Common Sense Media Review
Syrupy, predictable tale has some cursing, mature themes.
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A Walk to Remember
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Based on 64 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a deeply emotional and romantic story that emphasizes personal growth and redemption, often leaving viewers in tears. While praised for its heartfelt themes and character development, several reviews mention concerns about mature content such as strong language and suggestive scenes that may not be suitable for younger audiences.
- emotional depth
- character growth
- mature content
- heartwarming story
- romantic themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Mandy Moore and Shane West star as high school seniors Jamie and Landon in A WALK TO REMEMBER, based on Nicholas Sparks' same-named novel. Landon, the glamorous bad boy in Beaufort, North Carolina, spends most of his time partying with friends and pumping up their egos. After one of their pranks seriously injures a boy, Landon's sentence is to tutor a student, sweep up, and star in the school play. Landon keeps running into Jamie, a plain, Bible-toting girl who always wears the same sweater and doesn't care what other people think about her. But when he hears her sing on opening night, he finds himself drawn to her—and drawn to a better notion of his own potential.
Is It Any Good?
There's nothing here that anyone over the age of 15 hasn't seen a dozen times. Tweens may swoon, but in A Walk to Remember, adults will see just a syrupy retread of Love Story and similar situations: a "plain" girl who loosens her hair and turns out to be beautiful, a reunion with an estranged father, and that old favorite, movie star's disease, in which a woman becomes more "beautiful" the thinner, paler, and frailer she becomes. The direction, cinematography, and performances are barely adequate, but the Beaufort setting is lovely, and the movie manages a couple of affecting moments. But A Walk to Remember is still a movie to forget.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how, in A Walk to Remember, Jamie has a list of things she wants to do before she dies. How does she realize her dreams? How does Landon support her? How can we help one another realize dreams in our own lives?
This movie was based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. The novel was set in the same town that the movie takes place in, but in the 1950s. Why do you think the movie is set later? Would teens be less likely to watch a coming-of-age movie not set in their time? Why, or why not?
Did the scenes involving peer pressure and high school bullying seem realistic, exaggerated, or inaccurate? How does teen bullying look today? How can you support a teen who's being targeted at school?
How is Jamie's illness portrayed? Is she a positive character, or does she fall into disability stereotypes? What are some other depictions of cancer you've seen in media, and which stories are told with nuance and complexity?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 25, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : December 24, 2002
- Cast : Mandy Moore , Shane West , Peter Coyote
- Director : Adam Shankman
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Book Characters , Faith ( Christianity ) , School ( High School )
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, language and some sensual material.
- Last updated : March 18, 2026
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