Day 152: If I Stay (August, 8)

For a while I've been burtleflying around the story in If I Stay, either by the movie or the book by Gayle Forman. I observed the poster on the cinema, trying to figure out if I would like this movie or not, or if it would be a bit too cheesy.  I don't know why such inquiries are created on my head, really. In its favor, there was Chloe Grace Moretz, an amazing young actress. Against it, the possibility of a too sugared story about difficult times and the choices that it usually demands. 

One of the characters says to his daughter, Mia, at one point, that there are two aspects about choosing: choices that we make and those that make us. Mia understands the concept and applies it to her own life, without  realizing that soon she well be faced with the biggest of the choices. 

What truly got me here were the characters - they become beloved very soon in the narrative, turning all the events on this movie so more difficult. I was mourning their losses, really sad for what was happening. 

Familiar affairs are important here, as a way to tell how difficult some of Mia and her parents' choices are. Her rockn' roll mom and dad are faced with a daughter so different from them, and are able to open their lives to it. That's how this movie is so sweet, showing how different people can live under the same roof, loving and respecting each other. 

At the end, I was not sure if Mia's choices were hers anyway. It is debatable under a spiritual point of view (I asked a friend about it and we discussed the many possibilities here). But as a allegory for our choices in life it is very accurate and can lead us to a few reflections about our own lives. A sad story with sweet characters told in an endearing way, I though. Terrible losses and difficult choices, I felt - never regretting finally overcoming my prejudices and deciding to see this movie. 

If I Stay. Directed by R.J. Cutler. With: Chloe Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos,
Jamie Blackley. Writer: Shauna Cross from the book by Gayle Forman.
USA, 2014, 107 min., SDDS/Datasat/Dolby Digital, Color (Cable TV).  

PS: After the movie, I got curious about the sequel to this story, written by Gayle Forman, Where She Went, that continues Mia story. I'm not able to stand suspense, so I looked for what happens in this book. I wanted to know what had happened to her. And so what I achieved was more sadness. Thank you, restless mind.