Genre: Contemporary
Honors: Teen Choice Award
Review: If you could do it over, would you? Mike O’Donnell, a middle-aged man unhappy with his life, gets the chance to make a life-changing decision all over again. Instead of taking a college basketball scholarship in his senior year of high school he chose to marry his high school sweetheart due to her unexpected pregnancy. When their children become teenagers Mike realizes he does not really know or understand them and that he is unhappy in his marriage and family life. He believes his defining choice back in high school has destroyed his life and that he would be happy if only he could do it differently. Poof! He wakes one morning and is 17 again! Now Mike must actually go back to high school as a student and share classes with his own daughter and son. Will he choose to leave his family and pursue his dreams as a basketball hero or will he gain a new understanding of what defines true happiness?
Opinion: This is a fun movie that teenagers are bound to enjoy. While the story line is not very original, this situation in some form has been played out in several movies, the characters and interesting high school situations make it a pretty good movie. Zack Efron (Mike O'Donnell) is the highlight of the movie, his good looks and sensitive acting is sure to attract teenagers to this film.
Ideas: This movie is based on a young adult novel, this novel and movie can be checked out together.
