Valentine’s Marathon: The Lucky One (2012)

The Lucky One is the first movie in this marathon where I have not read the book and know absolutely nothing about the movies.  Fresh eyes, fresh mind and I’m always open-minded with no judgment going in.  I have my Nicholas Sparks mood set in and I’m ready for any amount of romance and tragedy he’s ready to throw at me.  My Kleenex box is conveniently located nearby…lets check it out, shall we?

Director: Scott Hicks

Cast: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Riley Thomas Stewart, Jay R. Ferguson

Former Marine Logan (Zac Efron) returns home to Colorado after three tours.  During those tours, after a raid, he found a picture of a woman with the words “Keep Safe” written behind it.  After being unable to find the rightful owner, he keeps it with him and it turns out that he believes that its his lucky charm as he survives many near death situations that others don’t.  When he comes back home, he traces the background landmark of the photo and decide to go find her in Louisiana (I think).  While there, he finds out that her name is Beth Green (Taylor Schilling) and a divorced mother who owns a pet boarding school.  Seeing her there, Logan can’t find the words to explain how he got there but fortunately, despite Beth’s initial negative response in assuming that he was looking for a job there, her grandmother (Blythe Danner) hires him to help out.  Beth starts slowly learning more about Logan and they become drawn to each other despite her ex-husband’s disapproval and threats to take  away her son. At the same time, his secret is in danger of being revealed as well.

I had no idea what to expect for The Lucky One since I didn’t really know much about it.  I remember having a glimpse of the trailer when it was first released and I never really go on the boyish Zac Efron train despite finding enjoyment with High School Musical a few years back.  Looking at it, this seems to be his first role where he’s being an adult with some drama attached to him.  Feels a bit like the sudden transition of I had when Daniel Radcliffe went from Harry Potter to his married man role in The Woman in Black.  I have to admit that I kind of like Zac Efron here. His character, Logan has a charm and attractiveness and he’s that protective manly guy that appeals to me. I don’t see Zac Efron ever being a great actor but then , what do I know..I haven’t seen that much from him.  All I’m really saying is that Logan worked for me. 

After talking about the leading man ( which is actually rare in Nicholas Sparks novels),  we have our leading lady, Beth, played by Taylor Schilling. I haven’t seen any movies/TV with her (and no, I did not see Orange Is the New Black). Still, the chemistry between her and Zac Efron was awesome.  I started getting the vibes I got when I was watching A Walk to Remember.  Its sweet (in a more mature way), and more intense since they had a lot of intense making out, kissing, sex, you know, adult stuff.  I was actually waiting for something more intense to happen eventually in these romance because they were all so tame…not that thats what defines love connection but anyways, I like it in this one 🙂

After watching a few after A Walk to Remember that didn’t work because of the story, or characters or the actors, this one felt like it fit perfect.  It was a breath of fresh air.  It had some sweet lines, a really good chemistry and a nice romance with certain difficulties.  Its more mature and yet, makes you feel young because its about finding that lucky person that makes you smile and laughs with you to just encourage you to follow what you want.  Its really good, ok? I was pleasantly surprised 🙂 Plus, it had lots of adorable dogs, cute kid and witty/inspirational grandma.  The main theme in this is destiny and I’m a sucker for that also.  I believe everything happens for a reason and all that stuff.

Nicholas Sparks adaptations always have a formula set in different scenarios, sometimes, they work well and sometimes, not so great.  This is definitely one of the better ones.  You can expect me to get that book sometime soon.  I’ve learned that if the movie is good, the novel is probably going to be great 🙂

What are your thoughts on The Lucky One? What do you think about Zac Efron and any movies that he’s been in that has made an impression on you?

One more to go before this marathon ends, remember to check back tomorrow and I have something special for all of you also! 🙂