If I Stay (2014), PG-13, ★★

Chloë Grace Moretz dead, but will she stay dead?

What happens when a person dies? Does he or she go to heaven or hell or stay in limbo? It really depends on the person's ego and the person's reputation as to whether he or she did good deeds or horrible things. It's almost a one-way ticket to your final destination. But there's a question as to why a person is stuck in limbo. I cannot fully explain that in reality, but, looking at other afterlife movies such as Ghost, Hereafter, and The Sixth Sense, it seems to me that all movies have a theme of redemption. This movie does not quite have that theme, but, it is not an awful self-parody of the genre. However, I was somewhat pleased that this movie is not formulaic as it seems to be, but the movie seems too manipulated into stirring my emotions and their lives do not seem to be realistic.

Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) want to pursue to become a skilled cellist in Oregon where she lives with her parents, Danny and Kat (Joshua Leonard and Mireille Enos), and her brother, Teddy (Jakob Davies). Her parents were self-absorbed fans of music but had to pursue other careers. Her ex-boyfriend, Adam (Jamie Blackley) is touring with his band. Her best friend, Kim (Liana Liberato) and Mia goes gaga over Adam during flashbacks as Adam introduces himself to Mia and sees in her locker that Mia is fond of Yo-Yo Ma and invites her to see a cellist during a date.

Meanwhile, Mia gets accepted into Julliard and the entire family goes out on a drive during a heavily snowed day. An unfortunate and tragic event occurs as another car swerves and collides head-on with Mia and her family.

Mia wakes up in an out-of-body experience as she witnesses paramedics taking care of her and her family's bodies on the scene. We see some flashbacks of the progression of Mia and Adam's relationship taking off as she is preparing for her first date and also talking about what they are both going to do after high school. In the hospital, her grandparents (Stacy Keach and Gabrielle) arrive to check the status of the family. So, now the decision is whether or not she gets to join her family in the afterlife or come out of the coma.

Family and friends gathered at dinner. 

Remember my The Fault in Our Stars review: http://joncaro24.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-fault-in-our-stars-2014-pg-13-25.html

Well, I said in the review that the movie was scattered with manipulative scenes that it interfered with my experience of enjoying the film. It's also the verdict with this movie, except that it's more manipulative than the movie with Shailene Woodley. The screenwriters try too hard that the director and editor uses two techniques with flashbacks and also playing the waiting game as what the condition of her family is. It does not quite take off immediately and then when we hear the verdict, it's all too sudden. Then, we do not care and move on with Mia's story. I know I am selfish for saying that but I wanted more time with the parental characters.

Moretz gives a solid performance as Mia, not going over on top with her emotions and becomes grounded and controlled as we follow her throughout the movie. Stacy Keach, as the grandfather, has the only non-manipulative scene as he is saying a teary monologue to Mia while she is comatose. It is a moving scene that feels realistic. Liberato is fine in the humorous best friend role. But, Jamie Blackley felt too corny and nervous in his role trying to get Mia back and telling Mia the truth at times and even during the flashbacks.

The dreams that the two teenagers pursue are unbelievable and careless and does not flow with the movie. Heck, I did not even buy the chemistry between the two of them and that is what really hurter the movie for me. If the movie had less or no scenes with the boyfriend and more scenes with the family, this movie would have been a decent teenage flick about the afterlife. The first 15 minutes of the movie and some scenes were plausible, but, overall, the movie gets overly sentimental that I cannot accept the story as a good movie. Rent The Fault in Our Stars instead.

**