Movie Review: Me Before You
“Me Before You” will take you on the biggest emotional roller coaster you’ve ever been on since “The Fault in Our Stars”. First released as a book in 2012, “Me Before You” tells the story of a man named William Traynor (played by Sam Claflin), an athlete that becomes paralyzed after a motorcycle accident.
Believing that he needs someone to interact with him, help cheer him up and give him something more to live for, Traynors parents hire Louisa Clark (played by Emilia Clarke), a fun loving cheerful eccentric girl with a love of fashion, to be his personal assistant.
By that time, Traynor is convinced things couldn’t be going worse. His look says it all when he first meets her: “Great, someone trying to make me happy in a world where I’m completely miserable. This should be good.” Clark seeks to make him happy every day that she can while working for his parents and along the way, she discovers more than just a love of helping him, she ends up seeking to give him the life he’s always dreamed about, even if he is miserable in the process.
Every morning when she arrives for her daily responsibilities, she greets the stout Traynor with a smile, ready to serve and help him the best she can. While not every morning is greeted by a smile in return, Clark and myself eventually find ourselves falling in love with the man (and not just because of his adorable British accent).
Clark finds herself captivated by his charm and sharp wit. Eventually, she comes up with a plan to take Traynor on adventures that get him out of his house where he often spends his days staring at a wall, wondering when everything will end for him. She tries to take him on a trip to change his mindset that even though he can’t do much and is stuck in a wheelchair, there is more to live for. The title of the movie fits the storyline rather well as Traynor talks about what his life was like before Clark came along.
The whole movie was full of tear-jerking moments, moments that made my heart clench, and butterflies enter my stomach like crazy. As I said before, this movie took the whole theater on an emotional roller coaster, and the sighs and sniffle of tears were definitely prevalent at the Providence Stadium 8 Theater as the movie ended and the credits started rolling. I myself had to force myself not to cry while driving home after, considering how distraught I was about the ending.
If you’re looking for a feel-good chick flick that will probably leave you in tears and questioning your life by the end, “Me Before You” is the perfect fit for you.
– kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu