Keianah Weakland
Opinion Editor
Based on the true story of Zach Sobiech’s life, “Clouds” the movie has been said to be an accurate representation. “Clouds” was released to only Disney Plus in October and definitely lived up to the trailers of the movie. Not only was the acting superb, but the soundtrack was a great addition. It did not make the viewer feel like they were watching a Disney movie.
Zach Sobiech died at the age of 18 of bone cancer, called Osteosarcoma. Prior to his death, he had a love for writing and playing music along with his best friend Samantha Brown.
Sobiech was played by Fin Argus, a relatively new actor, who has played in “Summer 03” in 2018 and “Virtual High” in 2016 along with a few others. Brown was played by Sabrina Carpenter. She is an American singer and actress who has played in many TV shows and movies including “Girl Meets World”, “Tall Girl”, and “The Hate U Give”. Madison Iseman was also in this film, she played the girlfriend of Sobiech. She is known for “Jumanji: The Next Level” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”.
In the movie, Argus conveyed many realistic feelings and emotions that were accurately displayed on camera. As he struggled with the constant pain and harsh reality of being a teenager and fighting for his life due to cancer, he kept his head high and did what he loved, music. Carpenter was constantly by Argus’s side throughout the movie, which when viewing, the chemistry and connection between them was very strong and didn’t seem forced.
The ability Argus had to act as if he was dying of cancer was very realistic. At times he looked lively and healthy, and others he looked skinny, pale, and on the verge of death.
Because of the acting throughout this film, it made the audience feel like they were a part of the film. When the film was filled with laughter due to a joke or an incident the viewer laughed along. When the film was sad and heavy, the viewer felt the heartbreak or cried along with it. There was a rollercoaster of emotions in this film, which the audience partook in.
Towards the end of the film, Sobiech plays his song to show how he wants to be remembered in front of his loved ones. He couldn’t find the strength in him to continue until he was shown that he was loved and had made a deep impact on everyone around him. As he struggled to breathe, it looked like it was real and not part of a scripted film.
Until watching this movie, the song “Clouds” by A Firm Handshake was just any song to many people. People didn’t pay attention to the lyrics and if they did it wasn’t clear what it was really about or understand the meaning behind it. But after watching “Clouds”, the backstory and the meaning behind the song was clear.
After watching the film, many things will jump out at you and become clearer. The film makes sense of Sobiech’s life, friendships, and music journey. “Clouds” is a movie that should be watched by anyone from middle school and older. The heartfelt film gives you a new view on life.
The Pioneer Press 