Charlie St. Cloud

Sometimes movies are not what you expect them to be, such as "Remember Me" staring Rob Pattinson, a movie advertised as a romantic drama then at the end through you a curve ball that made it seem more important. Well my dvd choice of the week did that for me, "Charlie St. Cloud." I paid to rent Zac Effron and got a different experience all together.
Charlie St. Cloud is a drama about 2 brothers and how after a horrible car accident they die. After flat lining Charlie, Effron, comes back. Now the twist is he mad a promise with his brother to teach him baseball, and that everyday for one hour they would play. When Charlie realizes he can now "see dead people" he keeps his promise to his brother. Then of course he meets a girl and falls in love...now I wont spoil the movie for you all, but that's the gist.
Now the reason I liked this movie, It has always interested me in how people show the transition in to heaven, and the choices made when they do. Like "ghost whisperer" the spirits in this movie linger a while, such as the younger brother and an old army friend, that because he flat lined, Charlie can see. It is not that they have unfinished business to take care of, it is that they are not ready yet to make that transition into the after life. Like Charlie's brother Sam, played by Charlie Tahan, just is a scared boy who is usually always with his brother, so he sticks to Charlie for 5 years after the accident. When Sam realizes finally Charlie is letting him go after he meets Tess, a girl who will change his life, he thinks about transitioning. Then as soon as Charlie doesn't make a baseball practice, Sam follows the light. People see this transition differently like in "The 5 People We Meet in Heaven" or in "Heart and Soul", but in the end who knows how it really happens.
Another thing I loved about this movie was the character of the Paramedic played by Ray Liotta. With his powerful eyes and sense of urgency that Mr. Liotta brings to the part, he is unmistakably sincere. He is the moral bringer of this piece. "Why did you get a second chance?" "Don't waste your life" Carpi Diem. He is the person that Charlie sees 5 years later and shows him basically that their are no lost causes. Just watching Liotta as he talks with his hands and with those intense eyes you can see the character truly believes in no regrets.
So I give "Charlie St. Cloud" 7 out of 10. It is worth the rental fee and might even be more than you expect from a Zac Effron film. It has me thinking of St. Jude. Plus way to go Effron, I'm loving the stuff you have been putting out lately, if your interested check him out in "Me and Orson Wells". This is just one Ingènues input!