“You don’t have to realize you are dying to start living.”
Yes, that quote is cheesy and just the slightest bit cringe-worthy, but it captures the message and the lesson of the movie Clouds perfectly.
Let’s get this out of the way right now though: you will cry during this movie. I am not one to shed tears lightly, but this movie had me sobbing and holding on to a box of tissues for dear life.
The movie was released on Disney+ on Oct. 14. Based on an inspiring true story, the movie follows the life of high school senior Zach Sobiech, as his osteosarcoma cancer diagnosis becomes terminal and he is given less than a year to live.
While the movie does have a romantic aspect to it, it is not your typical love story and is nothing like the film adaptation of John Green’s 2012 romance novel, The Fault in Our Stars. Instead, Clouds is about a 17-year-old kid coming to terms with his own mortality. While his friends and classmates write their college application essays, Zach realizes he probably won’t even make it to his graduation.
The movie also follows the life of his deeply Catholic family during their last months with Zach. Brilliantly captured in the film is the reality of a mother’s pain as her son withers away before her eyes. Her desperation is so great that she reaches out to the supernatural to find a miracle to save her son. The religious symbolism is not lost and adds a great deal of meaning to the movie, given the devotion of this family to their faith.
Director Justin Baldoni, known for his role as millionaire heartthrob Rafael Solano on the hit show Jane the Virgin, met Zach in 2013 to film a documentary. For this reason, Baldoni was adamant on telling Zach’s story as accurately as possible. The clothes worn in the movie by Fin Argus, who plays Zach, are Zach’s real clothes. The majority of songs in the movie are songs written by Zach—or include Zach’s unfinished lyrics—and his best friend Sammy in the last months of Zach’s life.
This movie is as true to life as the director could make it and it is 100 per cent worth the heartbreak it costs to watch. It is a movie that celebrates a teen who spent his life trying to make others smile. It is a movie about someone who made his singing dreams come true while facing something life-shattering. Most importantly, it is about a kid who wanted to make a difference and leave a legacy behind.
Featured image from IMDb.
