The Silver Lining behind Charlie St. Cloud

July 22, 2010 |

Stuck between life with the living and the dead, Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron) deals with the horrific death of his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), while simultaneously falling for local sailing legend, Tess (Amanda Crew). As Charlie and Tess grow closer, Sam, who appears to Charlie only as if he never died, becomes more and more distant, and Charlie needs to decide if he should continue on with the living, or hang back with the dead.

Zac Efron, who gained fame in High School Musical and Hairspray, has been trying to step back from musicals and step into more grown-up roles, and Charlie St. Cloud seems like the perfect fit for the 22-year-old actor. The film not only deals with the budding romance between Charlie and Tess, but also with how Charlie overcomes the grief of knowing he was driving the car when his brother died. Efron’s performance seems very genuine and he proves his ability to suavely step into a more mature role. Efron will possibly shake his past of tween movies and continue acting in more age appropriate roles, proving to Hollywood that he is not just a pretty boy with a good voice and hot dance moves. Read More