One for the romantics, perfectly timed with a Valentine’s Day release, ENDLESS LOVE, directed by Shaun Feste from a screenplay by Feste and Joshua Safran, is a remake of the 1981 teen romance movie which starred Brooke Shields. It is based on the book of the same name by Scott Spencer.

Jade (Gabriella Wilde), a girl of privilege, and David (Alex Pettyfer) a charismatic boy from the wrong side of the tracks fall in love.

Jade has retreated into herself following the death of her brother, but is drawn out by David much to the concern of her parents. Her father is intent on keeping them apart.

It is a diluted version of the novel; clichéd and predictable unless perhaps you are a very young teenager.

It provides insight into privileged dysfunctional families, the rite of passage of daughters, the trauma of the death of a child and the shutting down of emotions.

The characters are believable with the possible exception of the mother. David is portrayed as polite, kind, popular and well-adjusted. Jade has become isolated from her peers through grief for her dead brother and her focus on studying. She has become an “ice queen’’. But the ice melts and David and Jade become inseparable. David rebuilds relationships between Jade and her peers and allows her to catch up on missed fun.

Jade’s father, Hugh, disdains David and his role in distracting Jade from following the family tradition into medicine. Jade’s mother, Ann, immediately likes David and encourages Jade short-term. Hugh is dismissive of both his wife and his other surviving son who appears not to be living up to his dead bother’s potential.

Towards the end of the movie, a fire from the shrine to the dead brother, strikes at material worth and the value of sustaining and clinging to past memories. It brings into relief the now co-dependent relationship between David and Hugh.

The romantic score provides the sugary coating to a very light sweet romance about teenagers for teenagers.