Review! The Lucky One

The Lucky One

      Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks

Release:  04.20.2012

Staring:  Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

Rating: 

Synopsis taken from IMDB.com:

A Marine travels to North Carolina after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.

Summary taken from the book The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks via goodreads.com:

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

Negative:

Nothing….other than I am thoroughly jealous of Taylor Schilling.

Positive:

The entire movie. I went to see this movie with my best friend and we pilled up on the cleanext before we left the house. Its safe to say we didn’t use it all, however, I did catch myself and her dabbing at the corner of our eyes every once and a while

How about Zac Efron…he was ridiculously hot in this movie. I don’t care if you think of him as the guy from High School Musical. After watching this you will say “High school What?” He was that good. That sexy. That…manly.

Story Line:

Here is the gist of it. Marine comes back home after going through many things, and surviving many things he didn’t think he should have. He find his lucky charm and realizes that maybe she needs him just as much as he needed her. He finds his place in a calm town, calm job, somewhere he truly feels safe and has time to think. The rest…well I won’t reuin it all for you. I will, however, say that I did not expect the ending…it was a twist, and trust me it wasn’t like “Dear John”, if you’ve seen the movie also based on a Nicholas Sparks book.

The characters:

Logan…Calm, controlled, understanding, optimistic, caring, everything a girl could want in a guy. But he’s waiting for the moment when his reality will snap.

Beth…the girl who has had some hard knocks in life. She’s learning to cope. To find herself.

Beth’s Nanna…never quite caught her name in the movie…but she’s funny, I like her, and sometimes wish I had another Nanna just like her.

Keith…I totally want to punch this guy in the face. But at the same time...he adds the suspense. 

Men:

I can’t say this is a man's movie. I also can’t tell guys to bring their girlfriends to see this movie. Logan is so perfect that well…there might be another whole “Edward jealousy” situation going on. Sorry.

Women:

Zac Efron. Those baby blues shine out and almost blind you with giddiness about...6 times.

The romantic love story that is definitely up there with The Notebook.

The beauty of the setting…what? This place was seriously something.

Although it is very romantic…there is some seriously hot moments. Rrraaaooowww. Ok I guess that is romantic...but I had to let everyone know.

Overall:

Overall this was a great love story. I loved the way Logan was calm and well trained on outside, and constantly considerate for other people’s feelings while clearly trying to keep everything under control on the inside when he is away from Beth. I love the manliness of it all…the hard work, the walking therapy, the look that says he could kill a man with his bear hands but he would rather not. And I love his dog Zeus…a perfect copy of himself…well trained, calm but fierce when needed, and loyal. Man this movie put me into a whole new level of appreciation for Zac Efron. If you thought he could never get over his brand of being “the guy” from High School musical you were wrong.  I was wrong.. I will admit that I thought it would be hard for him to get out of the whole singing and Disney styled life. He was a completely different person in this movie. He was Logan.

I also love the idea of a good luck charm or guardian angel for those that are over seas, and not knowing who to thank for returning home safely. Whether it is fate or something more. The idea that something so small as to people’s paths crossing and someone losing a picture could change the life of many people.

This movie has a great slow pace, beautiful scenery, and an overall great story. One that everyone should see.

Although I have not read the novel The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks you can bet your bottom dollar that I will shortly. 

Quotes:

Beth: Why did you come here?

Logan: To find you.

Trailer:

Ladies...Run. Run to your nearest theatre. Bring one or two tissues with you and your best friends. Then enjoy.