The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Shattered Illusions

    When I heard about the latest Nicholas Sparks’ book-turned-movie “The Best of Me,” I dared to hope for an awesome girls night out. The trailer looked promising, and I expected to finally see actor James Marsden get that happily ever after that Noah stole from him in “The Notebook.” 

    I watch Nicholas Sparks’ movies looking for epic romance and a fulfilling ending, but this film left me feeling unsatisfied for several reasons.

    The film was shot in New Orleans, and as a Southerner, I was disappointed immediately by the way people in Louisiana were stereotyped in the film. The main female character Amanda is portrayed as a rich Southern belle with a heart of gold, and her love interest Dawson Cole fits the mold of the sweetheart born into a low-income family. 

    While the storyline of the book version wasn’t my favorite, the changes made to the film version left me unhappy with the overall plot. 

    Unlike “The Notebook,” which runs chronologically, “The Best of Me” film starts in current day when the death of an old friend brings Dawson and Amanda back to their hometown. As the exes interact, we see flashbacks of their love story starting in the early 1990s. The entire movie should have just been the story of how they met, fell in love and made a few bad decisions. Instead when Amanda and Dawson meet 21 years later, Amanda is married with a teenage son at home, which leads to my third issue with the film: the immoral affair. 

    When Amanda and Dawson profess their love to each other and spend a passionate night together, I couldn’t help but be disgusted. Films like this aim to make people root for the couple who were torn apart but never stopped loving each other. However, I cannot condone her having an affair just because they had a great love story as teenagers. 

    I want a love story like “Another Cinderella Story” or “Pretty in Pink,” where the main characters fight through adversity but don’t end up having affairs or just hooking up. I want more Nicholas Sparks stories about real love, like in “A Walk to Remember,” when the guy earns the girl’s affection and makes sacrifices to keep her. 

    Some people may watch “The Best of Me” and be satisfied by Amanda and Dawson being together for one more night 21 years later, and some may find the bittersweet ending pleasing. However, I found the ending completely unfulfilling to what I had hoped would be a well-done tale of true love.  

     
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