Remember Me

Just in case it is not clear enough that I don't make a big effort to avoid spoilers in my posts, you need to know that I don't think I have anything at all to say about this movie that isn't a huge spoiler. Unless it's the small fact that Emilie de Ravin's mouth flaps open too far when she talks, and that's kind of annoying to watch. Or that I was hoping this movie would have an awesome soundtrack, but the only times I even noticed the music, I wasn't blown away. Or (taking a deep breath and hoping my mom never reads this) that what I'd been looking forward to the most was watching Robert Pattinson have sex. Or that this is an excellent movie with a talented group of actors, not one weak link evident, but I don't plan to or want to see this movie again, and I probably won't buy it when it comes out on DVD. Beyond this, we go off the edges of the medieval map (you know, the "Here Be Dragons" thing, except with spoilers).

If anyone had told me ahead of time that Robert Pattinson dies in this movie I wouldn't have been near as excited about seeing it. Here's what I knew going in: Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin are in a relationship that starts after her dad arrests him for fighting. I knew Pattinson's character had a brother who died, de Ravin also had her own family tragedy to contend with, 9/11 was involved somehow, and the end was heart-wrenching. I took these puzzle pieces and put them together the wrong way; I assumed Pattinson's brother died in 9/11, perhaps de Ravin's relative too, and I really thought the entire movie took place after 9/11. I was wrong about all of that. If you've seen the movie you know the right way to put the pieces together; if you haven't, all you need to know is that 9/11 is the end of the movie. I think it's really unfair to throw people into that tragedy with no warning. I couldn't help but think of my high school friend Greg whose older brother died on 9/11, and what if Greg goes to this movie having no idea about how it ends? How horrible that would be, to have to relive that in the movie theater with no prior warning.

I have to say that I think everyone over-reacted to Caroline's haircutting debacle. Maybe this was purposeful, made to contrast with the true tragedy of 9/11, but even if it hadn't been immediately followed by 9/11 it would have seemed rather trivial. Yes, the girls were mean to Caroline, but to have family members and visitors hugging and whispering, "How's she doing?" as if someone had died was a little bit of overkill. Plus, I'm sure somewhere in New York City they could have found a hair remedy that didn't make Caroline look like a little old lady.

I don't know if this will be a common viewing perception, or even if this was the intended result, but once 9/11 happened, it was no longer about Tyler and his family for me. All of a sudden they were pretty much insignificant. It became much bigger than their little dysfunctional family with their petty squabbles. I didn't actually cry in the movie theater, but I did have to tilt my head back so that the tears would run down the back of my throat instead of down my cheeks.

By the way, it's not just the ending that's heart-wrenching. The beginning is pretty heart-wrenching too.