Tyler (Robert Pattinson) is a rebellious young man who is at war with Charles Hawkins (Pierce Brosnan), his wealthy divorced father who is an influential lawyer. The setting is New York City in the summer of 2001. His mother Diane (Lena Olin) has remarried and is raising Caroline (Ruby Jerins), his eleven-year old sister. Tyler has never recovered from the suicide of his older brother. Perhaps that is why he has invested so much love and attention in his little sister who is a gifted artist and a pariah at the school she attends. Tyler sporadically attends classes at NYU and lives in a dump with Aiden (Tate Ellington), a totally obnoxious and self-absorbed roommate.
After a violent incident on the street, Tyler squares off against police Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper), who batters his face badly. When Aiden spots the cop's daughter Ally (Emilie de Ravin), he dares his roommate to date and then dump her as retaliation for the beating. She is carrying her own burden of loss, having witnessed the murder of her mother in a robbery in a subway station ten years ago. But it takes both Tyler and Ally a while to get to a point where they can speak openly about the deep and shattering grief they both are still experiencing. They fall in love and share a fond intimacy neither has had before with others. But looming in the background are their two guilt-ridden fathers who stand in the way of their path to happiness.
Allen Coulter directs this romantic drama dipped in death, grief, and loss. It is based on a screenplay by Will Fetters which emphasizes the impact of family events upon a new love being tenderly nourished by these young people. The hugely popular Robert Pattinson (the Twilight franchise) is believable as Tyler, an intense and angry young man who can explode at any moment. And Emilie de Ravin gives a credible performance as Ally, a woman who faces the world with fear and mistrust after what she has been through as a little girl. The stellar presence of Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan give this sobering drama the gravitas it needs to succeed.
Special features on the DVD include revealing audio commentaries with actor Robert Pattinson, director Allen Coulter, and other cast members, and a behind-the-scenes featurette that takes you inside the making of this touching story.
