At first look, “The Last Song” screams chick flick. A closer look screams the same. But while watching, I decided that it was a chick flick with merit, an accomplishment full of symbolism and sweet sorrow.

“The Last Song,” based on a book of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, tells the story of Veronica aka Ronny (Miley Cyrus), a rebellious teenage daughter. Ronny and her kid brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) stay with their dad (Greg Kinnear) for the summer.

Ronny, a piano prodigy, hates her father because he left the family and moved back to his seaside home. She begins the movie despising her dad and the town he lives in, but the veneer of the bad girl gets chipped away by a dauntless young man named Will (Liam Hemsworth). Their friendship over the summer turns to love.

Here’s where the chick flick aspects really begin to show. Luckily, the moodiness and angst of the rest of the story balances it out.

Characters deal with the drama of past and present events that haunt them, leading to a great big bout of tears from the audience. Ronny ends up learning a ton of life lessons, all of which help her to become a better person and to embrace her future as a musician.

As comic relief, the duties mostly fell to the brother, Jonah. I had to admire Coleman’s performance; not a lot of child actors can wear all of those tears and not look silly. The rest of the funny parts were traded between Ronny, Will and their fathers, who lacked any kind of subtlety whatsoever. Will’s fearless flirting caused many a face-palm.

Cyrus makes this film with her raw star power. Stripped of the annoying laugh track and melodramatic pop star shenanigans, she shows herself as a competent actor.

It satisfied me to see her walking down the beach, wearing nothing but black and wearing her best moody teenage rebellion face. Yet, true to her reputation, she does nothing but display what a good role model should be: a compassionate, animal-loving teenager whom, even in her rebellion, doesn’t steal and doesn’t tolerate twisted boys with an eye for her body.

Being the one who has to cry the most, Cyrus makes every sob scene convincing and engaging. And – I suppose it had to be done – there was a scene where Ronny is singing, but it is rather minor and not at all serious. The film ends with two songs sung by Cyrus, which is only fitting but also predictable.

Two things really got me about this movie: the nature shots and the symbolism riddled throughout the film. While the director couldn’t help but put in cutesy shots, such as baby sea turtles scrambling to sea, some of the landscape was intriguing. I gave a full-on salute to the director for the barrage of symbolism. All of the important scenes had something to give them greater insight.

The biggest symbolic reference was, of course, the last song that the father wrote for his daughter, after which the entire movie is named.

Despite its status as a chick flick sob story with happy ending, “The Last Song” wasn’t terrible. The film charmed me. I recommend taking a date or a screaming young fan of Cyrus to see it. They’ll be destined to enjoy it anyway.

Grade: B-