I counted about three walks, a few confrontations, one class play, and a jaunt or two over the course of this movie. None of these events are worth remembering.

Continuing the inexplicable trend of pop stars making the risky jump to films, A Walk to Remember, based upon the novel by Nicholas Sparks, stars teeny-bopper Mandy Moore as Jamie, a quiet high school senior who couldn't care less what everyone thinks about her. Because an initiation stunt resulted in a a fellow classmate being seriously injured, Landon (Shane West), one of the cool kids, is sententenced to help out the janitors after school, tutor disadvantaged youngsters, and act in the drama club's upcoming production. Jamie also participates in the drama project. These two seniors play a little verbal war here and there, with Landon trying to sleep his way through his disciplinary sentence and Jamie attempting to break through his jaded shell. After a while, it seems to work, as Landon begins to see the meek girl he and his buddies used to make fun of in a different light.

You guessed it, our little rebel has fallen in love with the daughter of the local minister (Peter Coyote), and gradually, Jamie returns Landon's feelings. But Jamie also harbors a secret about herself that must be revealed, even though it may put her and Landon's relationship to the test.

I let it slide when Sweet November came out and filled  multiplexes with its sappy, saccharine message, then retreated back into obscurity. But I refuse to take things lying down when the same studio releases virtually the same movie around the same time a year later, under a different title, geared toward a younger audience. This is what I was thinking about most of the time while watching A Walk to Remember. The rest of the time, I tried my best to keep a straight face. It's movies like A Walk to Remember that excite cynics like me. We're always looking for the perfect flick to pick on, and when it's as preachy and sappy as this one, we can't pass up the chance to have a go at it.

The story begins innocently enough, presenting the audience with yet another clashing of high school social classes (bad boy meets the nice, plain girl) and running with this idea for the remainder of the film. This is the direction director Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner) should have taken. To give the film some credit, Shane West exhibits more acting ability than he did in 2000's abysmal Whatever It Takes, and Mandy Moore, whose singing talents are obviously shown off more than once throughout the story, displays more charm and charisma than a certain Glitter star did in her debut feature. These two kids made a cute couple, and even in the scenes when Landon helped Jamie fulfill her various goals, I felt my heart being tugged and my cynical shell being melted.

That didn't last long.

As quickly as A Walk to Remember started to win me over, I lost all faith in it. The lovely cinematography, the nice chemistry between the leads, the halfway-decent depiction of teen love...gone, vanished, nonexistent, all at the very moment Jamie reveals -- GASP! -- she has one of those movie illnesses that only makes her more attractive to Landon. All of the goodness of the picture gave way to a corny, manipulative drama. How could I have missed all the warnings? A haggard-looking Daryl Hannah...an unusually strong Peter Coyote...the plain and simple fact that even though Landon almost got some kid killed, he's sentenced to drama club instead of expelled. 

However, none of these instances compare to the movie's final moments. After Jamie has confessed her heart out and everyone has indulged in a good weep or two, one last hurrah must be trotted out before the credits roll. This film's ending had me hitting myself with my notebook and silently screaming, "Give  me a break here!" After swallowing the tender juices of a sweet teen romance, I was not only forced to guzzle down a can of flat soda but a beaker of sulfur as well.

MY RATING: ** (out of ****)

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated "PG" for thematic elements, language and some sensual material.)

Review also posted at www.ajhakari.com.