I expected a sappy, predictable, emotion-manipulating movie.Instead I found myself languidly moving through a story that was romantic without trying to play with the audience's emotions. Perhaps Charlotte was a little too playful to be credible when she told Will about her illness after their 1st night together, but then again, young people are known for denying their own mortality regardless of the facts. I loved the supporting characters, their lack of smugness and glibness, and their general humanity. In the hospital scene near the end, when Dolly doesn't allow herself to be denied her grief, it really broke the Hollywood formula for character resolution and 'niceness' in the face of tragedy. There were no cheap tricks and I felt hollow at the end, but life's just like that. Well done Joan!