Sunday, April 12, 2015

Movie Review: The Longest Ride

Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, and Alan Alda
Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
Written by: Craig Bolotin
Based on: The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Theresa Park, and Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Romance
Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Based on the bestselling novel by master storyteller Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City’s art world.  As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple.  Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, The Longest Ride explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.

My Review

I really wanted to see this movie because I read The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks when it was published in 2013. I loved it because it didn't feel like your typical Nicholas Sparks romance. It was different, and that is also the case when it comes to the film adaptation; it just has a different feel to it. It's refreshing when compared to his other popular film adaptations like The Notebook, Dear John, and Safe Haven.

The Longest Ride will appeal to many of today's young and old movie goers because of the two very different love stories that become entwined. There is a little bit of the classic that we all saw and loved in The Notebook but the romance of Luke and Sophia is one to remember because it's cute in a dorky kind of way. There are moments between the two that will make audience members melt, but there are also some hilarious moments that provide comedic relief and it they make the couple seem very real.

I've been a fan of Britt Robertson for a while now, and I think she made a fine Sophia Danko. She made Sophia's character more enjoyable for me because I just don't remember connecting with her when I read the book. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely a few moments when her character felt a bit off when compared to the book and where her acting is just a bit awkward, but she did a fine job. Scott Eastwood also does well in his role as Luke Collins, and I don't think they could have picked a better young man for the part. He's the perfect blend of country, serious, and adorable. But the actor who steals the movie is definitely Alan Alda who plays Ira. He was just perfect, and had me cracking up with pretty much every line he delivered!

There are quite a few noticeable differences between the book and film, and I found that I really liked how many of them played out, especially the movie's ending. The alterations did not change the plot or the feel, but they do give the movie a life of its own. There was only one change that annoyed me, and it wasn't even a big one - just a name change.

The movie's soundtrack is also very enjoyable. It's pretty much all country music, and it made me very happy because it all felt perfectly placed in relation to the plot and scenes. There are a few familiar voices (to me) but also a few new ones that I enjoyed discovering.

So if you've been thinking about seeing The Longest Ride but aren't sure because of just how big Nicholas Sparks has become, give it a chance. It's a wonderfully bittersweet and enjoyable movie that will probably change your opinion on how Nicholas Sparks movies will be seen. 


24 comments :

  1. It's been awhile since I last read a Nicholas Sparks book or watched one of the movie adaptations. I hope to get to see this one in the cinema! I'm so glad to hear there's some awesome comic relief and that the soundtrack was great! Lovely movie review, Erin!

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  2. This was the first one that I went to see in theaters since The Last Song just because they were getting on my nerves (even though I was a huge Nicholas Sparks fan). It's very good, and I think even people who are anti-NS might like this one.



    Thanks, Hazel! :)

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  3. I can honestly say that I've never read a Nicholas Sparks book or seen one of his movies but this sounds interesting and fun!

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  4. I started reading his books when I was twelve with A Walk to Remember, but my favorites of his are definitely the ones about youngerish characters (AWtR, The Last Song, Safe Haven, The Notebook).

    The movie was really good. If you like romantic comedies, you might like it. :)

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  5. The last Nicholas Sparks movie I ever watched was The Lucky One just because Zac Efron, lmao. And I've only seen Dear John, The Last Song and The Notebook. I'm not very fond of how his books/movies are, except for The Notebook. I still am not decided if I should pick this up but maybe I will. Haha! Glad you loved it though! :D


    Blessie @ Mischievous Reads

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  6. OMG. I was so upset when they cast Zac Efron in The Lucky One. I love him but I just didn't think he was the right actor for the part.


    I could definitely do without some of his movies because they just all started feeling the exact same. :( But this one was definitely cute.

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  7. I loved Nicholas Sparks movies, but most of them are just so depressing <3 Benish | Feminist Reflections

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  8. I loved Nicholas Sparks movies, but most of them are just so depressing <3 Benish | Feminist Reflections

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  9. I loved Nicholas Sparks movies, but most of them are just so depressing <33 Benish | Feminist Reflections

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  10. A lot of them are. I think that's why I was getting sick of them. This one has its sad moments, but it's not nearly as sad as his more popular movies.

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  11. I'm not a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks books and movie wise, but this movie is sooo on my must watch list! I loved Britt Robertson in the Secret Circle and um hello, have you seen Clint Eastwood? YES! ;D Great movie review, Erin!

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  12. I used to be such a huge fan of his work, but it's kind of died off. This movie is just too cute! I will definitely be buying the DVD the day that it comes out.



    I've never seen Secret Circle. I watched the TV show that Britt was in a few years ago - Life Unexpected. And I'm really looking forward to seeing her in Tomorrowland.

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  13. Yeah, that's how I feel now. About a year or so ago, I gave a few of his books to a used book store. But I did keep The Notebook. Loved that one! :) Oh, I haven't seen that one show before. Is it any good? I saw the trailer for Tomorrowland today and I loved it! I hope it'll be as good as the trailer!

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  14. OMG. I read The Notebook when I was in sixth grade, and my teacher thought I was nuts. I loved that book though. I definitely need to reread it soon.



    I love Life Unexpected! Britt plays a foster kid who ends up back in the custody of her birth parents. I've been rewatching it on Netflix, and it still makes me so sad that it only was on for two seasons.


    Right? I geeked out in the theater when I saw the trailer for Tomorrowland. I asked my sister if she wanted to see it, but she said no and that she doesn't like science fiction movies. :/

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  15. Sixth grade?! My mom would have killed me if I read The Notebook in sixth grade. You're lucky! ;D I'm so glad you loved it though. Definitely one of my favorite romances. Hm, that seems pretty interesting. I'll have to watch a few episodes soon! :O What? She doesn't want to see that movie? I'd gladly go with you then, haha. :) *raises hand up*

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  16. Yeah... sixth grade! I got away with it by telling my mom that it was by the same guy who wrote A Walk to Remember, and she thought it was similar. I think I read three or four of his books that year, and then a lot more in seventh and eighth.

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  17. Ooooh, you're good. ;) I think my mom read it and that's why she didn't let me until about two or so years ago. Did you enjoy his other ones? I tried reading The Wedding after I finished Teh Notebook, but I didn't really enjoy it so I took it to a used book store. I'm hoping to try a few of his other books though, so we shall see how that goes! :)

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  18. I read The Wedding a few years ago, and while it was nice to revisit Noah, I wasn't too impressed. I really liked The Rescue, The Guardian, and The Last Song. Safe Haven wasn't bad either.

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  19. Yeah, that was how I felt too. Oh yeah! I'll have to try The Last Song and Safe Haven soon! I watched The Last Song but didn't really like it because of how the protagonist always acted like a bitch, but I definitely enjoyed Safe Haven. :)

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  20. The Last Song might be perfect for you because it has a YA feel, but it still has a lot of romance going on.

    I liked movie Ronnie for that reason. You could really tell that she was damaged by everything that happened to her, and she was able to grow and learn from it. She's very similar in the book, though because the screenplay was written before the book.

    Safe Haven was just adorable. I finally watched that movie for the first time a few weeks ago.

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  21. I'll definitely have to give it a try. :) Yeah, it was easy to see that she was still hurt from her past, but I just hated the way she treated others sometimes, you know? I'm so happy that you liked Safe Haven! I loved Josh Dunhamel too. ;D

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  22. Oh yeah... it was definitely annoying, especially how she treated her dad, but I'm glad she was written to overcome it.


    He was so adorable in Safe Haven!

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  23. Liam Hemsworth, Josh Dunhamel, Scott Eastwood and Ryan Gosling...wow, I love the guys they pick for Nicholas Spark's movies! ;D

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