(2012 - April 20)
1 hr 41 min.
Rated: PG-13 For some sexuality and violence, infrequent language
Information for parents: Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+ read more
Grade: B-
Budget: $25 million
Box office: $36.3 million (as of posting)
Director: Scott Hicks
Writers: Will Fetters (screenplay), Nicholas Sparks (novel)
Stars: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner | See full cast and crew
U.S. Marine Sgt. Logan Thibault (Zac
Efron) returns home from his third tour of duty in Iraq with the one
thing he believes kept him alive: a photograph of a woman he doesn't
even know. He learns the woman's name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and
goes to meet her,
eventually taking a job at her family-run kennel. Though Beth is full of
mistrust and leads a complicated life, a romance blooms, giving Logan
the hope that Beth could become more than just his good-luck charm.
Based on Nicholas Sparks' bestseller The Lucky One, stars alongside and in this romantic drama directed by Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Scott Hicks ("Shine," "No Reservations").
U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.
The PROS:
One of the first things I'd like to commend the for is its taking the high-ground. It doesn't stoop to foul language, gratuitous nudity and raunchy sex scenes. It does however, take the route of most of today's cultural mores, that being that premarital relations is the norm and expected behavior.
This is a neatly (perhaps too neatly) wrapped up heart warming story. Zac Efron turns in a very good performance as the Iraqi War vet on a mission. A thoughtful, determined, ethical and honorable young man dedicated to finding his guardian angel in the flesh. Blythe Danner is also strong as usual. Taylor Schilling looks perfect in her roll and does a good job with a simplistic, and predictable script. The other performers are adequate.
The CONS:
The script is too simplistic. There isn't enough there for the actors to really develop a fully fleshed out character. I have not read the Nicholas Sparks novel so I don't know what depth he has written into the characters. Having not read the book, I still found the script very predictable. That's not a problem if the characters are fully developed and the performances are stellar, after all, we all know what is going to happen in Shakespeare's works or the Greek classics, but it is all about the journey we take to get there.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pale of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
and Jill came tumbling after.
We know the storyline. If handled correctly it can still be dramatic, suspenseful, touching and moving. Therein lies the magic, the art of the storytelling.
That magic is missing here, for example without revealing anything, I knew the secret of the photograph long before it was revealed. It was just too obvious, and the tidy resolution of the Logan and Beth's family complications was a little to slick.
All that said, I still enjoyed the film.
Production:
Director: Scott Hicks from a screenplay by Will Fetters ("Remember Me"), adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel The Lucky One.
Producers: Denise Di Novi, who previously produced film adaptations of the Nicholas Sparks novels "A Walk To Remember," "Nights In Rodanthe" and "Message in a Bottle," and Kevin McCormick ("Arthur").
Executive producers: Ravi Mehta, Alison Greenspan and Bruce Berman.
Co-producer: Kerry Heysen. The production's creative team also includes Cinematographer: Alar Kivilo ("The Blind Side")
Production designer: Barbara Ling ("No Reservations")
Editor: Scott Gray ("The Boys Are Back")
Costume designer: Dayna Pink ("Bruno")
Composer: Oscar® nominee Mark Isham ( "A River Runs Through It)
About the Author:
In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.
This is a neatly (perhaps too neatly) wrapped up heart warming story. Zac Efron turns in a very good performance as the Iraqi War vet on a mission. A thoughtful, determined, ethical and honorable young man dedicated to finding his guardian angel in the flesh. Blythe Danner is also strong as usual. Taylor Schilling looks perfect in her roll and does a good job with a simplistic, and predictable script. The other performers are adequate.
The script is too simplistic. There isn't enough there for the actors to really develop a fully fleshed out character. I have not read the Nicholas Sparks novel so I don't know what depth he has written into the characters. Having not read the book, I still found the script very predictable. That's not a problem if the characters are fully developed and the performances are stellar, after all, we all know what is going to happen in Shakespeare's works or the Greek classics, but it is all about the journey we take to get there.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pale of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
and Jill came tumbling after.
We know the storyline. If handled correctly it can still be dramatic, suspenseful, touching and moving. Therein lies the magic, the art of the storytelling.
That magic is missing here, for example without revealing anything, I knew the secret of the photograph long before it was revealed. It was just too obvious, and the tidy resolution of the Logan and Beth's family complications was a little to slick.
All that said, I still enjoyed the film.
Cast
Logan Beth
Ellie Ben
Keith Clayton
Director: Scott Hicks from a screenplay by Will Fetters ("Remember Me"), adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel The Lucky One.
Producers: Denise Di Novi, who previously produced film adaptations of the Nicholas Sparks novels "A Walk To Remember," "Nights In Rodanthe" and "Message in a Bottle," and Kevin McCormick ("Arthur").
Executive producers: Ravi Mehta, Alison Greenspan and Bruce Berman.
Co-producer: Kerry Heysen. The production's creative team also includes Cinematographer: Alar Kivilo ("The Blind Side")
Production designer: Barbara Ling ("No Reservations")
Editor: Scott Gray ("The Boys Are Back")
Costume designer: Dayna Pink ("Bruno")
Composer: Oscar® nominee Mark Isham ( "A River Runs Through It)
About the Author:
In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.
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