Year: 2002
Tagline: "She didn't belong. She was misunderstood. And she would change him forever."
Reasons they need to see it: This tragic and beautiful love story shaped my teenage years. Jamie Sullivan — the quiet, nerdy type — and Landon Carter — the bad boy — are students you can find at any school, but the way they change each other and both become better people who look beyond high school labels is something to share with your kids. This movie proves that there is a "best side" to everyone, and to get to it, you just need to learn more about who they are and who they want to be — and the most exciting part is helping them get there.
What to look out for: This movie is ultimately about a young woman who has cancer, which opens up the floor for a lot of questions about what it is to be sick in the same way Jamie is. The ending is devastating (subtle spoiler alert) — younger kids may not understand exactly what’s happening, but tweens and teens may need a hug or two to get them through it (and you’ll want one too).
