On October 16, 2020, Disney+ released a new original, Clouds. Among some of the new movies releases of the year, this one for sure reached the number one spot on my list. The film, inspired by true events, follows the story of Zach Sobiech, a teenager living with osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) with big dreams of producing and singing his original songs and making an impact. 

The film begins with Zach (Fin Argus) getting ready to watch his life long best friend Sammy (Sabrina Carpenter) perform at their school’s concert. She unexpectedly gets stage fright, and Zach goes on instead filling in for her and making the audience laugh with a mocking performance of the song “I’m Sexy and I Know It.” Even from this beginning scene, Zach’s bubbly and outgoing personality is already expressed. Shortly after performing, he has a chemo treatment, where he spends his time there talking to Sammy about Amy (Madison Iseman), the girl he likes and how she wants to hangout with him. The two plan a picnic together, but just as Zach is about to leave for the date, his mother takes him to the hospital due to his coughing. Zach is then told that he is terminal and that it’s unknown how long he has left.

At this point in the movie, about 15 minutes in, I was already crying so I knew the rest of this was going to go downhill very fast for me. Knowing that this movie is a true story and that this character is a real person with these real events that happened just hits a little harder and really makes you feel for the family and friends of the character. 

After being released from the hospital, Zach returns to school and is faced with the challenge of telling Amy that he is in fact terminal and that he doesn’t think they should be anymore than friends due to that. Zach goes home early from school in frustration, after his teacher Mr. Weaver (Milton Howery Jr.) talks to his class about writing a college essay over their goals in life. Zach feels that his life is meaningless at that point and that’s when he has a talk with his mom, Laura (Neve Campbell). She tells him how this is the point in his life where he gets to decide what’s important and what he wants to live his life doing, and that none of us are promised tomorrow. 

I thought the message throughout this movie was so important and beautiful when looking at the bigger picture. It really puts things into perspective, after watching this and it shows how it’s so important to live your life the way you want to and to make sure you’re happy doing it.

The Sobiech family then decides to vacation to France, but right before they leave, Amy arrives at their house and confronts Zach about liking each other. The two of them then express their feelings and soon start dating. Once returning from France, Zach is inspired to start writing his own original song and then shares it with Sammy, where they then decide on writing songs together. Zach then sneaks over to Sammy’s where he finds her journal with song lyrics about a guy which he soon finds out are about him. Sammy goes on to share with him how she’s always hoped it would be them in the end, and how her feelings for him have always been more than just best friends. The two then go to work on a few songs, film their covers and then upload them to YouTube. One specific song “Fix Me Up,” goes viral with over 20,000 views and reaches the attention of some journalists who want to interview the both of them. It’s honestly so inspiring to see somehow in that kind of condition still chasing his dreams and accomplishing more than most people do in a lifetime. It really shows how if you really love something, that you should never give up on it.

But, on the flip side, Amy and Zach have conflict with Zach thinking that he’ll never be enough for her. He breaks up with her, running off in the middle of the night. Soon later, Zach and Sammy are told that their teacher Mr. Weaver knew some people and a giant music company, BMI, would like to sign the both of them as songwriters. They’re flown out to New York and sign with the company. While on the flight home, Zach is inspired with song lyrics to his most famous song “Clouds.” In this part of the movie, where Zach records “Clouds” in the studio, the same shirt worn by the real Zach Sobiech is brought into the film. One of the coolest parts of this film is how they incorporated so many of Zach Sobiech’s real things into the film to make the film even more special for the family and really brought the story to life. The song was clearly written about Amy, and Zach goes to win her back, asking for a second chance, which she very happily accepts. 

Towards the end of the movie, Zach’s body starts to get worse so the family decides to throw him a giant party in honor of everything going on in his life, a celebration of Zach Sobiech. There he would perform his original song, also known as his goodbye through song, “Clouds.” 

I really do not have one bad thing to say about this movie, besides for the fact that I don’t think I have ever cried more at a movie. Every actor portrayed the emotional feelings and story in the best way possible to the point where I felt attached to the story. The group of talented actors visited the real Sobiech family and stayed with them to learn the family’s ways and see the light that Zach brought into their lives. This was truly an inspiring movie, and an even more inspiring true story about a young teenager who made the happiest and biggest impact on everyone around him. 5/5 stars.