The previews for this movie showed a little too much, so I was somewhat prepared for it going in. Sometimes I wish I never saw them as many movies would be more interesting or more impactful if I didn't know anything about them! That being said, I was ready for a cheesy teenage romance with a side of dramatic health problems faced by the main character.
We meet our main character, Katie, who suffers from XP, a condition which means she can never be out in the sun. The kind of life this leads to is one few of us can imagine - never leaving the house during daylight, having special glass on every window, being home schooled, and rather socially isolated. She dreams of living like a "normal girl" and harbors a major crush on Charlie, the guy who skateboards by her window every morning on the way to school. The story follows her summer after high school graduation, she meets Charlie by chance, and he is entranced by this gorgeous mysterious girl he has never met before despite living a few streets away. Their romance grows even as Katie refuses to tell him about her disease.
The movie does a decent job of exploring young love, the difficulties of such a disease, and the impact on Katie, Charlie, her best friend Morgan, and her father, Jack. It definitely tugs at the heartstrings, and let's just say I'm glad I didn't have any eye makeup on. Yet I think it could have gone deeper, explored those difficult emotions even more, and been a really interesting exploration of life and love in the midst of a debilitating disease. Instead it romanticizes everything somewhat - not just the young love story but the harsh reality of never really getting to live a full life.
Perhaps this is on purpose - a movie that went deeper would be much harder to watch and have less mass appeal. As it is, this movie is enjoyable, the nostalgic reminders of young love are fun, and it does inspire me to remember every day is a gift. If you're ready for a good cry, this is the movie for you.