With “Wish You Were Here,” author Renée Carlino provides the blueprint for a romantic drama that could easily be misconstrued as treacly or saccharine. Her novel features a star-crossed love affair, a devastating terminal illness and a young woman caught at a crossroads in her life.

Julia Stiles had long thought of making her feature directorial debut, but it took a special story to make it happen. The film follows the story of Charlotte (Isabelle Fuhrman), a woman whose life is forever altered after a whirlwind night with Adam (Mena Massoud).