Have you ever felt manipulated by a screenplay? I have... Writer/director Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air"), working with Joyce Maynard's novel, really knows how to manipulate us. At the beginning we are hesitant, particularly in the early scenes, which threaten to become mawkish (yeah, the peach pie); but soon, through flashbacks, we come to understand our characters, and the film suddenly becomes unpredictable and involving. Nice switch!
We watch:
The casting of the younger versions of our main characters is extremely good, with the glaring exception of Toby Maguire as the adult Henry. The first couple of flashbacks confused me; until I realized that we were seeing flashbacks for BOTH of the lead characters. Duh....
This is PG-13, so expect some mildly sensual situations (no nudity), little or no profanity, the presence of a gun but the only gunshots are off screen and, as I recall, harmless. The screening audience, defying more "artistic" critics, applauded this one.