Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin star in a scene from the movie "Me Before You." The Catholic News Service classification is O -- morally offensive. (CNS photo/Warner Bros.)

By Catholic News Service

Though it begins as a charming love story with a strong pro-life message, this grand-scale weepie, set primarily in England, veers off course toward a climactic endorsement of behavior no one committed to scriptural values can accept.

A vibrant young woman (Emilia Clarke) becomes caretaker and companion to the wheelchair-bound victim (Sam Claflin) of a motorcycle accident. Her tenderness and devotion lift his embittered spirits and they fall in love. Yet he persists in a plan to travel to Switzerland where he can “die with dignity” and no longer be a burden to society.

Director Thea Sharrock’s adaptation of the 2012 novel by screenwriter Jojo Moyes ultimately puts an unmistakable seal of approval on this blatant rejection of the gift of life, making it unacceptable fare for viewers of any age.

A positive view of assisted suicide, implied nonmarital sexual activity, a couple of profanities. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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