I also must admit that I was more than surprised to actually watch it multiple times, and consequently feel compelled to write this review. It is such a charming movie. The plot, however, seemed to be initially apredictable foreray into the traditional field of bad boy meets good girl. At a point , the girl momentarily transformed from an ugly duckling into swan. I was convinced entirely that the whole culmination of the thing is for girl to gain some sort of peer group acceptance, and that the presence of an overly protective father hinted at an overtones that her father may be some kind of parental tyrant figure from whom she might require some sort of heroic liberation.
The performances are good and heartfelt, Shane West gave an applaudable portrayal of an angry young man on a path of reformation, whereas Mandy Moore is strong and almost graceful in her role as Jaime and enhances the charm of this romantic interlude with several pretty vocal solos. It is a pretty solid romance movie so if you don't like romance then this picture probably isn't for you anyway.