Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Remember Me

also known as “Memoirs,” “Na me thymasai,” “Recuérdame,” “Souviens-toi de moi,” “Помни меня”
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for violence, sexual content, language and smoking.

Reviewed by: Misty Wagner
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Adults
Genre: Romance, Drama
Length: 1 hr. 53 min.
Year of Release: 2010
USA Release: March 12, 2010 (wide—1,900+ theaters)
DVD: June 22, 2010
Copyright, Summit Entertainmentclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment Copyright, Summit Entertainment
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Summit Entertainment

Anger in the Bible

Pain and suffering

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer

What about the issue of suffering? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

Does God feel our pain? Answer

What kind of world would you create? Answer


Drunkenness in the Bible

Sex

Fornication in the Bible

Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

My boyfriend wants to have sex. I don’t want to lose him. What should I do? Answer

How can I deal with temptations? Answer

How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer

What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

Sex, Love & Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.

Hope

Click here to watch THE HOPE on-line!
Discover God’s promise for all people—told beautifully and clearly from the beginning. Discover The HOPE! Watch it on Christian Answers—full-length motion picture.
Featuring Robert Pattinson (Tyler), Emilie de Ravin (Ally Craig), Pierce Brosnan (Charles), Chris Cooper (Neil Craig), Martha Plimpton (Helen Craig), Lena Olin (Diane Hirsch), Ruby Jerins (Caroline Hawkins), Peyton List (Samantha), Meghan Markle (Megan), Tate Ellington (Aidan Hall), Amy Rosoff (Ally’s Friend), Gregory Jbara (Les Hirsch), Morgan Turner (Jessica), Justin Grace (Matthews), See all »
Director Allen Coulter
“Hollywoodland,” “The Sopranos” (TV series)
Producer Summit Entertainment, Underground Films and Management (as Underground Films), Carol Cuddy, Trevor Engelson, Michael Lannan, Nick Osborne, Robert Pattinson
Distributor Distributor: Summit Entertainment. Trademark logo.Summit Entertainment, a division of Lionsgate Films

“Live in the moments”

“It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
—Alfred Lord Tennyson

Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) seems, at first, like that all around James Dean inspired, melodramatic and brooding college kid. Floating by with his liquor and one night stands, artistically angry at anyone who stands in his way.

It isn’t long, though, until we see in him a spirit of justice, especially where his eleven year old sister Caroline is concerned. Protective and nurturing, he attempts to fill the void in Caroline’s life which their disinterested father seems to have saddled her with. It becomes apparent though that, beyond his heart for Caroline, Tyler is carrying around a heavy load of baggage tied to the death of his brother and a string of issues that accompany it.

One evening, out with his roommate, Tyler’s desire for justice causes him to intervene in a brawl which lands him (perhaps unfairly) in jail. It is through this instance, and his distaste for the cop responsible for his arrest, that Tyler first goes after that cop’s daughter Ally (Emilie de Ravin). As Tyler gets to know Ally, however, genuine feelings do develop, and the initial reasons that he first pursued her, disappear.

Ally, unfortunately has deep scars from traumatic events in her own childhood, as well as a terribly strained and unhealthy relationship with her own father. What follows plays out as though we are supposed to believe it’s a romance, but it never quite feels that way.

The good

  • The way that Tyler is there for Caroline is, in my opinion, the most profound relationship in the film. It’s incredibly beautiful to see him continually set aside his own issues for her. At times, it is almost as though his entire day, from the college classes that he audits to his work schedule, revolves around Caroline and what her schedule is like.

  • The evolution of Tyler’s father Charles' (Pierce Brosnan) character is, also, touching. As things about his eldest son Michael’s death become apparent, and you watch the lives of this broken family unfold, it is easy to see redemption in him.

  • Without saying too much about it, fear is portrayed accurately as something that is crippling and infectious.

    FEAR, Anxiety and Worry… What does the Bible say? Answer

  • Throughout the entire film, there is an almost suffocatingly heavy theme of resentment verses forgiveness. Time and again mention is made of the possibility that this very moment could be our last. Eventually, the primary characters do get to a healthier place, in regards to their resentments and fears.

  • Tyler’s character is a good example of being one individual who does something. Granted, that something is standing in the gap for his sister, but it is his insistence to look past himself and do this which is eventually what brings some healing to his family.

The bad

  • The film opens with a scene depicting the murder of Ally’s mom, with Ally (as a young girl) present.

  • Tyler’s gut reaction, to almost ever scenario is to drink. When that doesn’t seem to cut it, his next action is violence.

  • The profanity is, at times, quite heated and heavy.

  • There are a few sex scenes which, though they show no actual nudity, are quite raw and intense.

  • Tyler’s roommate is a self proclaimed jerk. He does and says some really shallow and derogatory things throughout the movie.

  • Tyler’s dad Charles is often portrayed as cold and disinterested in the lives of Tyler and Caroline.

  • Ally’s dad is drunk and angry, and hits her in one scene.

Realistically speaking, the last thing that either Tyler or Ally need is a romantic relationship. In movies, co-dependency has this way of masking itself as something so passionate and romantic, but it isn’t. In a film which uses an honest and devastating historical event to bring these characters to better versions of themselves, it’s a shame that the filmmakers didn’t use such honesty with their characters. Two hurting people don’t come together and suddenly make everything beautiful again. It may feel like that, at first, but once that euphoria wears off, the hurt is more likely to settle in quite deeper.

“Remember Me” relies so heavily upon the emotional shock value of it’s ending, it seems that the character development was misplaced along the way. The formula could have worked, perhaps, under different circumstances. Maybe it’s simply that Tyler and Ally, (also extending to their families) were too damaged for the audience to truly connect with. Each one’s traumas feel crammed into this incredibly short time period, and then this garish ending unfolds in a manner which feels as though it takes forever.

I was aware of the ending before going to see this movie, and, for me, it helped me to view it better. I wasn’t disappointed throughout and then caught off guard emotionally, at the end. For many, the emotional variables of the ending alone are enough to abstain from the movie, or wait until they can watch it in their own homes.

There isn’t much about this movie that I feel is worth recommending. The entire film, leading up to the ending (which wouldn’t be a shock, at all, if you read the dates in the beginning of the movie and pay attention to the details) is overly melodramatic and sour.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—I was truly touched by this movie. It is obviously not for little kids, but as an adult, it made me think about how I want to affect the people in my life. The movie also (as the reviewer mentioned) shows us that experiencing death in our lives can lead us to fear or into hope. My favorite quote from the movie is “Our fingerprints don’t fade from the lives we touch.”

“Remember Me” (and its ending) will stay with me for a very long time. I choose hope.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Ayana, age 30 (USA)
Positive—All the things listed as Bad in your review, I was wondering why they were listed as such? If you take all those factors away, there is no conflict, and thus no film. I don’t know about you, but my life isn’t perfect, sometimes I get angry at my parents, sometimes I swear. This film is hardly encouraging this. The whole point of films is that there is a problem; a conflict that sometimes gets solved and sometimes doesn’t. Where is the film without the dramatic arc you always seem to object to? And why on earth did you list the murder in the Bad column? Of course that’s an awful thing to happen, but the film is hardly encouraging it, and it is in my opinion so much more offensive than the film itself that you put the murder in the same category as a bit of swearing and drinking. It’s my understanding that the Bad column was for things that were morally encouraged that shouldn’t be, and they were not encouraging that.

Regarding the film itself I thought it was a beautiful story of redemption and the message of pro-activity and being there for people was encouraging. The ending only elevated what was already a very good film into something that stays with you,and really makes you think. I feel sorry for you, that you can’t look past things that humans do as wrong and actually enjoy this film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Chloe, age 18 (United Kingdom)
Negative
Negative—I found that the most negative aspects of the film were the sex scenes, although there was not any nudity. Another negative aspect of the film was that it seemed to almost extol the aimlessness of the lives of three of the main characters (Tyler, Aly, and Tyler’s roommate).

The only good aspects of the film were the relationship of Tyler and his much younger sister, Caroline, and the apparent reshaping of the priorities of Tyler’s father.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Ed, age 54 (USA)
Negative—…The film contained objectionable content for the following main reasons: First, and perhaps foremost, was the way in which the characters responded to difficulty. The main character, Tyler, either reacts in uncontrolled anger to everything or engages in a self-absorbed pity party. Not once did any of the characters turn to God in times of difficulty. To make matters worse, they would respond in a totally nonconstructive way. On top of this, the film made it appear as if this kind of behaviour achieved desired results.

In addition, the two main characters, Tyler and Ally, would confide in other in times of difficulty, often by engaging in sexual behaviour—a deconstructive form of escapism. Secondly, there was a lot of swearing and generally awful behaviour. Lastly, there was some sexual content, and sex with whomever and whenever is portrayed as totally acceptable. Ally’s dad is portrayed as being unfair and irrational for thinking otherwise.

Overall, the gut-wrenchingly bad behaviour and numerous ugly scenes are likely to simply make your insides feel awful. The filmmaking quality: In terms of technical quality, the movie was put together reasonably well. Not brilliant, but not awful. A plot is seemingly non-existent. Pierce Brosnan gives a good performance. The rest do their best, but the script is truly awful.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
James, age 21 (New Zealand)
Comments from young people
Positive—I just watched “Remember Me,” and… I enjoyed it. I really did. I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of the whole Twilight franchise, I just wanted to watch Robert in something else, to see if this young man can really act, and in all honesty, I think he can. I thought everyone played their parts to a T. Was there some objectionable content, like passionate sex, and language, including taking my Lord’s name in vain more than once? Yes, and I’m not endorsing or ignoring that, either; if only those issues could be nixed.

But, all in all, I still had a fantastic time, and that last part really made me cry!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Theresa, age 16 (USA)
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie. It really puts things into perspective. It shows us that people are more than just statistics; that there is a story behind every one of those people, and it really… it makes you think. I know the problems with the movie, i.e., the cussing and the sex scenes. It has a good story and I personally think it is worth watching. It not ony changed my view on what the movie is about at the ending part, but it changed my view on life in general. It is a must-see. Although, I agree that it isn’t a movie for young children to see.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Danielle, age 16 (USA)
Positive—I truly loved this movie! This movie taught me to live everyday—live it as your last, and to treasure every single second you have—to take risks and enjoy life. It also taught me that, like Tyler, I may have to step in to help my family, as Tyler does continuously for his sister Caroline. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend this movie to many.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Julianna, age 15 (Canada)
Movie Critics
…There is, quite simply, a rather refreshing ordinariness to Remember Me in the unflashy, knuckle-down attention it gives to character development and the building of plausible and involving family and friend dynamics. … [3½/4]
Kimberley Jones, The Austin Chronicle
……an emotionally overwhelming, piercing, eloquent, and vivid drama with a striking, heartbreaking ending that viewers will remember. Regrettably, the movie has a sexual romance between the two lead, 21-year-old characters, who are not married, as well as plenty of foul language, some of it strong. … …strong caution advised…
Movieguide
…good messages. But they’re mixed up with a whole lotta content. Because even though this film got a PG-13 rating, it doesn’t much feel like one. Its sex scenes may minimize the amount of skin on display, but there’s no confusion about what’s happening in all that heavy breathing and moaning. …feels like an R-rated drama. …
Adam R. Holz, PluggedIn
…the movie crassly repurposes tragedy to excuse its cliches. …
Wesley Morris, The Boston Globe
…a shameless contraption of ridiculously sad things befalling attractive people…
Lisa Schwarzbaumm Entertainment Weekly
…It’s all weepy drool until the twist ending, which turns it shockingly offensive. …
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone