Based on the 2009 novel by Gayle Forman, “If I Stay” centers around Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz), a seventeen–year–old girl from Portland, who is passionate about playing the cello. After a car accident leaves her in a comatose state of limbo, Mia has an out–of–body experience and discovers that her mother, father and brother all died in the crash, and she must choose to live or die. If she lives, it will be without her family, but if she dies, she’ll be leaving other loved ones behind. Mia makes this difficult decision by reminiscing about her life through a series of flashbacks that show us her unusual family, her best friend and her loving boyfriend Adam (Jamie Blackley).
Although quite predictable, the film was genuine and left many viewers in tears. In a short amount of time, director R. J. Cutler was able to create a convincing, heartwarming relationship between Mia and Adam that made viewers desperately want to see Mia wake and the pair reunited. The use of flashbacks broke up the otherwise typical romance storyline in a way that made it endearing without being excessive.
The real highlight of the film was Chloë Grace Moretz’s performance. She made Mia feel relatable and did a brilliant job of conveying emotion through her eyes and disposition rather than solely relying on the script to do it for her. She appeared mature and sensitive—a big change from her breakout role in “Kick–Ass” (as one would hope).
While Moretz stood out, the film’s slow pace and repetitiveness brought it down. “If I Stay” involved little action and seemed to linger on small moments rather than progressing through the story. The flashbacks to romantic occasions and family dinners were charming, but, as a result, the movie seemed to go in circles and never had a clear beginning, middle and end. However, those simply looking for a heart–wrenching romantic drama could easily overlook these faults.
