When carefree young Landon Carter (Shane West, ER) falls in with the wrong crowd, he lands in a world of trouble. Sentenced to community service to learn the error of his ways, Landon encounters a kindred spirit in outcast Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore, This Is Us). The daughter of a minister, Jamie knows exactly who she is and is not afraid to let her true colors shine, regardless of popular opinion and peer pressure. Intrigued by Jamie, Landon finds himself undergoing a remarkable transformation, destined to redefine his beliefs and send his heart soaring.
Also featuring Daryl Hannah (the Kill Bill films), Peter Coyote (Bitter Moon) and original songs by Mandy Moore, A Walk To Remember is a touching coming-of-age drama from the award-winning producer of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants and Heathers, and the director of Hairspray.
For thoughts on A Walk To Remember, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
A Walk To Remember debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Shout! Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1 that is a really lovely upgrade from the ancient DVD from 20 years ago. This release is not noted as being derived from a new scan, but even for an older master things hold up quite favorably. Rather than applying unsightly digital manipulation for a more artificial appearance, the new transfer provides a very pleasing viewing experience overall that is natural, stable and detailed in all respects.
The film maintains a steady grain structure that preserves the filmic look of the picture, showcasing subtle details in the production design of the houses and classrooms. There is so much detail that was being robbed from this picture when it was stuck on DVD, and now the picture looks more alive than ever. Skin tones look natural, and the vibrant natural color palette is rendered faithfully. The foliage and some of the clothing and automobiles pop off the screen. Black levels hold up fairly well with some admirable depth to the image. There is still an underlying softness inherent to the cinematography, but the transfer represents this as faithfully as can be without a complete refresh. There is no significant damage to be found, but you may still notice small specks here and there. Shout! Factory has made fans of the film very happy by rescuing it from the land of standard definition.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a surprisingly robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that handles this material flawlessly. With this being more of a straightforward drama, dialogue is the most prevalent feature of this track by and large. Every line sounds perfectly clear without sound effects or the soundtrack trouncing on important information. The surrounds channels provide some unique ambient details to certain environments which helps the world feel more alive.
The soundtrack is forceful without being overbearing from the opening moments of boisterous rock music. This particular element maintains its fidelity throughout. The Mandy Moore rendition of “Cry” has never sounded better even over our sobbing. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately placed so that nothing ever feels off. Moments of banter between the two leads are employed appropriately in precise channels in the front and rear. The subwoofer is mostly used to give a few moments some extra texture. Overall, this is a pleasing track that does everything it needs to do really well.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Adam Shankman and Stars Mandy Moore and Shane West provides a very lively commentary track in which they discusses the production of the film in great depth with tons of anecdotes given for each scene including actor bonding experiences, swimming with eels, details of shooting locations, unstable shooting environments and much more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Author Nicholas Sparks And Screenwriter Karen Janszen provide a more narratively insightful track which showcases how the movie was developed from the book, the motivations behind certain creative choices, and much more.
- A Look Back At A Walk To Remember: A new 32-minute conversation with author Nicholas Sparks in which he discusses the personal nature of the story, honoring this story in novel form, his process for developing characters, his feeling about the performances, the emotional honesty of the characters, his role in the adaptation of his work and more that is a great addition to the disc.
- Music Video: The nearly four-minute music video for “Cry” is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
A Walk To Remember conjures a distinct picture for certain audiences simply due to it being a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. While it is admittedly a very sentimental movie with its heart on its sleeve, the narrative earns its emotional moments by putting in the work on a character level so that you are completely invested in any developments between the two leads. We are currently living in a more cynical time, so it does the heart well to reflect back upon movies such as this which truly stir something inside of you. There are the typical teen movie contrivances and shortcomings, but with lovable leads and a convincing story this stands as one of the stronger examples of the genre. Shout! Factory has released a new 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray that sports a grand A/V presentation and a fun array of new and legacy supplemental features. If you are a fan who has been clamoring for this one in HD, you will not be let down. Recommended
A Walk To Remember (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.