the-best-of-me-james-marsden-michelle-monaghan-600x399

Photo courtesy of Relativity

Just like the Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations that have come before it, “The Best of Me” makes you laugh, cry and wonder why life always seems so simple in movies. The movie follows the lives of two people who fell in love 21 years ago and were torn apart by their circumstances, only to be reunited once they have reached very different points in their lives in the present.

Unlike other Sparks movies, this one has a unique twist at the end that helps distinguish it from the traditional happy-ending love story. This story focuses more on fate and destiny rather than the unwavering love between two people. Nonetheless, it is a great love story. For those of you who want to lose yourself for two hours in a compelling love story, this is the perfect film for you.

The story is both relatable and very well told. Because this film is more than just a love story, there are many things that viewers can relate to indirectly. For example, viewers can relate to the concept of deciding what is best for someone else even if it ends up making both people unhappy. We have all been there from friendships to relationships, when we come to a crossroads and make a choice that we then have to live with. The film shows the consequences of those decisions by jumping back and forth between the beginning of the epic love story and the present day. Though the film jumps back and forth, the two time periods intertwine smoothly into one storyline.

Though the story itself was strong, the acting made the film even better. The epic love between young Dawson Cole (Luke Bracey, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) and young Amanda Collier (Liana Liberato, “If I Stay”), was mesmerizing. The palpable chemistry between Bracey and Liberato is undeniable. Dawson, a sweet soul that does not fit in with his outlaw family, is shy and Amanda, a well-off southern belle, is outgoing and strong headed. Though the two seem like polar opposites, somehow they prove to be each other’s perfect complement.

Liberato was the perfect combination of sweet and sarcastic. She did a phenomenal job of portraying the vulnerabilities that young girls feel as they grow up and try to find themselves.

And Bracey said more with one look than anyone else could with a monologue. He was captivating as the shy Dawson who breaks out of his shell to open his heart to love. From the moment Amanda and Dawson talk at the top of the water tower and Amanda begs Dawson to let her love him like he loves her, it’s clear that his heart is forever in her hands.

The older versions of the characters pay homage to the young love that lives on inside of us years after we say our goodbyes. Present-day Dawson (James Marsden, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) and present-day Samantha (Michelle Monaghan, “Due Date”), manage to accurately depict the awkwardness that we can imagine would be inherent in seeing your first love after 21 years.

Watching the two grow from awkward acquaintances to rekindling the romance of a lifetime was an enjoyable journey thanks to its authenticity – nothing about it felt forced. Rather, the characters seemed to naturally gravitate towards each another all over again.

After being Allie Hamilton’s second choice in “The Notebook,” Marsden finally got his well-deserved role as a Nicholas Sparks leading man. He was phenomenal; he seemed to make every girl in the theater believe in true love. He adeptly walked the line between wanting to be honest and shout his love from the rooftops and wanting to delicately navigate the flood of emotions that resulted from reconnecting with his one true love. Marsden’s talent is evident in many scenes in which he saves people, often at his own expense. However, he truly shines when he lets his character be vulnerable by telling Amanda that he has not loved anyone since her. The raw emotion that he displays is admirable.

Though the story is endearing and the acting is strong, ultimately, life just isn’t that perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the movies to escape reality just as much as the next person, but at some point, it just becomes too unbelievable. For instance, when Dawson and Amanda retreat to a cottage that holds many special and emotional memories of their youth and end up re-enacting moments from their past, the story becomes too mushy and unrealistic. Like all great thematic loves, everything seems to happen just right, and nothing is too insurmountable for the power of love. Though a love like this is unrealistic, sometimes it is nice to be able to pretend it exists.

Still, “The Best of Me” is another great film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks book. Despite the Sparks genre being incredibly formulaic, each individual film can still be an escape back to a time when people wrote letters to express their feelings, and true love was the “best” part of growing up.

– By Annie McNutt, Staff Writer

+ posts

The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.