January 7 2002

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A Walk to Remember (Warner Bros.) is based on a tear-inducing novel by Nicholas Sparks (author of Message in a Bottle). Young evangelical pop singer Mandy Moore portrays Jamie Sullivan, a straight-laced, brilliant, and ostracized preacher's kid in a small North Carolina town. In its opening scenes, A Walk to Remember feels like just another movie in which thrill-seeking teen-agers behave moronically. Soon enough, however, Jamie is exchanging misty glances with Landon Carter (Shane West). The class nerd and the class thug discover a love for one another. Peter Coyote delivers one of the finest performances of his eccentric career, portraying Jamie's strict but emotionally generous father. One moment, in which the main characters gather in a church, is reminiscent of the breathtaking Communion scene from Places in the Heart. A Walk to Remember is a quiet but remarkable film.

The Magic Never Ends: The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis (Crouse Entertainment Group/Duncan Group) will appear on various pbs affiliates during 2002. This one-hour documentary is heavy on transitional shots from the lush countryside of Great Britain, as if the title were C.S. Lewis and the Landscapes He Loved to Walk. But it also includes engaging interviews, ranging from Lewis scholar Lyle Dorsett of Wheaton College to actress Debra Winger, who portrayed Lewis's wife, Joy Davidman, in the film Shadowlands. It does not shrink away from topics like Lewis's complicated relationship with Janie King Moore, the mother of a comrade who died in World War I. The Magic Never Ends is not a definitive video biography of Lewis. Nevertheless, it discusses his Christianity without any politically correct throat-clearing. For those who do not wish to wait for PBS, the ...