A thought-provoking and quite moving film about trying to live normally, when your life is not normal.
While someone knowing they are going to die soon and trying to cope with this fact is something we have seen before in many movies, this film successeds so well because of how deeply human and unforced its emotion is. The emotional impact of this movie comes not from the situation but from the characters and their emotional reactions to the tragic situation. At one point our main character is told "You are not the only kid with cancer." This may be true but he is not just any kid, as this movie goes along he becomes our friend and when his emotional pain is hurting him, we just want to give him a big hug. However he is not the only character we connect to here. We are given just as much time with those who knew him and just as many opportunities to connect with them. We feel the need to give them hugs as well. After seeing so many movies that handle this type of story with forced and obviously manipulated emotion (I suffered through Five Feet Apart and Midnight Sun), it is refreshing to see it handled so well here.
On the downside there is quite a bit of dialogue that feels to forced and not like what anyone would really say (plus some that offers too obvious of foreshadowing). The humor mostly falls flat as well.
While this movie is based off a true story, it is one I was honestly barely familiar with. I don't know how much of this movie was actually true but I do know it felt completely real and honest to me.
Note: This movie is only available on Disney + (as far as I know), if any of you wish to see it.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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