Our dear Nick Sparks has received a lot of flack for his predictable plot lines and uncreative string of films depicting the same love and tragedy story we’ve been reading and watching for the past ten years. My question to his critics, however, is what exactly they would like to see him do. Eliminate the drama? The tragedy? The sense of socially unacceptable lovers making it work? Take out any of it and you’ve got nothing; no climax, no drama, no story. I’m not trying to say Nicholas Sparks is a plot genius, but seriously, the guy gives us a lot more to work with than most romantic dramas care to offer. Sparks’s movies are often a hit or miss, and luckily after the fail that was Dear John, his latest book to screen drama, The Last Song, is a hit.
The summer after barely graduating high school Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) and her little brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) are shipped to their dad’s Georgia beach house for the summer. Ronnie’s anger towards her father’s perceived abandonment has led her to, despite an acceptance to Juliard, give up playing the piano and stay as far away from her father as possible. She meets Will (Liam Hensworth), a ridiculously good looking (of course), yet nice guy who starts to see more in Ronnie than the beachy blondes he’s grown up with. The two fall in love, and amidst tragedy and triumph learn about love, family, and finding themselves.
I know what you're thinking, and yes, this movie has all the clichés you want to make fun of it for. The hottest guy in town falls for the social outcast, they create a breed of love only they can understand, their love crumbles at least once, tragedy hits, blah blah blah. It has it all, and don’t lie to yourself, you’re glad it does, because it's what makes us happy, it what’s gives us (false) hope in the bleakness of our own personal lives. We laugh, we cry, and get wrapped up in a story only to be brought back to reality when the theater lights come up, giving into our realistic mindset that reminds us how much those kind of movies suck when you actually think about it.
No matter what we and our realism say, The Last Song is good. The acting is commendable, especially from Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Bobby Coleman who succeed in bringing even the I-don’t-cry-during-movies audience members to tears. The plot flows well and does a pretty good job of building Ronnie and Will’s relationship, an element that is often rushed and unbelievable in movies of this nature (*cough* Twilight *cough*). All of the character development is well done and avoids being over-the-top, as Ronnie’s rebellious yet passionate character creates a dynamic element that helps lower the predictability of the plot.
The key element that makes The Last Song so enjoyable is the music. Whether you are a musician, singer, or simply a listener; we can all understand the power and influence it has on our mood and life. Ronnie’s personal journey with her piano playing and singing is the key that makes The Last Song work. The soundtrack as a whole is awesome, it’s current and actually makes sense to listen to outside of the film. The way The Last Song integrates music into the plot, as well as the background music choices, creates a story that can only be rivaled by Sparks's original film success, A Walk to Remember, which utilized music in the same way. The Last Song adds the secret ingredient to the Nicholas Sparks's movie formula that makes it worth a watch.
So, yes, The Last Song does have every element we love to hate in a Nicholas Sparks drama. Yes, the love is unrealistic. Yes, the main characters are abnormally attractive. The Last Song is what it is, so go in expecting that. Escape reality and embrace the fantasy, this film has just enough smart dynamic elements to bring you back to earth and just might pleasantly surprise you.
