Despite award-winning source material, “The Lovely Bones” proves to have very little meat, giving the movie more of a fairy-tale quality than that of a drama.

Based off of Alice Sebold’s number-one bestselling novel, the film follows the tragic tale of Susie Salmon. Susie, a fourteen-year old girl, narrates her own brutal murder at the hands of her next-door neighbor after he lures into a small underground enclosing.

After Susie’s death, her murderer, George Harvey, whom viewers later discover is a massive serial killer, stays under the radar even as local authorities and Susie’s father desperately look into her case. Susie, whom the movie follows in the afterlife, must gain closure on what happened to her and her family before she can enter heaven.

The heaven portrayed in the movie gives the story a very light-hearted, and at times wonderland-esque feeling, detracting heavily from the novel’s more serious message. Consequently, the movie feels like fluff marketed to teenage girls, rather than an accurate portrayal of a popular book.

As the Salmon family grieves for Susie, her sister and father eventually suspect Harvey. They find evidence of his involvement and alert local authorities. Susie and her family begin to develop a sense of closure, losing their frustrated desires for vengeance. However, this is done very unconvincingly. The characters are not developed nearly enough to compellingly demonstrate this emotional process.

The movie is somewhat entertaining, yet the acting at times is a bit cheesy. The romantic scenes are particularly poorly done and viewers will be overwhelmed by the sense of awkward acting at times throughout the film. Those who call such scenes “cringe-inducing” would not be far off.

The special effects are a generally nice touch, and the costume designs for the film’s time period are appropriate. Although very predictable, the movie may be heart-warming to some and may interest viewers both who have and have not read the novel.

But viewers beware: Those expecting a dramatic mystery rather than a chick flick will be severely disappointed.

Grade: B-