I love this film!!! This is a beautiful story, well-written - a film worth watching! From the moment it began I was drawn in to the beautiful photography and story set in China. All of the storyline that was filmed there was pertinent, realistic and touching. The message of the film is sacrifice, love, and compassion. Luoyong Wang, Yi Ding, and Mika Boorem were all fantastic. Both Erik von Detten and Sean Astin's acting was natural and believable.
The majority of the film set in Malibu in an attempt at character building, is substandard. Part of this has to do, I believe, with the editing. For example Linda Hamilton's character appears loving and caring one minute, then manic depressive and "out of control" the next and them back to a loving caring mother/wife the next with no apparent reason for the extreme transitions. We don't need to see "Katie" dressing immodestly, see her parents freaking out on each other, or see her internal conflict about having sex with her boyfriend, or the way she uses sex to manipulate and frustrate two teenage boys to know she is not a touchy-feely, caring "good girl." It could have been shown simply with the way she is derogatory about her classmates and unbelieving that people in the world could be less physically beautiful than she. Sorry, this part was over-done. I would love to see a re-make of this some day...in the meantime, see this one and enjoy the beauty of the film spiritually and physically!
The majority of the film set in Malibu in an attempt at character building, is substandard. Part of this has to do, I believe, with the editing. For example Linda Hamilton's character appears loving and caring one minute, then manic depressive and "out of control" the next and them back to a loving caring mother/wife the next with no apparent reason for the extreme transitions. We don't need to see "Katie" dressing immodestly, see her parents freaking out on each other, or see her internal conflict about having sex with her boyfriend, or the way she uses sex to manipulate and frustrate two teenage boys to know she is not a touchy-feely, caring "good girl." It could have been shown simply with the way she is derogatory about her classmates and unbelieving that people in the world could be less physically beautiful than she. Sorry, this part was over-done. I would love to see a re-make of this some day...in the meantime, see this one and enjoy the beauty of the film spiritually and physically!