Movie Review: If I Stay

Those of you who know me well know that I adore the book If I Stay. You can read my review about it here. So when the trailers came out for the movie, it looked really good. I was excited. So I went out and saw the movie on the opening day. The first time I watched it, I didn't particularly enjoy it (for reasons that had nothing to do with the movie). So I went and watched it again and it was so much better than the first time. This is why my review is really late to be posted. I wanted to make sure that my first impression of the film was proper and not because of that specific reason

(NOTE: There are spoilers in here for those who haven't read the book. Proceed with caution)

Did it follow the novel? For the most part yes. But they also took quite a bit out. I felt as though some of the scenes that were not in the movie would have been great for those who haven't read the book. Who is Willow? Why was she at the hospital? Was she a friend? Was she a nurse? I don't feel as though it was explained. She was just there. She stopped Kim and Adam getting into trouble by saying to the security guards that they were close friends and she could handle it. But I don't think they told us why she was able to get them out of trouble. It was like some friend of Mia's family came and was like 'Wow. I know that they are actually a bit irrational at the moment, but I know them so let them go'. If she was a nobody, the security guard would have told her to get lost and leave. Obviously she was someone important but who was she? I actually asked my friend (who hasn't read the book) and she said she was confused as to who she was. Why did she have this power to prevent them from getting into trouble with the security guards?

Another part that bugged me was how they changed characters, particularly Adam and Liz. Liz in the book was so friendly, she loved Mia. In the movie, she was just there. She couldn't care less for Mia and it seemed as though she wasn't happy that Adam was in a relationship with her. Adam also came across at times very rude. He wasn't the Adam I feel in love with in the book. Maybe they changed their characters (especially Liz) to emphasize how much Mia doesn't fit into that 'rocker group'. And if that was the reason, I do understand. But it was still heartbreaking to see some of my favourite characters become a bit more rude. If I were to have only watched the movie and not read the book, I don't think I would have loved him very much. And I LOVE book Adam.

I wasn't too fond of the editing either. Towards the ending when Mia 'wakes up', I felt as though I was watching a horror movie. The editing of when basically Mia's life flashed before her eyes, while a good idea, the music that accompanied it was wrong.

What I Liked. I LOVED seeing Mia and Adam's relationship unfold. It was so beautiful and seeing the the parts from the novel on screen was so magical. I loved Mia's parents. They came to life really well.

How was the acting? Quite good actually. I don't have much to complain about in this section. I was a bit uncertain of Chloe Grace Mortez's acting, based on what I saw in the trailer. But I was pleasantly surprised by how happy I am that they chose her. I loved all the casting choices. Adam, Kim, Gramps, Kat. I loved all of them. And Chloe and Jamie looked so cute together as Mia and Adam

Did I cry? Yes I did. Although the movie was sad, I cried because I started thinking what if that was me in that situation? What would I choose? Where would I go if I did choose to stay? It really hit me hard. I know I thought about this while reading the book. And although I don't remember if I cried or not, I do know I was upset. But I guess seeing it on screen really made me cry again. I had to get out my tissues

Overall, the movie was a faithful adaptation and although I do have a few negatives about the film, those were the only ones. It wasn't enough for me to go 'Man, this movie sucks'. It is up there on my list of good adaptations. I would recommend you go to see it. It is an enjoyable movie to watch. I really hope that they make the sequel "Where She Went'. That will break my heart into a thousand more pieces.