Film Review: Spirituality, Zac Efron Overcome Plot Holes in ‘Charlie St. Cloud’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2010 - 12:48am

CHICAGO – The rise of Zac Efron has been one of the more interesting movie stories of the past year. Fresh from his notable role in “Me and Orson Welles,’ Efron takes the lead in “Charlie St. Cloud,” with veteran actors Ray Liotta and Kim Basinger. This journey into afterlife issues highlights some nice acting chops from Efron.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Zac Efron is Charlie St. Cloud, a middle class kid in a rich yachting town near Puget Sound in Washington state. He is helping to raise his younger brother Sam (Charlie Tahan) with his single mother Claire (Kim Basinger). His talents on the sailing team in high school has landed him a scholarship at Stanford (now that’s an endowment!) and the future is as bright as his gleaming teeth.

Charlie and Sam have a brilliantly close relationship, having grew up with each other after their father ran out on them. They bond over baseball and Sam’s unrivaled love for the Boston Red Sox. On an ordinary night in which Charlie is driving Sam to a friend’s house, a freak automobile accident occurs and Sam is killed. Or is he?

Charlie is revived from death in the ambulance, by a heads-up paramedic (Ray Liotta) and the guilt over not protecting Sam from his fatality wears on Charlie shortly after he recovers. After the funeral the distraught Charlie runs into the deep woods near the cemetery, where he beholds a vision of Sam, ready to participate in their everyday-at-sunset game of catch.

Five years later, Charlie has refused his scholarship and taken a job as the cemetery caretaker. He continues to meet with his brother Sam for their game of catch at sunset. Even the interest of the fair Tess (Amanda Crew), a sailing companion from his high school days, cannot revive Charlie St. Cloud from the cycle of mourning.

“Charlie St. Cloud” opens in everywhere July 30th. Featuring Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Donal Logue, Dave Franco, Kim Basinger abd Ray Liotta. Screenplay by Craig Pearce and Lewis Colick, directed by Burr Steers. Rated “PG-13”