Teenage beauty Halley Martin (Mandy Moore) is completely disillusioned with the idea of love. Looking around at the relationships of her peers and her family, she has not seen a good example to inspire her toward a fulfilling relationship. But this new romantic comedy, aimed directly at teenagers, attempts to provide her with an awakening.
Christian press critics, however, are not impressed with the answers the film offers.
Lisa Rice (Movieguide) says, "With a highly relativistic, humanistic outlook, and foul language and sexual themes more fit for an R-rated movie, audiences will be wondering
Rice seems especially upset to find Moore portraying such a misguided character. Moore was the star of
Steven Isaac (Focus on the Family) says, "This is the kind of melodramatic mess we've come to expect when teenage pop stars make movies. While chock full of teen issues (sex, pregnancy, divorce, and death) and angst, it fails to flesh any of them out in a morally pure, or even satisfactorily coherent manner." Isaac also objects to the film's message. "
Most mainstream critics, unsurprised to see an actress trying a different sort of role, are nevertheless unimpressed by the film. Paula Nechak (