Republic of the Philippines

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Nabua, Camarines Sur
College of Health Science
S/Y 2021-2022

Movie Critique: Midnight Sun

Katie Price once said, “The best part was having someone to share your adventures
with.” But what if that someone struggles by concealing and encapsulating truth to
you?

The movie entitled; Midnight Sun is an American romantic drama film based on
the 2006 Japanese film “A Song to the Sun”. The film was directed and created by Scott
Speer and written by Eric Kirsten, stars Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Rob
Riggle last 2018. It is a well-intentioned teenage drama about good individuals striving
to help one another in terrible situations. It's also cheesy, never failing to pull at the
heartstrings with a piece of mawkish music, a sad hug, or a gesture of unselfish
compassion. It eschews realism in favor of a nice romantic drama picture. The movie is
about a girl named Katie, a wide-eyed teenager with xeroderma pigmentosum, a
disease that makes her extremely susceptible to UV light, is the focus of this tour of
high school heartache. She is housebound during the day, with just her father, Jack,
and her best friend, Morgan, to keep her company. Katie leaves her residence every
night when the sun isn't shining. While playing guitar at the railway station one night,
her longtime crush, Charlie, notices her and asks her out. Katie abruptly departs,
forgetting her journal, which Charlie retains. He returns the next day and hands it over
to Katie when she arrives to collect it. It is where everything changed between the two
of them. This rare disease is quite fascinating and allows the protagonist to still be
pretty. He and Katie go out on a midnight date while she avoids her condition from
letting her experience life. As it turns out, Charlie and Katie are a match made in heaven
from the moment they meet. It's as though they were born to be together. She, on the
other hand, decides to keep her illness hidden from Charlie since she does not want
to be recognized as a sickness but rather as a person. We understand her perspective
since we can only picture what she is going through and by the end, though due to her
illness, she’s more likely to die in one wrong move, once you full accomplish and felt
the genuine love and care from other people, you are to be contented in an ample
amount of time. Ending it by sailing herself with the love of her life under the ray of sun.
The element that I really wanted to focus on is more about the relationship of Katie to
her loved ones and herself. This movie presented us with a much more general topic
about illness but it doesn’t change the fact that we will not learn and absorb wisdom in
life which makes it more significant to our lives as the audience of this movie. Just like
Katie and her loved ones, we must allow room for a “time out.” Express your needs,
 Republic of the Philippines
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
Nabua, Camarines Sur
College of Health Science
S/Y 2021-2022

feelings, and ideas honestly and directly, without putting down or hurting others.
Remember, you are still you. A certain illness does not define you. Find time to do the
things you love. Let others know what to expect of you as you heal—and what not to
expect.
Though, there are many elements to consider in this movie, I only picked 2
among them. The first element that I think is major is how she hangs out with Charlie
but kept her XP illness a secret. The love between them is really genuine and sincere.
Imagine your whole life is locked up beneath the windows over sunrays and every
morning you will see the puppy type of love you always wanted to feel and in an instant,
the boy that you are foreseeing suddenly bonds with you and loves you. We are
defining love the wrong way. We'd have a better understanding of love if we realized
that, like parenting or friendship, love is a sensation that manifests itself in action. What
we do is a reflection of how we actually feel. The emotion must be tied to the action.
Time may not be that long between the two lovers but Katie lacks truthfulness and
justice to Charlie. She hid a part of her to someone who sees her as his world. I interpret
this as I read a saying, “to be ill is human.” People also hide disease because they are
afraid of being blamed or condemned if they get sick, which is surprisingly frequent.
the dread of being discriminated against, criticized, or blamed ethically and morally for
something you didn't ask for in the first place. Sometimes we put on a happy front to
cover our health problems. The second element is the combination of how Katie
embraces the freedom to death and Father’s Love towards Katie. Her father is so
supportive and at the same time gives Katie the freedom she needs with tender love
and care at its limitations. Without a doubt, a father's love is unconditional. He will
always love her, no matter what happens. For the sake of his child, he would give up
everything. Because of his unwavering love for his child, he will bravely confront any
challenge in order to provide the finest possible care for his child. He would go to any
length to show his love for his child. No one can take the place of a father's love. He
will love her for the rest of her life, in a righteous and tender way. As a result, we should
all be grateful for our father's affection, as they have aided us in becoming who we are
today. In connection to this, Katie embraces the freedom to death by sailing with
Charlie underneath the ray of sun. Contentment and happiness are what I foresee.
Contentment is an emotional state of fulfillment that may be defined as a mental
condition derived from feeling at peace in one's surroundings, both physically and
mentally. She’s like a lonely, tiny cloud that is adrift. Above ground, she stands tall and
proud, her face shining brightly through the crowd as she marches with the sun’s
beauty. Despite the fact that she had strolled alone in the beautiful day with the light,
she has walked alone, with no one to accompany her. By the feeling of how her father
held him ever since. She walks with him, holding her head high. She felt so alive in the
brightest sky. Even though, as a parent, losing her is grief of an eye, she supported her
daughter without hesitation or regret in the end.
 Republic of the Philippines
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
Nabua, Camarines Sur
College of Health Science
S/Y 2021-2022

Overall, these two elements give a very big impact on the whole storyline of the
movie. I want to elaborate the significance into two which are the positive and the
negative side. On the positive side, it is somewhat Comical, Enchanting, Decent, and
the drama really can really captivate your heart & Musical Score. A love narrative, of
course, must have love, kissing, and everything else that makes the audience say
"Awwwww" or clap their hands in ecstasy. Midnight Sun has that, yet the added charm
poured into the film appeals to this critic. Hands down, I give the film kudos for the
truth it has and the sustenance it provides by avoiding the overdramatic jumble that
we often see. Midnight Sun has that two teenagers in love vibe to it, but what strikes
me as unique about the film is how the love story isn't the primary emphasis. One thing
that makes it cooler and humane is how they interpreted it to the audience about how
special and ethical it is about having the illness of a certain person. The consideration
of those elements within the context enthralls and fascinates us how the plot of the
movie works and jives so well. We can also consider another minor element about Katie
having XP disease. Consider how debilitating this illness may be. Also, she can only be
seen as discriminated against by other people. Every step she takes makes her
uncomfortable, and it's always on her mind. The internal struggle she’s fighting
consumes a lot of mental and physical energy, and even going through the motions of
daily life may be exhausting. On the negative side, it has Undeveloped tangents. We
can’t deny the fact that the storyline is predictable. It is either Katie will find a cure to
her illness or she will die. Despite all of my positive feelings about the film, there were
still some areas where it could have been better. First and foremost, the story's clever
twist adds to its originality, although it is still quite predictable. The film effectively lays
out what will happen, smoothing out the surprises and keeping it on more predictable,
if emotional, terrain. It took away the element of suspense for me, but it did not
compromise the emotional dynamic of the film. Also, due to limited and concise
understanding, fewer issues were brought up. Coping with illness and grief are valid
subjects for teenage audiences to confront, yet the “Midnight Sun” movie opens and
awakens the mind and heart of the audience.

By: DUQUE, GEORGETTE FLOREANNE L.

BSN 1C