Midnight Sun
Film
Review by Kam Williams
Sickly
Teen Finds Soulmate in Bittersweet Romance Drama
The
biggest takeaway from Midnight Sun is that Patrick Schwarzenegger has
a bright future as an actor. Fair warning: he's not a buff
bodybuilder like his father, Arnold, so don't look for him to play
he-man roles any time soon.
However,
in Midnight Sun he proves that he can hold his own as a leading man
in a romance drama. So, he ought to have a certain appeal to females,
between an endearing vulnerability and his rugged good looks.
Directed
by Scott Speer (Step Up Revolution), Midnight Sun is loosely based on
Taiyo No Ita, a Japanese tearjerker released in 2006. This English
language version is basically the same story, except for a few tweaks
of the script that don't alter the arc of the basic plot.
The
title hints at the sickly heroine's affliction, Xeroderma Pigmentosum
(XP), a rare skin disease that leaves her extremely allergic to
sunlight. Consequently, Katie (Bella Thorne) is only allowed to leave
the house after dark.
Otherwise,
she's your typical teenage girl. She enjoys music, keeps a journal,
and has a crush on Charlie (Schwarzenegger), the tall, handsome
neighbor who skateboards past her specially-treated windows everyday.
They're both seniors at Purdue High, but he has no idea she even
exists, since Katie completed all her schoolwork online.
Their
paths finally cross one evening soon after graduation when she was
hanging out alone at the local train station, playing her late
mother's acoustic guitar. It's love at first sight for Charlie, but
Katie doesn't want to frighten him off by telling him she has XP.
They
start dating and everything is peachy keen until the night they stay
out almost until daybreak. Katie freaks out and is forced to share
her big secret.
Will
Charlie bolt or stick around? That is the critical question at the
heart of Midnight Sun. The movie earns such high marks for its
sensitive handling of a seriously-ill patient's heartbreaking plight
that I was willing to forgive its relatively-sappy portrayal of the
star-crossed lovers.
A
sentimental soap opera guaranteed to make you weep in spite of
yourself.
Rated PG-13 for partying sensuality and mature themes
Running time: 91 minutes
Production Studios: Wrigley Pictures / Boies-Schiller Film Group / Rickard Pictures
Distributor: Open Road Films
To see a trailer for Midnight Sun, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS-kCiCVEp0
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