Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
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A young man must choose between honoring a promise to his deceased brother or pursuing the love of his life.
The story
After winning a sailing scholarship to Stanford University, Charlie St. Cloud promises his younger brother, Sam, that they will practice baseball every day until he leaves. However, a tragic car accident kills Sam, leaving Charlie with the ability to interact with his brother's spirit. Charlie fulfills Sam's dying wish by practicing baseball with him every day at sunset, even though it prevents Sam from moving on. Five years later, while working as a cemetery caretaker, Charlie meets Tess Carroll, a sailor planning to sail around the world. As they develop a relationship, Charlie struggles to balance his devotion to Sam's spirit with his growing feelings for Tess.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Charlie St. Cloud and his brother Sam win a boating race, earning Charlie a scholarship to Stanford. Before leaving, Charlie promises Sam they will practice baseball daily. That night, while driving Sam to a friend's house, they are T-boned by an 18-wheeler, killing Sam. Before dying, Sam's spirit tells Charlie to never leave him. Charlie discovers he can interact with Sam's spirit and begins practicing baseball with him every sunset, which keeps Sam from moving on. Five years later, Charlie is a cemetery caretaker. He meets Tess Carroll, a sailor who is planning to sail around the world. They begin a relationship, but Charlie eventually breaks up with her to remain with Sam's spirit. After Tess disappears at sea, Charlie becomes convinced she is still alive and that he was saved from the accident to save her. With the help of friends, Charlie finds Tess's wrecked boat and rescues her from hypothermia. Finally, Charlie makes peace with Sam's spirit, who appears as a shooting star to reveal Tess's location. Charlie quits his job and sets off to sail around the world with Tess.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Burr Steers
- Writers
- Craig Pearce · final script; James Schamus · drafts; Lewis Colick · drafts
- Cast and characters
- Zac Efron · Charlie St. Cloud; Amanda Crew · Tess Carroll; Donal Logue; Charlie Tahan · Sam St. Cloud; Ray Liotta; Kim Basinger · Louise St. Cloud (later Claire)
- Genres
- supernatural drama; romantic drama; coming-of-age drama; fantasy drama
- Themes
- grief; loss; sacrifice; supernatural love
- Tone and mood
- romantic; melancholy; sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; romance; drama; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- Ben Sherwood's novel The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (2004)
- Reception
- The film received unfavorable reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment, grossing less than its production budget. Critics described it as cloying and sentimental, though some praised Zac Efron's performance.
- Awards and nominations
- Teen Choice Award · Choice Summer Movie Star - Male · Nomination; MTV Movie Award · Best Male Performance · Nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Performance by a Younger Actor · 37th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Zac Efron turned down the lead role in a Paramount Pictures' remake of Footloose to star in this film.; A bidding war for the film rights broke out before the book was even published.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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