Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Mortez) thought that the hardest decision she would ever be faced with was whether she would go on to follow her musical dreams of playing the cello at Juliard or taking another path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). The characters of Adam and Mia make for an interesting contrast in emotional temperatures. Adam thrives in the chaos of punk rock, while Mia finds joy in the structure of the cello. This beautiful contrast is an easy one to relate to for almost every age group. Although the characters are teenagers, the idea of “opposites attract” is one familiar among all ages. Mia finds happiness in the bind between her love for classical music as well as her rocker parents and Adams presence.

But one snowy day, what seemed to be a normal drive with her family, took a turn for the worst and changed everything in an instant. This dramatic scene makes for a real tear jerker. Not only does it make for a powerful climax in Mia’s character development, but it also sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Now caught between life and death, Mia is faced with a decision much greater than she ever imagined. One that will not only decide her future, but ultimately her fate.

“If I Stay” is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Gayle Forman. Forman’s fans will be happy to see that director R.J. Cutler has stayed true to the same back and forth nature of the novel. I believe that the common theory that the film does not meet the expectations from reading the novel does not apply. Of course, some aspects are not the same, but the overall theme and the way in which it is written is almost identical. You get the sense that Cutler wanted to keep the melodrama to a minimum. That being said, the film features many moments of powerful understatement. Some may agree that reading about a ghostly teenager hovering over her own comatose body and frantically running throughout the hospital corridors searching for the answers is somewhat overwhelming when seen before your own eyes on screen. Mia will ultimately have to decide between two things that she loves unconditionally, leaving the audience with a powerful ending.