“ Its just eight seconds, a girl like that is for a lifetime” With sage advice like that, you know you must be in a Nicholas Sparks movie, and a good chance it’s date night. Now if you have learned anything for Sparks’ other books that have been made into films, women like romance, and every one of his novels/movies, might be the picture perfect world every romantic wants to live in. If you are not a romantic, Sparks’ movie might be some form of punishment, so be it a willing party or a captive, either way you are there, and that is all that matters. So what are you in for this time?
Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) is a bull rider, and when we first meet him he is doing a lot more flying in the air than actually riding. Fast forward one year later and a bunch of sorority girls are on their way to check out the “cowboys” at a local bull-riding contest. Sophia (Britt Robertson) is one of those girls who has come reluctantly, and much rather be home studying. It doesn’t take long for Sophia to get into the contest, that just happens to be Luke’s first time back since his accident. Cupid’s arrow strikes Sophia in the form of Luke’s hat, but since her career is taking her to New York in a few months she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone. Eventually Luke takes Sophia on a date, and while driving home in the rain (Nicholas Sparks movie remember?), Luke spots an accident, and pulls a man out of a car that went off the road. After rescuing him, they take him to the hospital where Luke and Sophia part ways, as Sophia stays to find the condition on the man they saved. Once awake Sophia learns the man’s name is Ira (Alan Alda) as they spend time together and Ira tells Sophia about his one great love Ruth. Luke and Sophia start a love affair of their own and soon they too have to make a choice if their love is the kind you find in a Nicholas Sparks novel.
First the good news, if you are a “Sparkie” (I just made that up, or at least I hope I did) you are going to be happy. It’s got everything you expect, love at first sight, a little struggle, rekindling, and of course rain. If you are of the female persuasion you will probably love this movie, if you are not female you can go one of two ways. One you will love it because your wife or girlfriend loved it, or two you will think this movie is really bad but you will feel like you did your good deed for the week. While the film is not that bad, instead falling more in the ok realm, what the film is, is long, because not only do you get one Spark’s story, you actually get two. While that may sound appealing to some, it just feels like they added more time to a movie, that already moves at a leisurely pace. With all that said though, if you are a guy and you are reading this, take your girl to see this, you will put a smile on their face, because sometimes you must make a sacrifice for the one’s we love.
Brian Taylor
