Parents' Guide to Wish You Were Here

This is a touching, if not overly swoon-worthy, drama about love intertwined with loss. There's something inherently familiar about a Love Story that turns tragic, tugging at your heartstrings. By their very nature, these romances rarely offer a happily ever after, but they do still captivate audiences with their epic yet fleeting tales of passion and heartbreak. In Wish You Were Here, Stiles and her stars deliver most of the essential elements, but one key ingredient is missing: chemistry between the leads. While Fuhrman and Massoud are both talented, and the script offers a glimpse into why their brief connection feels meaningful, there's not enough romantic energy between them, nor the necessary screenplay beats, to fully justify the life-altering decisions that follow.

Still, viewers drawn to this kind of romance will become invested in the central couple. And the film offers plenty of the expected moments: Charlotte and Adam talking, laughing, and playfully bonding, as well as tender scenes of caretaking in a hospital room and bed. A notable departure from the usual formula is that Charlotte's loyal best friend, Helen, quickly becomes entangled in her own whirlwind romance, leaving her less of a pillar of support for Charlotte. (Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer have small but pivotal roles as Charlotte's loving parents, who understandably worry about her choices.) Ultimately, this film is best suited for fans of angst-filled romances, particularly those prepared for a bittersweet, tragic love story.