Talented 17-year-old cellist Mia and her family are in a fatal car accident. She is caught in “limbo” between life and death. Should she stay? Check out Kidzworld’s review of the If I Stay Blu-ray.
By: Lynn Barker
Teen Mia (Chloë Grace Moretz), a talented cellist, has fallen for Adam (Jamie Blackley), a talented rock musician. She might go to Julliard in NYC. His band is taking off….across the country. Bummer!
Adam (Jamie Blackley) sings on stageCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
Story Goes
Talented 17-year-old Mia Hall practices her beloved cello in a high school classroom and popular rocker cutie Adam is totally drawn to her. Mia is nervous but excited on their first date to see a famous cellist at the local symphony hall. He’s all in. “Too late to escape. I see you”. She is hoping for acceptance at music mecca Julliard. Can Adam change this?
Mia on the celloCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
When Mia’s close-knit family; dad (Joshua Leonard), mom (Mireille Enos) and little bro Teddy (Jakob Davies), pile into the family car for a fun road trip on a snow day, the slick road causes a horrible car crash that puts Mia in a coma on the razor’s edge of life and death. Mia’s “spirit” wanders the hospital as her loved ones gather; her best friend, her grandparents. She seeks her mom, dad and brother. Not everyone could have survived…and where is Adam?
Spirit Mia in the hospitalCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
Mia remembers her life with family and Adam. It was true love for this musically mismatched couple but they broke up when she opted to try for a spot at Julliard across the country. Then, back together, then apart. Mia’s Grandpa (Stacy Keach) and Adam visit her bedside, friends say a tentative goodbye. It’s up to Mia to decide, should she “go” and join family members who have died or stay to live and love?
Mia with her Grandpa (Stacy Keach)Courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
Special Features
“I Never Wanted to Go” Music Montage – Jamie Blackley plays acoustic guitar and sings over clips from the film. A nice love song.
“Never Coming Down” Music Video – Willamette Stone, Adam’s band in the movie, performs the song in a club. It’s really Jamie B. and his own band and they sang live. The upbeat track is fun to dance to.
“Beyond the Page” – is a 3-part “Making Of” featurette. Part 1 – “The Love of Music” is an interview with Chloë and Jamie who talk about the music from the film, his band practice and performing on stage, and their characters’ feelings about music. Nice.. Filmmakers discuss using the music to tell their story. Chloë comments that “Music is like the 3rd lead of the movie”. 2. “Adapting the Story” is more with the actors telling why they loved the book. The writer says she was inspired by a real-life car accident. Chloë talks about choosing Jamie as her co-star “It’s hard to do (everything) well….and be cute”. He laughs. Everyone wanted to keep the film grounded and not make it a ghost story. 3.“An Out of Body Experience” has the actors and filmmakers talking about the “limbo” state of lead character Mia, shooting from her POV and the process allowing Mia to take a deeper look at her life. Does she stay and live for love or go with her family into death. Makes you think.
Mia (Chloë) wonders about life and deathCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
“Deleted Scenes” – 2 of them. One is a very short scene in which Mia and Adam meet in a music store rather than at high school. The other is really worth watching as Mia’s best pal Kim goes into a hospital chapel and remembers her friend, begging her to live while Mia’s “ghost” sits right next to her. Very touching, real and worth watching!
“Commentary” by director and writer/producer – is quite good, giving you insight into the characters and the shoot. We learn that the location used for the hospital was evidently haunted with creaky pipe noises messing up takes. Cool
“Music Commentary” by the director really gets into the songs used and why they were picked. Really good especially if you are into the music.
The happy couple on a snow dayCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
Wrapping Up
This Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set looks great and the music especially, sounds great. Chloë and Jamie are believable in their roles and seem to have real chemistry. I didn’t read the book but I’d say that this family is almost too loving and perfect.. even Mia’s little bro is supportive. Adam and Mia’s breakups seem a little forced and her memories of her life jump all over the place. The movie is very manipulative in jerking tears out of you but it’s that kind of story.
The family at dinner before the accidentCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
You will probably enjoy the music; both that performed by Adam’s band (hey, Jamie is a pretty good singer and guitar picker) and Mia’s classical, intense cello playing (Chloë isn’t really playing. Her head was placed on a young cello virtuoso’s body with computer magic).
The exploration of different kinds of love is great: Family, vs, BFF and romantic love are all explored and you can identify. It would be nice to see a fun blooper/goof reel and maybe spend more time on set with the actors but we gave the movie 4 stars and we still go the same for this home entertainment set.
If I Stay Blu-ray Rating: 
If I Stay Blu-rayCourtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
If I Stay is now available on Blu-ray + DVD!
