen perennial bad guy Stacy Keach in a role that made him so emotionally raw as Mia's grandfather.

The storytelling, with its weaving in and out of past and present events, was very well-edited. However, the pace taken by Director RJ Custer can feel very slow and repetitive at certain times in the middle, which made me look at my watch a few times. Overall though, it was effective in its intention as a tear-jerking romance. Your handkerchief or tissue paper will definitely get wet with this film with its many touching scenes.

I thought it was pretty good the first time. To be honest, I was half asleep when I first saw it, to the extent that I didn't realize I had seen it just based on the name of it, so I accidentally started streaming it today without realizing I had seen it before several months ago. I know, this doesn't sound supportive of this movie. For the record, I almost never watch movies more than once...I get too bored. After it started this second time, I did realize immediately that I'd seen it before, but I figured I'd stop it the moment I became bored, which I knew was inevitable given that I'd seen it before. Well, somehow I watched it all again, in its entirety. This time, I saw more depth than I'd seen before. Bottom line, this is worth watching. Of course, it's not perfect, and the main character looks like she's 12 rather than 17 or 18, which is a little bit creepy. But it has heart, and it's beautiful. Granted, I don't totally agree with the ending, but up until then it brought up questions that were very meaningful for anyone who has experienced loss. Kudos to this movie for being unexpectedly watchable for a 2nd run, and for actually being better another time around.

If I stay is a beautiful, moving film about a teenage girl and the life or death decision she must make. Mia is a teenage girl that has a wonderful, quirky family, a boyfriend who loves her to pieces, and a bright, ambitious future. But, all of that changes when she and her family are in a fatal car accident. While Mia's body is in a coma, her mind journeys back to all of her memories, triumphs, heart breaks and future. She has to make the decision on whether or not to fight and stay alive, or let go and leave this world. Will Mia stay?

I love this movie. It made me laugh, cry and it helped me to see all of the good in my own life that I should cherish, because you never know when it could all change. The cinematography is beautiful. Most of the film is filled with memories that Mia has and the way they are portrayed is very neat. The music is also beautiful. Mia is a cellist and a lot of the film focuses on her dreams of becoming a successful musician, so the film is filled with beautiful classical music.

My Favorite character is Mia played by Chloe Moretz. This film shows so many aspects of Mia's life, so it's easy to find something to relate to. She has a great passion for playing the cello and dedicates most of her life to it. She has difficulties relating to her parents and even her boyfriend since their musicals tastes are far more edgy than hers. She has to face her insane loss and she has to choose between many different things in life. There's something about her life that I think anyone can relate to, so she's a wonderful character. Chloe does a wonderful job portraying everything she's going through and she moved me to tears many times.

This film makes me think about my own family and everything I would do for them. It makes me think of my life and all the joys and sorrows I've faced. There was not a dry eye in the audience because this film provokes unique memories for every individual. I felt especially connected to Mia's family because I too have a younger brother and am very close with my parents, so I was very touched by Mia's situation.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18 because of the intense emotions and mature content. Make sure you check out If I Stay in theaters August 22nd.

Reviewed by Raven D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.