If I Stay (Quick Review)

If I Stay is your standard “teen-dream romance” with a twist and several refreshing elements.  The twist is where and how the romance is unfolded; our protagonist Mia (Chloë Grace Moretz) has an outer-body experience after suffering a horrific car crash along with her parents and younger brother.  Her life turns devastating in the blink of an eye as both parents’ die from their injuries, her brother goes into critical condition, and her body stays in a coma from which there may be no waking up.  Mia hears a nurse whisper to her motionless body that it’s her willpower that’ll determine whether she wakes or passes on; causing Mia to have a series of flashbacks to her life before, particularly focused on her family, passion for the cello, and former boyfriend Adam.

While the twist brings a unique feel to the film’s romantic premise, it’s several well-made elements that allow If I Stay to stand above the crowd.  To confess, I’m not a big fan of back-and-forth transitions between past and present; shifting just as either side starts getting interesting (distorting my immersion with the film).  I was therefore impressed when If I Stay’s use of flashbacks fluently transitioned between Mia’s current situations and her past, never feeling rough or uneven.  Then comes the cast, who are all incredibly likable people to watch.  The main couple possess some solid chemistry together and while the romance is your average formula, their performances are able to make the scenes pleasantly moving.  For better or for worse however, it is the parents and grandfather who steal the show and strongest emotions, particularly the grandfather (Stacy Keach) who only gets around two major scenes yet delivers them so beautifully and heartfelt that you’d swear the film should have been about him. 

The film’s fish out of water element is the most noteworthy aspect to stand out, with Mia being a classical cello player while her parents and Adam are punk-rock devotees.  The handling of these differing interests felt considerately thought out, particularly with Mia and her parents.  If I Stay uses levelheadedness rather than taking film extremes you’d more likely see in a Nicolas Sparks’ film; there’s no bullheaded parents who can’t accept different tastes, but rather a gentle sense of realism.  The parents are of course a bit upset (even a little embarrassed) that their young child enjoys classical music over rock, but soon (after hearing the passion Mia gives when playing the cello) become amazed and impressed over their daughters’ talent; leading to a heartwarming scene where Mia’s dad comes home wielding a brand new cello all for herself.  The scene where Adam invites Mia to a rock party felt quite relatable, in that I too have been to parties where I felt uncomfortably out of my element (as I bet many of us have).  We've all gone with someone to a party where we feel out of place, and when Mia’s response to what music she enjoys (classical) is replied with “oh rock on, I love classical rock”, I couldn't help but feel 100% understandable to her situation.  It’s with charm, an enjoyable cast and several refreshing elements that If I Stay breaks free from formula, becoming the second teen romance of 2014 (so far) that’s actually worth seeing.