America’s cupid Nicholas Sparks, released his latest book-to-silver-screen adaptation Friday, titled The Longest Ride, starring Scott Eastwood (Clint’s son), Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin.
Sparks has become a bit notorious for his many films ranking sub-par in comparison to the blockbuster, The Notebook (2004). Since it’s release over 10 years ago, the films that came after it were incomparable, yet the hype for each new one remains the same.
The trailers released leave women across America giddy for months with a catchy song, always beautiful leads and a steamy kiss always leaving us trying to find where our jaws went when they hit the floor. Yet, we would leave the theater somewhat let down, whether it was the chemistry, story or bad acting, they were always just O.K.
The romantic journey of bull rider Luke and art student Sophia was cleverly intersected by an elderly man, Ira (Alda), as he befriends the couple after they save him in a car accident and reflects back on his past love, Ruth. The film, with multiple plots running parallel, did not become jumpy enough to be distracting.
Surprisingly, there were more sniffles and crumpling of tissues heard during flashbacks of Ira and Ruth than there were during scenes of Luke and Sophia.
The characters in Sparks’ film had chemistry and acting skills on lock with Eastwood and Alda coming from very-Hollywood backgrounds and the 24-year-old Ms. Robertson quickly making a name for herself. The three seemed to warm hearts as they complemented one another.
The other relationship between young Ira and Ruth was also impressive to watch, and not just because the actors were Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin, also with Hollywood blood running deeply through their veins.
Their story was the heart of the production, as director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food), seemed to focus on the individual ups and downs that came with Ira and Ruth’s relationship, as Luke and Sophia’s own struggles mirrored the possible depths to come in their future.
Every Sparks’ film is known to have a message to take home: “Love requires sacrifice… always” as stated by Ira.
The mirroring of Ira and Ruth’s long-term relationship against Luke and Sophia’s new love provided aspiration for all and Tillman Jr. managed to show how love grows at different points in people’s lives as they literally grow old together.
The Longest Ride was undeniably as slick as Eastwood’s grin and provided much more depth than Sparks’ recent films.
Without giving too much away: it’s ending was in the usual cut-to-the-chase-too-fast-from-the-climax fashion but left hearts more full than other endings such as The Best Of Me (2014) or Dear John (2010).
Though Ira and Ruth’s story seemed to be the more authentic relationship, Luke and Sophia’s received more attention, and not just because of the Eastwood name and an undeniable resemblance to his father, but because there was a sea of heavy breathing in the audience every time he merely blinked.