past, present, future: a walk to remember
it lasted forever
I loved A Walk to Remember (the movie) when it came out in 2002. I even read A Walk to Remember (the book) by Nicholas Sparks because of the movie, and it’s one of the first books that ever made me cry.
I watched this movie so many times when I was younger. There were a bunch of good movies that came out that year: Two Weeks Notice, Blue Crush, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Chicago, Sweet Home Alabama…but none have the innocence and sweetness of a young Mandy Moore and Shane West. Also the soundtrack. Landon naming a star after Jamie? Landon fulfilling Jamie’s dream of being in two places at once? I mean, come on. Did this unrealistically set the bar very high for young love? Probably! But it’s all too sweet to be mad at it.
Last week, it was A Walk to Remember’s 20th anniversary. I was not prepared for that news. 20 years?! But it just came out…
In honor of 20 years, a few favorite lines:
Jamie to Landon: “Your act only works on an audience.”
*Spoiler* Landon: “Jamie saved my life. She taught me everything. About life, hope and the long journey ahead. I'll always miss her. But our love is like the wind. I can't see it, but I can feel it.” [cue sobs]
Landon to Jamie: "Right now, you're straddling the state line. You're in two places at once." [sob]
Jamie to Landon: “How can you see places like this, have memories like this, and not believe?”
Mandy Moore herself said that she could see Olivia Rodrigo in a reboot, and honestly, I think that’s actually pretty good casting. While I’m not always a fan of reboots, this one I would like to see, with maybe a slightly different take on it. It would probably be more modern, but hopefully not too modern, you know? Like there would be texting but there would also hopefully still be things like handmade telescopes and stargazing without it being documented on social media.
Three other Nicholas Sparks books that are on my list:
📒 The Notebook: Not sure if the book can top the movie (a big statement, I know, but this movie is a classic). I’d be curious how true the movie is to the book, and I’m sure it’s beautifully written.
🎶 The Last Song: Another book-to-movie, but I’m curious how this one was adapted. It’s about a rebellious teenager who spends the summer with her estranged father in North Carolina. It’s been long enough since I’ve seen the movie so the book will feel fresh.
🩺 The Return: This one has been optioned already and tells the story of an injured Navy doctor returning home after inheriting a cabin from his grandfather. While home, he meets two women who change his life.
From me to you, in the present,
Lauren
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