Sailing superstar Charlie St. Cloud has his whole life ahead of him. He has just won the local race alongside his brother, Sam, and is enrolling in Stanford on a full scholarship in the fall. But then his world is thrown a curveball in the form of a car accident; one that rips his heart to shreds as it claims the life of his younger brother. Unable to cope with his lose, Charlie throws away his future in order to work as the caretaker of the cemetery where his brother is buried. He hides away from the public eye, becoming a recluse and losing all interest in sailing. He ventures out to the woods every night at sunset to meet his brother for a game of catch. It is a promise that was made prior to his death; one that Charlie will stop at nothing to keep.
Based on "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud", the best-selling novel by Ben Sherwood, Charlie St. Cloud follows the footsteps of many novels turned movies "“ ie the facts are changed. One notable alteration is the age of Charlie. I assume this was done to allow teen star Zac Efron's involvement, but that is just a guess. The film also cuts the roles of Charlie's mother and the life"“saving paramedic down so much that they can't even be classified as cameos.
Kim Basinger plays Charlie's mother, and she does so quite well. But her role is so small you better not blink or you could miss her completely. Her total screen time clocks in at less then five minutes, and she never reappears after Sam's funeral. What a waste of great talent. And in terms of the story, her sudden absence left me wondering what kind of cold-hearted mother would abandon her only son when he desperately needed her? How could she leave him to fend for himself while dealing with the guilt and grief that comes with losing a close friend/brother? It just didn't make sense.
Charlie Tahan gets the opportunity to play opposite Zac Efron, as Charlie's younger brother Sam. Unfortunately, Tahan wasn't able to keep up as he brought an eleven year old to life that was neither loveable nor sympathetic. Vulgar in his words and a bit of an ass at heart, his inability to connect with the audience prevented me from feeling for Charlie and his struggles. More than once I found myself thinking "get over him already." Not a good sign for a film that relies so heavily on the concept of a lost connection.
Going into Charlie St. Cloud I was hopeful. To a degree I had been looking forward to the film, but more to see if Efron could finally break free of the Disney box that everyone has placed him in. He does well with what he is given, but in the end it isn't enough to save the film from being an unfortunate disappointment. There were just too many close ups on his face, eyes, and abs that it soon became a laughable; not to mention a scene where Charlie is drowning his sorrows in a bottle of Jack Danieles "“ that just felt awkward. There is little doubt that Zac Efron will make that huge transition from teen heartthrob to highly respected actor. Sadly, Charlie St. Cloud is not the beginning of that transformation.
