If I Stay - C

Rated PG-13, 106 minutes

Compelling but uneven "If I Stay" channels familiar YA themes

If you enjoyed this summer's previous compelling Young Adult hit "The Fault in Our Stars," then you'll also enjoy the well-acted, melancholic yet uneven new YA-driven movie "If I Stay." Like "Fault," it's based on a best-selling YA novel featuring an appealing lead actress and touches on themes of love, loss, death and family. Talented teenager Mia Hall ("Kick-Ass'" Chloë Grace Moretz) is an aspiring classical musician with sights of Juilliard ahead, that is until she meets older rock musician Adam (Jamie Blackley), who sets her sights on a different path. However, a carefree family drive changes everything instantly, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. Directed by R.J. Cutler ("The War Room") and based on the best-selling Young Adult novel of the same name by Gayle Forman, it's a sentimental and poignant chick flick for the younger crowd and one of the better efforts directed at that crowd; while it's certainly not the emotional powerhouse that "Fault" was, you should still plan on bringing plenty of tissues with you, particularly in the overly sentimental last act. Much of "If I Stay," like the novel, is told through flashback, a technique that's better suited for novels than it is in film, and the film's back-and-forth provide an uneven flow, especially in its initial segments. The less effective, downbeat out-of-body scenes should've been minimized with more emphasis on the flashbacks, since they contain the real heart of the story, though there's one bedside monologue near the end with veteran actor Stacy Keach as Grandpa, who has the film's most touching (i.e. tear-draining) scene. The likable Moretz, who will be seen in several more films before year's end, gives a compelling performance that further cements her road to stardom, but she's well-supported by the handsome Blackley, Keach and as her fun-loving parents, Mirielle Enos (TV's "The Killing") and Joshua Leonard of "Humpday" and "The Blair Witch Project" fame. If you've read the book (or not), I won't spoil it here, but the touching, slow-moving and contrived "If I Stay" may make for a solid end-of-summer/back-to-school efforts and will encourage you to buy more tissues.

Wes's Grade: C