The Lucky One (2012, D. Scott Hicks) - Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

[davidh777]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4e/The_Lucky_One_Poster.jpg/220px-The_Lucky_One_Poster.jpg

U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns to North Carolina 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 (Taylor 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.

Zac Efron as Logan Thibault
Taylor Schilling as Beth Clayton
Blythe Danner as Nana
Jay R. Ferguson as Keith Clayton
Riley Thomas Stewart as Ben Clayton
Joe Chrest as Deputy Moore
Jillian Batherson as Amanda
Courtney J. Clark as Logan's Sister
Russell Durham Comegys as Roger Lyle
Robert Hayes as Victor Miles
Cameron Banfield as Younger Marine

Opens 4/20/12, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks

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I'm sure this will be a big hit on this board, but hey, The Vow got a thread! :lol:

[trespoochies]

Man, Scott Hicks went the way of Neil LeBute in terms of quality of films they've done over the past 10 years.

[DonnachaOne]

Taylor Schilling? But will this threaten Atlas Shrugged, Pt II?

[Matthew Chmiel]

Man, Scott Hicks went the way of Neil LeBute in terms of quality of films they've done over the past 10 years.
Scott Hicks hasn't put out a film of quality. Ever.

Look at his filmography. He's a director-for-hire.

[trespoochies]

Hicks wrote and directed Shine, which i liked. So he did at least one that was good to me. Cant say the same for just about everything else since then.

[Giles]

storywise this movie was pretty mediocre, but the cinematography is really the highlight of the movie.

[DJariya]

I really want to see this, mainly for Taylor Schilling, who was on the short-lived NBC show Mercy 3 years ago. She was an unknown actress when they cast her on that show. But, ever since I saw her on that I knew she was a star in the making. She was awesome in that series. Plus, I have a soft spot for these Nicholas Sparks movies.

Going to try to check this out on Wednesday.

[Patman]

Zac Efron continues to try his hand at more adult roles in this film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, so you know there will be a lot of forlorn looks between the principle protagonists/lovebirds-to-be, and features a 1-dimensional antagonist who threatens to keep te lovebirds apart. Zac plays Logan, who has completed 3 tours of duty, and found a photo of a woman at the site of hot zone, and becomes determined to find her as he ascribed his survival to finding her photo, and indeed he is able to track her down in a small down in Louisiana. And since I am a fan of Taylor Schilling, and she played the woman in the photo, I gave the film a shot.

I actually liked how director Scott Hicks shot the film, some nice camerawork and choices to set the tone of the venue. The script has some cutesy moments, and has a cloying quality to plot development. All in all, it's a chick flick, and succeeds mostly in that genre.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

[davidh777]

Saw this today with the wife in hopes of getting her to see The Avengers with me :lol:

It certainly looked pretty, and the story was decent, if completely predictable. Taylor Schilling was attractive. Three stars out of five.

[Charlie Goose]

It certainly looked pretty, and the story was decent, if completely predictable. Taylor Schilling was attractive. Three stars out of five.

Agree on all points.

As sappy and manipulative as Nicholas Sparks is, I find myself actually liking a lot of his stuff. Efron is a little too mopey, but it does fit the character I suppose.

It's got the regular cliches:
the elaborate "meet-cute",
adorable kid,
wise & sassy old grandparent,
menacing ex,
long smoldering looks