The Lucky One
Directed by Scott Hicks
Written by Will Fetters
Starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence
Released in theaters April 20, 2012
Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks
My Rating: ★★★★★
This was a perfect girls' night out excursion for my best
friends and myself. But, it wouldn't be a bad date night movie either. I'm kind of excited for my husband to see
this with me when it comes out on blu-ray.
When Logan (Zac Efron), a marine serving in Iraq, discovers
a photograph of a beautiful young woman (Taylor Schilling) in some rubble, it
inadvertently saves his life. Mourning
the loss of his friends and suffering the effects of being in the throes of an
active war zone, Logan sets out to find the woman in the photo and thank her
personally. Once he arrives, however,
things aren't as easy as he expected. He
finds himself falling in love, but they both have baggage and secrets that
could be a deal breaker. Will love
survive or will Logan not be quite as lucky as he once was?
I have not had time to read the novel yet, so I can't
compare the film adaptation to the written version. I do know that I have yet to find a Nicholas
Sparks novel that I do not like, and most of the screen versions coincide pretty
well with the novels. Just like all
Nic's books, there is definitely romance, but he is also a fan of tragedy and
drama. I can't spoil it for you, but I
will say I was on edge the entire time wondering who was going to fall into
that tragedy category!
As for the film itself, the cinematography was lovely. There was lots of natural lighting and
colors. Great romantic shadowing and
camera angles. Casting was pretty spot-on. Every character was believable and played
their parts well. I particularly loved Blythe
Danner's role as the kooky grandmother.
She portrayed the perfect mix of humor and wisdom. Zac Efron did a wonderful job with such a mature
role. He really has grown up!
Overall, I really loved it.
I will definitely have to own this one, and I am looking forward to
reading the novel one day soon! I think
the ladies are going to enjoy it, while the men could certainly learn a few
things J…
