A Walk to Remember is a 2002 romance film based on the 1998 romance novel by Nicholas Sparks. The movie stars pop singer Mandy Moore and Shane West. The movie was directed by Adam Shankman and produced by Denise DiNovi and Hunt Lowry for Warner Bros. Pictures. The novel written by Nicholas Sparks is set in the 1950s while the film is set in present day.

Plot:

When a prank on a fellow high-school student goes wrong, popular but rebellious Landon Carter (Shane West) is threatened with expulsion. His punishment is mandatory participation in various after-school activities, such as tutoring disadvantaged children and performing in the drama club's spring musical. At these functions he is forced to interact with quiet, bookish Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), a girl he has known for many years but with whom he has rarely ever spoken. Their differing social statures leave them worlds apart, despite their close physical proximity.

Background/Production:

The inspiration for A Walk to Remember was Nicholas Sparks' sister, Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died of cancer in 2000. In a speech he gave after her death in Berlin, the author admits that "In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister". The plot was inspired by her life; Danielle met a man who wanted to marry her, "even when he knew she was sick, even when he knew that she might not make it". Both the book and movie are dedicated to Danielle Sparks Lewis.

This movie was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina at the same time as Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) and the TV show Dawson's Creek were being filmed there. Many of the sets were from the TV show Dawson's Creek (1998) - particularly the school, hospital and Landon's home. The total shooting time was only 39 days, despite Mandy Moore being able to only work 10 hours a day because she was a minor

Cast:

Shane West as Landon Carter
Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan
Peter Coyote as Reverend Sullivan
Daryl Hannah as Cynthia Carter
Lauren German as Belinda
Clayne Crawford as Dean
Paz de la Huerta as Tracie
Al Thompson as Eric
Jonathan Parks Jordan as Walker
David Lee Smith as Dr. Carter

Reception/Reviews:

The film was generally met with negative reviews by critics. Entertainment Weekly retitled the movie "A Walk to Forget" and the average rating of 92 professional reviews as compiled by Rotten Tomatoes is 4.1 out of 10. However, A Walk to Remember found a warm reception in the Christian community due to the film's moral message; as one reviewer approvingly noted, "The main character is portrayed as a Christian without being psychopathic or holier-than-thou". Roger Ebert also praised Moore for her "quietly convincing" acting performance. Even though not a critical success, it was a modest box-office hit, earning $41,281,092 in the United States alone, and a sleeper hit in Asia. The total revenue generated worldwide was $47,494,916.

Awards:

Moore beat out fellow pop star Britney Spears, who starred in Crossroads, to win two Teen Choice Awards. Moore was also nominated for "Film - Choice Actress, Drama/Action Adventure" but lost to Natalie Portman for her role in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

At the MTV Movie Awards, Moore won the "Breakthrough Female Performance" for her role.