This is a small movie by modern "blockbuster" standards, we saw the trailer for it on DVDs of other movies and were anxious to see the whole movie. We were not disappointed, a rental from Redbox.
It is set and filmed in England, London and the Brighton areas. The "white cliffs of Dover" are also prominent in several scenes. The star is American actress Dakota Fanning, probably 17 during filming, as English girl Tessa Scott. Her parents are split up, she lives with her dad, the reliable and responsible one, but she is dying. She has leukemia and decides to terminate her chemo treatments because they don't look promising and she doesn't want to spend her last few weeks or months feeling like a sick vegetable. She wants to live her life fully, whatever remains of it.
In a page from the movie "The Bucket List", she makes her own, written with a permanent marker on her bedroom wall behind a square tapestry hung there. When her dad asks if she has made a list of things she wants to do before she dies, she says she hasn't, she didn't want to share it with him. It included such things as losing her virginity and doing something illegal.
Fanning is very good in this and her English accent was good enough to be believable. Some will not like her performance, because they don't like her character. But I think her performance was spot-on because her character had to be a bit "unlikeable." She is hard-headed and often abrasive, but it was written that way because a smart, interesting teenager about to die probably would have those characteristics.
Tessa's best friend is Kaya Scodelario as Zoey and she does a fine job in the role. Enjoyable were her comments in the DVD extras, how she was a bit star-struck meeting Fanning, a young actress she had seen in a number of big-budget films as they both grew up, then finding that Fanning was just a regular, friendly teenager as Kaya was.
A love interest is provided by Jeremy Irvine as Adam who lives next door to Tessa and her dad. He is smitten but wary because how much should a teenager invest emotionally in a girl who will die soon?
Olivia Williams is good as Tessa's Mother and especially good is Paddy Considine as Tessa's Father . He tries to be strong but he is entirely consumed with the grief of knowing his daughter he loves so much will be gone soon.
I'm not sure there is a "good" way to handle dying and death. But it does focus on the idea that our lives are made up of countless moments, and all of them together lead up to our final fate. But we need to make the most of and enjoy the moments.
I think the movie is a very good one. The title is a reference to her response when Adam asked if he could take her out some time, she responded "Now is good."
It is set and filmed in England, London and the Brighton areas. The "white cliffs of Dover" are also prominent in several scenes. The star is American actress Dakota Fanning, probably 17 during filming, as English girl Tessa Scott. Her parents are split up, she lives with her dad, the reliable and responsible one, but she is dying. She has leukemia and decides to terminate her chemo treatments because they don't look promising and she doesn't want to spend her last few weeks or months feeling like a sick vegetable. She wants to live her life fully, whatever remains of it.
In a page from the movie "The Bucket List", she makes her own, written with a permanent marker on her bedroom wall behind a square tapestry hung there. When her dad asks if she has made a list of things she wants to do before she dies, she says she hasn't, she didn't want to share it with him. It included such things as losing her virginity and doing something illegal.
Fanning is very good in this and her English accent was good enough to be believable. Some will not like her performance, because they don't like her character. But I think her performance was spot-on because her character had to be a bit "unlikeable." She is hard-headed and often abrasive, but it was written that way because a smart, interesting teenager about to die probably would have those characteristics.
Tessa's best friend is Kaya Scodelario as Zoey and she does a fine job in the role. Enjoyable were her comments in the DVD extras, how she was a bit star-struck meeting Fanning, a young actress she had seen in a number of big-budget films as they both grew up, then finding that Fanning was just a regular, friendly teenager as Kaya was.
A love interest is provided by Jeremy Irvine as Adam who lives next door to Tessa and her dad. He is smitten but wary because how much should a teenager invest emotionally in a girl who will die soon?
Olivia Williams is good as Tessa's Mother and especially good is Paddy Considine as Tessa's Father . He tries to be strong but he is entirely consumed with the grief of knowing his daughter he loves so much will be gone soon.
I'm not sure there is a "good" way to handle dying and death. But it does focus on the idea that our lives are made up of countless moments, and all of them together lead up to our final fate. But we need to make the most of and enjoy the moments.
I think the movie is a very good one. The title is a reference to her response when Adam asked if he could take her out some time, she responded "Now is good."