Parents' Guide to Twilight

Director Catherine Hardwicke nails the teen emotions and relationships, and she stays surprisingly faithful to the novel. Though possessive at times, Twilight's Bella-Edward romance is appropriately swoon-worthy. Other parts of the film are quite schlocky and even unintentionally funny (like Edward's facial expressions at his first whiff of Bella's intoxicating scent). Some of the supporting cast is spot-on: Ashley Greene is pixie-ish and graceful as prescient vampire Alice, Burke's Charlie is exactly the kind of loving-but-hands-off father Meyer describes, and Native American actors Taylor Lautner and Gil Birmingham bring positivity and strength to the Quileute tribe's friendly father-and-son duo, Jacob and Billy. But other characters -- like Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) -- are reduced to one note. In Rathbone's case, he's a statue with overly gelled locks and a permanent, unintentionally amusing look of irritation. But, cosmetic issues aside, most of the characters, right down to the villainous vampires led by James (Cam Gigandet), act like their counterparts in the novel.

From Edward's shiny silver Volvo and Bella's beat-up red truck to the glittery meadow scene, the lullaby and the longing looks, Hardwicke and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg have included most of the book's essential details. Yes, some viewers might find aspects of Twilight silly and superficial. But Stewart does Bella justice with her constant clumsiness and her serious gazes. And Pattinson is dreamy and intense, though it would've been better had the British actor perfected his American accent. In the end, those who don't mind teen love served with a side of cheese (and bloodlust) will enjoy this 2000s-era phenomenon.