This is the classic coming of age tale intertwined with the doomed youthful romance.
It's a decent enough story that's enjoyable to watch, and the music is pretty good. But, there is also quite a bit of sentimental manipulation (poor, no mother, no siblings, good-natured and likable social outcast with a terminal illness, enough said).
On the plus side it was good to see characters that didn't respond in the standard manner (i.e. the girl's boyfriend didn't get into a dumb fight with her new love interest).
And, to the film makers credit, the film went beyond the predictable ending which would have been at the airport; after all, it's not just about a doomed romance but also about the girl's growth into maturity.
However, a deeper exploration of the girl's internal struggles with the developing relationship and final acceptance of fate would have benefited the movie.
It's a decent enough story that's enjoyable to watch, and the music is pretty good. But, there is also quite a bit of sentimental manipulation (poor, no mother, no siblings, good-natured and likable social outcast with a terminal illness, enough said).
On the plus side it was good to see characters that didn't respond in the standard manner (i.e. the girl's boyfriend didn't get into a dumb fight with her new love interest).
And, to the film makers credit, the film went beyond the predictable ending which would have been at the airport; after all, it's not just about a doomed romance but also about the girl's growth into maturity.
However, a deeper exploration of the girl's internal struggles with the developing relationship and final acceptance of fate would have benefited the movie.