The Lucky One (2012) User Reviews

Sweet and Dramatic Romance

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 September 2012]

In Iraq, the marine Sergeant Logan (Zac Efron) finds the photo of a young woman with the message "Keep Safe X" on the back in the debris of a construction and he keeps it in his pocket. His action saves his life from a mortar fire and he believes that the girl is his guard angel that protects him.

When he returns to Colorado, he has difficulties to adjust to the civilian life with his sister's family and he decides to seek out the woman. Logan researches the landscape and finds that the place is Hamden, in Louisiana, and he walks with his dog Zeus to Hamden.

He discovers that the woman is Beth Green (Taylor Schilling), who is the owner of the Green Kennels with her grandmother Ellie (Blythe Danner). When Logan meets Beth, he is unable to tell the reason why he had traveled to Hamden. She assumes that he wants a job that she had advertised and Ellis gives the job to Logan. Soon Logan befriends Beth's son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart) and becomes close to the family. But her former husband, Sheriff Keith Clayton (Jay R. Ferguson) does not want to make Logan's life easy.

"The Lucky One" is a sweet and dramatic romance, with pleasant characters. The director Scott Hicks explores the beautiful landscapes with a wonderful cinematography. The plot is very simple and predictable, but the chemistry among Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner and the boy Riley Thomas Stewart makes the film worth. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Homem de Sorte" ("A Lucky Man")

Nothing special

[kgmarra · 6/10 · 25 April 2012]

There seems to be a consistent trend in the movies based on Nicholas Sparks' romance novels. They all contain sappy clichés and a lack of substance. There are two main elements that are repetitive in these novels: the relationship between two soul mates and the sickness/death of a loved one. From what I've heard, the books are exceptional, however, the movies always fall short.

Logan (Zac Efron) is a marine who serves three tours in Iraq. During the war, he happens to find a photograph of a beautiful girl and "keep safe" is written on the back. Directly after he picks it up, there is an explosion right where he had been standing before he found the picture. Logan asks around, desperately trying to find whose picture it is, but nobody claims it.

Now that he has the picture in his possession, he is invincible and his luck in the treacherous circumstances of war is incredible. After surviving his three tours, Logan is determined to find the girl in the picture to personally thank her for the good luck she brought him. He recognizes a tower in the picture and walks with his German shepherd, Zeus, from Colorado all the way to Louisiana.

Of course, Logan and the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling), fall deeply in love, but struggle through the conflicts that arise. Sadly, most of this movie is revealed in the trailer, which seems to happen quite often these days.

Zac Efron does a decent job playing the character of Logan, however, he just can't pull off the tough-guy look that is essential in this film. He will always be remembered as Troy Bolton from "High School Musical". In any case, this is a tear-jerking, cheesy movie that most teenage girls would enjoy. It's not terrible, yet nothing special. I give "The Lucky One" a 6 out of 10.

It could have been better.

[tabathahaskett75 · 5/10 · 21 April 2012]

This was the first Nicholas Sparks book I read and I loved it, so I had high hopes for the movie. Like usual the movies are never as good as the books are. For some reason they changed a lot of basic info. Like location. Why change the state? Any way the love making scenes were very good so if you are just going for the romance you won't be disappointed. I think that Zack played Logan well. He had a depth that I didn't expect as an actor even though he didn't have much to work with. It wasn't my favorite movie but it wasn't that bad either. Maybe if you didn't read the book first you might like it better. And for those who haven't read it but liked the movie, you should read it. You will love it.

Could've been better

[iluvphsfh9 · 7/10 · 11 May 2012]

It wasn't bad but if I wasn't so in love with the book I don't think I would've liked it so much. I don't like how they changed the plot of how Beth finds out about the photo, it was a lot better and would've added more substance to the movie when he gives it to Ben and it keeps him safe. I also think they should've had Zues be more prevalent in the movie like in the book. Zues saves Ben pretty much in the book and although it might be hard to train a dog to do that it would've been pretty cool but also the beginning story about him training Zues on the way would've added to it as well. There is just a lot more substance missing from the movie that I saw a lot of other reviews saying they didn't seem to see the character development. I understand a lot of the time books are edited to be turned into movies but in this case it was changed for the worse not the better unfortunately. Getting a few more actors to be the girls on the beach would've cost some extra money and training a dog to do the rescue scene would've cost a lot so I guess they were kinda worried about the costs more than quality. The best part is that Zac Efron is amazing in this and although for me his character was already well developed from the book I think he did a good job in the movie as well!

An all round sweet film filled with romance. Zac is all man.

[JimmyCollins · 7/10 · 24 April 2012]

Whenever there is a new adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel is released, there's always a mass amount of haters and so be it because some of them are extremely cheesy and bad, however I think that the hate towards The Lucky One is unwarranted, I personally thought it was a very enjoyable romantic drama. The Lucky One is quite different to other Sparks movies, I found the storyline to be a lot more serious and mature than normal, and the story being told from the male perspective is also a nice change.

The acting from Zac Efron is top form, as he gets older his roles get better and his acting improves with each movie, Taylor Schilling is also nice, if not being a little too old for Efron, but she brings some niceness to the character, and Blythe Danner is a bit of a scene stealer in her small role.

Yes parts of this film are a little cliché, particularly towards the end, but it's no biggie, the lack of chemistry between the two leads is a bit annoying at first but soon it changes and gets better, even though Taylor Schilling is nice in the role I do think that she is miscast, I think Abbie Cornish may have suited the role a little more. But even still the few flaws that this movie does have doesn't distract from the overall niceness of the film.

Zefron is all man now and he is definitely an actor to watch. Fans of the book will love it, Zac fans will love it too, generally a nice romance to enjoy with friends.

Expected More From A Nicolas Sparks Adaptation

[FFman-847-460126 · 6/10 · 20 April 2012]

When you walk into a Nicolas Sparks movie, you expect certain things. The Lucky One follows a storyline similar to most of Nicolas Sparks' other adapted novels. This is neither a good nor a bad thing. So long as the movie can stand on its own feet, it deserves recognition. On that ground, The Lucky One does hold its own. The acting is great and the story held my interest. In the end, specific problems make this movie much worse than it should have been.

The main fallback of the story is the characters. Stereotypes are abound. The mayor-to-be is the same as any story that tries to cover a trapped-in-a-small-town feel. The father is an incredibly flat character that is in no way believable. Even Zac Efron's character is too mysterious for his own good. Although Efron pulled off the role quite well, it was the way the character is presented that is the problem.

The other problem with the film is its climax. I won't give it away, but I have seen the same climax more than once. It was an unfortunate low point in a movie that was incredibly well acted. The rest of the storyline was quite unique and enjoyable. Even the modern setting of PTSD and soldiers who have served too many tours was a fascinating setting for the movie. Unfortunately, the amateur screenwriter dropped the ball.

I must point out an unfortunate fact of this movie. It's only 101 minutes. Since it is so short for a complex drama, it drops the ball on many occasions. In the beginning of the film, Zac Efron's character walks from Colorado to Missouri. This fact is almost addressed at one point, but then dropped and never brought back. Things like this happen throughout the film. These holes could have been filled with 15 to 20 minutes more screen time. Unfortunately, the push to keep films shorter made The Lucky One significantly worse.

If you are a Nicolas Sparks fan, this movie is worth seeing. If you enjoy romantic dramas, I would recommend renting The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, or Dear John. If you don't like romantic dramas, there is no reason for you to see this movie. Nicolas Sparks is one of the few authors who deliver consistently good plots. Unfortunately, his last two films have fallen flat. Maybe it's time for him to stop using the same formula again and again.

reillyreviews.wordpress.com

Are You Telling Me He Walked All That Way?

[Chris_Pandolfi · 6/10 · 20 April 2012]

Faithful readers will know that film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels aren't exactly my cup of tea. I enjoy a good romance as much as the next person, but I've found his particular style to be predictable, soppy, and emotionally manipulative. With that in mind, I find myself in the position of reviewing his newest adaptation, "The Lucky One." While hardly recommendable, it is admittedly better than I thought it was going to be. It has all the reliable hallmarks of a Nicholas Sparks story – a Southern setting, a sudden love between perfect strangers, characters with troubled histories, outside forces that threaten the blossoming relationship, a sentimental conclusion – and yet it worked just a little harder at allowing me to see past its contrivances. It wasn't hard enough, but progress is progress.

It begins in Iraq, where a U.S. marine named Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) is on his third tour of duty. The night after an ambush, he spots something gleaming in a pile of rubble. It's a photo of a young woman. When it's determined that it belongs to none of the surviving soldiers, Logan claims it as his own, carrying it around with him for the next seven months. He has no idea who the woman is, but it seems she's keeping him alive while others around him die. In a sudden flash, we see him back at home in Colorado, where it's clear he has a touch of PTSD. He reunites with his sister and nephews, finds he can relate to none of them, and decides to track down the woman in the photo so that he can thank her. A distinct lighthouse in the background is just enough for him to discover that she lives in Louisiana.

And so, with his dog by his side, he journeys from one state to the other. The astounding thing is that he walks the entire way. At no point does the film make clear how long the journey takes, and it never explains how he had the means to rest at night and feed both himself and his dog. Never mind; his travelling is conveniently summed up with a few simple shots edited together in a brief montage. His destination in Louisiana is a family-run dog kennel/training school. It's here that he finally meets the woman in the photo. Her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling), a former full-time elementary school teacher and a single mom. She lives with her grandmother (Blythe Danner), who, despite having suffered a minor stroke, can always be counted on to educate young people with her years of wisdom.

Through a series of verbal misunderstandings, Logan doesn't get the chance to tell Beth why he's really there. She believes he's responding to her want ad for help. She initially doesn't trust him, and indeed, how can you trust a man that walked all the way from Colorado to Louisiana? Her grandmother, on the other hand, is far more accommodating and hires him on the spot. He proves himself to be an incredibly diligent worker. "Does he have an off button?" Beth asks disapprovingly. "I hope not," her grandmother responds playfully. In due time, Logan befriends Beth's son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart) and makes an enemy out of Beth's ex-husband, a cop named Keith (Jay R. Ferguson). Hot-headed, jealous, controlling, and possessive, Keith might as well have been named Rick with a silent P.

I'm aware that movies like this exist primarily for entertainment, so I won't bother pointing out how unlikely it is that Logan and Beth could fall in love under these particular set of circumstances – or at all, for that matter. But inevitably, they fall head over heels for each other. This is despite the fact Logan has yet to spill the beans about the photo, which we eventually learn belonged to Beth's brother, a marine who died a year earlier while serving in Iraq. Apart from the fact that the two were close growing up due to the untimely deaths of their parents, what really tortures Beth is the fact that her brother might have died as the result of friendly fire. The investigation is ongoing. Is it possible that Logan knows what really happened?

A few incidental subplots work their way into the story, including Ben's reluctance to play the violin, Keith's wealthy father running for mayor, and Beth's grandmother being a part of a gospel choir. We also see Ben trying to please his father, who's such a manly man that he actively discourages weak activities like music and birthday parties. I'll never understand how it is Ben can feel anything for his father at all, but I guess that's just another one of those contrivances I'll have to tolerate. All leads to a rather mechanical (yet somehow appropriate) confrontation that involves a sudden rainstorm, a raging river, a rickety wooden bridge, and a shaky tree house jutting perilously from a limb. Although "The Lucky One" is not edifying, I recognize that it fills a need. Believe you me, it will fill it nicely.

-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)

A Fine Little Chick Flick

[patsworld · 8/10 · 30 April 2012]

Oh yes, this is a chick-flick. One that is a proper showcase to prove Zac Efron has grown up to be a heck of a hunk! Also, you can never, ever find anything to fault with any performance turned in by Blythe Danner. She has been perfect in any role I've ever seen her in, this one is no exception. I have to say that logic does step in and you want, desperately, to say, "Oh for goodness sake, just do what you came to do!" But if that should have happened, it would have ended up a short movie, indeed. There is enough action, romance, gentle humor, wonderful Louisiana scenery, good people, bad people, decent story-line, fine acting.…it's a pretty good movie. Nothing earth-shattering or Oscar-worthy happens here, perhaps, but it's a film I'd recommend and one I enjoyed watching.

Sweet and pure but mostly ho-hum

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 30 August 2012]

Nicholas Sparks has basically created his own brand of romantic movies. Each one seems to do extremely well and as many reviewers have pointed out they are all very similar recipe and have the same basic aura about them. So you can't go into The Lucky One without knowing exactly what you're in for. If you understand these expectations The Lucky One will please you because it follows that recipe perfectly and it succeeds to be sweet and romantic with an okay story and decent characters. The issue with The Lucky One is that it doesn't break the mold, it won't ever be accused of being ambitious. Its perfectly complacent in its genre and appeal to young girls mostly proved by its choice of leading man. There is no great story, great characters, great direction, great ending...there is just an okay story, characters, direction and ending. I was pleased that the ending was at least reasonably "happy ever after" because one thing with Sparks' stories is that you never know what the "big disaster" will be at the end or to one of the main characters.

Zac Efron is a teen heart-throb and because the film wishes to appeal to the young teen girl demographic he is the perfect choice. He gives a decent performance but I felt like he simply looked too young. He was just too baby faced, and the facial hair didn't help. He could still play a teenager. But despite that his character is decent, has a bit of a dark side, and has a brooding quality. Taylor Schilling (who I loved in the short lived TV Series Mercy) plays his love interest. She's good and they have okay chemistry but in a true romance film you need to have GREAT chemistry. (Rachael McAdams and Ryan Gosling in the Notebook for instance.) Schilling is three years older than Efron but because of his aforementioned baby face she looks so much older than him. Blythe Danner is great as Schilling's Grandmother and I would have liked her to have a bigger role. Riley Thomas Stewart does a great job as Schilling's young son, and Jay R. Ferguson is the ex-husband and father who has no redeemable qualities yet somehow we are supposed to feel for him when his story arc climaxes.

Director Scott Hicks has had some experience in romance films but let's be honest...this film was churned out for their demographic to make money and it did that. They weren't trying to make a classic, or a timeless romance. This was the kind of mainstream movie that is pushed out to make a buck and nothing more. That doesn't make the film unwatchable...it just means its lacking any sort of artistic merit and it misses the potential of making a great movie. Basically the target demographic will probably love and swoon over the movie but anyone over the age of 18ish will likely just say...that was okay and forget about it minutes later. It's just all around okay. 7/10

Overrated and tedious

[Jodelle · 5/10 · 21 April 2012]

This movie contains eye-candy (Zac Efron) and stunning scenery. It's almost like the director is counting on that to rescue a very weak script. This movie spent over and hour and a half trying to make us "feel" the angst of the main characters but instead I kept wanting to slap them into having some sense. I kept thinking that the actors needed more lines and less music to tell the story. It was melodramatic and entirely predictable. I do not recommend this movie in the theaters unless you have money and time to throw away.

I must add that I was impressed with Zac Efron's acting and also the boy in the movie. I was surprised that Blythe Danner lent her talent to such a weak vehicle but I'm sure there aren't many options for older actresses in this day.

LOVED this movie!!

[prairiestar · 10/10 · 31 May 2012]

I watched this movie on Memorial Day, and was reminded all over again that freedom isn't free. So if you are a past or present member of any branch of the US Armed Forces, or if your loved one has paid the ultimate sacrifice with their life, fighting for our freedom, please accept my heartfelt thanks.

I LOVED this movie. Everyone did an excellent job with their character – especially with Logan. So much feeling and emotion in his expression and actions, even when no words were needed. I felt like I could see into his very soul. I saw a young man who still can hardly grasp the fact that he has survived 3 tours of war in the middle east, when many of his comrades didn't come home. You can sense the depth of emotion and turmoil, and can easily understand why it was often hard to just find words to express himself. You can see the military training and discipline, the steel resolve to control his reactions, even when harassed by the town bully/ex-husband. There's also loyalty, concern for others, tenderness, selflessness, willingness to work hard – he's the man of every woman's dream!

It's easy to see that Beth is a survivor of an extremely abusive marriage. Even though she's now divorced, she's still not free from the abusive and controlling ex-husband. She's very careful in how she responds or endures his abusive threats, in order to keep him from going into a greater rage… and I cheered for her when she finally found the courage to speak up and take control of her own destiny.

Keith, the ex-husband, is easy to despise, for his hateful, snarly, manipulating character… and yet in the end we saw a little glimpse of good in his soul as well… a little glimpse of what he might have been if he'd only been willing to humble himself and get help much earlier.

I loved the happy ending, I loved the story, and I very much appreciated that the producers kept it clean. I can't wait for the DVD – this is a keeper!!

Watchable date movie.

[Quietb-1 · 6/10 · 26 April 2012]

Looks pretty. No thinking required.

How many times can the writer play the photograph card? The picture the marine finds is the catalyst for the story, yet very late they play another picture to wrap up a loose end.

Predictable. Good performances all around. Zack Efron seemed a little young and short for Taylor Shilling. The dogs are good.

The movie drags at times, but if you get board you can always watch the rear view mirror on the truck appear and disappear from scene to scene.

It kinda has the feel of a 60's movie with the folk singer telling the story as it happens. Pleasant enough romance tale with a happy ending.

Middle of the road romantic weepie fare

[keiichi73 · 4/10 · 21 April 2012]

As romantic dramas go, The Lucky One is pretty thin stuff. It has a workable premise and everything, but the movie can't think of anything to do with itself, so it pads out its running time with one musical montage after another. You know a director has run out of ideas when he puts two different montages in about a span of two minutes apart from each other. The film is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks, who has done much better (and worse) than this. This falls somewhere in the middle.

Our hero is Logan, a Marine fighting overseas as the film begins, and played with wooden indifference by Zac Efron. There's nothing particularly interesting about Logan to begin with. He's handsome, he's noble, he works hard, and that's about it when it comes to his personality. Despite this, Efron could have shown a bit more life in his performance. After a particularly intense battle, Logan spots a photo of a woman lying in the rubble of the battlefield. Lucky thing he found and walked over to that photo, as moments later, a bomb drops where he was standing just seconds ago, killing his comrades. Logan finishes his tour, but is obsessed with discovering who the woman in the picture is, and who it belongs (or belonged) to. He returns home briefly to Colorado to live with family for a while, but when he can't readjust to civilian life, he packs his bags and, with his faithful dog Zeus by his side, decides to walk cross country to search out who the mysterious woman in the photo is.

His travels take him all the way to North Carolina, which is quite an amazing feat to walk all that distance. What's even more amazing is how Logan managed not to get dirty, or even mess up or grow out his hair during those many long months of walking. He arrives at a farmhouse/dog kennel, where it just so happens that the woman in the photo lives and works there. She's Beth (Taylor Schilling), who works at the kennel, is a single mother to her seven-year-old son, Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart), and shares the home with her mother (Blythe Danner, who gives the most interesting performance in the film). Logan means to tell Beth about the photo he found that day, but he just can't bring himself to mention it. Part of this is because of Logan having issues with his own past as a soldier, and part of this is for plot convenience, so that the movie can drag out his secret as long as it can, until it is dramatically appropriate. He takes a job at the kennel, and becomes a natural taking care of the many dogs.

He also starts building a bond with both Beth and her young son. She starts sharing her private hopes and dreams with him, and little Ben starts taking him to the old tree house where he hangs out, which is accessible only by crossing a rickety old bridge over a raging river. As soon as I saw that broken down old bridge, I knew it would collapse at one point - most likely during the intense climax, and during a storm. Sure enough, as the climax approached, those storm clouds started rolling in, and all the central characters started heading for that bridge. Logan also gets to meet Beth's ex-husband, Keith (Jay R. Ferguson), who serves as the town Sheriff as well as the town bully. He's a one dimensional villain who exists solely to push Logan and Beth around, and threaten to take Ben away from them. As a villain, he couldn't be any less subtle if he was wearing a T-shirt at all times that had the words "HI! I'M A SLIMEBALL!" written on it.

The Lucky One is pretty standard stuff as these kind of films go - The central romance between Logan and Beth is nice and all, but the characters don't really have a lot of personality to go with their physical attractiveness. You get the feeling that these two don't have a lot to talk about when they're alone. The movie also has its share of corny romantic lines, such as when Logan tells her, "You deserve to be kissed every hour, every minute, every second of every day", or when he says, "Finding that picture of you on the battlefield was like finding an angel in Hell". Yes, the movie is gooey in its sentimentality, but it never offends. I also enjoyed Blythe Danner's performance. She seems to know what kind of a movie she's stuck in, and has a little fun with it, delivering some much needed sarcasm and wit in her performance. It's no wonder I found her the most interesting character, she's the only one who gets to act like a real person.

The movie was directed by Scott Hicks (No Reservations), who's done some films I've admired, but seems to be cashing a paycheck here. I don't blame him for wanting to take it easy once in a while, but I wish he had picked a more interesting script. I can't really picture The Lucky One being a very memorable romantic weepie, but hey, I said the same thing about The Vow, so what do I know?

Lucky Sparks

[MC1-Bjornson · 7/10 · 9 May 2012]

"The Lucky One", Rated "PG-13" for Adult Situations, Adult Language, Adult Humor, Some Sexual Content, Adult Scenes & Mild Violence. Running Time: 1hr&41mns.

My Take *** (Out of ****) / 7/10 on the IMDb Scale

Do you believe fate brought you to your circle of friends and family? Was it merely coincidence, luck or circumstance that put you there? Here's another question: does it matter how the people in your life came to be in your life? Perhaps it is more important that they are simply there. No whys, buts or ifs. Just accept your blessing(s) as an absolute.

Well, for anyone who's ever read a Nicholas Sparks book, or seen a film based on one of his books, you would be well advised to suspend all your beliefs in reality. Instead, you would have to accept his whimsical notion that love is blind and it will find and envelope people when they least expect it. It is a constant in all his tales, which include "Dear John" (2010), "The Notebook" (2004), "A Walk to Remember" (2002). Let's not beat around the bush here: the success of Sparks' books rely heavily on schmaltz. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's a little like going into Chucky Cheese and knowing what you're getting yourself into. Did I say 'cheese'? That is no fooling. This latest Sparks' film adaptation, "The Lucky One," is another unapologetic staple in Sparks' highly improbable love stories.

"The Lucky One" focuses on young Marine sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron), a troubled man who has completed three tours of duty in the Marine Corps. He has a photo in his possession of a beautiful woman that he found in the middle-east during combat. For whatever reason, he believes that the photo is good luck and that it has saved his life on several occasions. He returns home to Colorado and realizes he won't find peace there. Looking for closure, he decides to walk to Louisiana in search of the mystery woman. That's right, he's going walk to Louisiana and bring his dog too.

Are you following this? This is where you check your brain at the door when watching anything based on a Nicholas Sparks book. How does Logan know the woman is in Louisiana? Let's just say, at the very least, he was able to deduce this astronomically. This fact could be construed as creepy, obsessive and stalkeresque, though these matters are relatively ignored. It is a Sparks absolute, and it must be accepted as such.

The woman in the photo is Beth (Taylor Schilling), a plucky single mom living at her grandmother Ellie's (Blythe Danner) large rural home with a dog kennel business. Logan wants to tell Ellie about the photo and why he's in Louisiana, but the words simply elude him. Through a misunderstanding, Logan agrees to take a job at the kennel. The job also conveniently comes with a place to live right on the property.

Beth finds Logan odd and is cautious of him. Naturally in a story like this, the wise old grandmother knows the potential for young love when she sees it. She believes Logan to be a fine, noble young man. Let us forget he is a military drifter like Rambo. He looks like Zac Efron which clearly means he's trustworthy and meant to be with Beth right? Uh, huh. Naturally, Beth's young son Ben (Thomas Riley Stewart, "How I Met Your Mother") is accepting of Logan. Yes, it's a given that Beth's ex-husband Keith (Jay R. Ferguson, "Mad Men") is disapproving of a mysterious drifter having a passionate romance with Beth. It doesn't help the two lovebirds that Keith is a shady sheriff's deputy determined to learn what brought Logan to town.

"The Lucky One" is directed by Scott Hicks who is probably best known for his Oscar nominated bio-pic "Shine" (1996). That film was a meticulous recreation of the life of driven pianist David Helfgott (played by Geoffrey Rush who won the Best Actor Oscar for the role). His next film was the heated racial period piece "Snow Falling on Cedars" (1999), which was also grand in scope. This time instead of using an epic canvas to tell the fictitious "The Lucky One," Scott lets the whimsy of the story carry it through. The story is treated as serious as it can be given the premise, and Scott doesn't shy away from being playful with the material either. Unlike his earlier works, this film is intentionally light-hearted and breezy.

Though "The Lucky One" is a romance at heart, it also boasts some impressive visuals. The rural Louisianan vistas are lush and elaborate. Whether it is something as simple as a tree house overlooking a river or sail-boating on the open blue water, this movie is great to look at. Simple shots like sunlight beaming through the treetops is masterfully done. Grandma Ellie's home looks idealic; like a place you would see in a Thomas Kincaid painting. I would be happy to live at Ellie's house. The cinematography in this movie is one of its charms.

Overall, "The Lucky One" is a charming, likable movie. We know it's far-fetched, especially when we learn how Beth's photo ended up with Logan and the connection he has to the incident that brought it to him. But we don't care. Sure the movie has some clichés, but the good news is the film is honest in its sappiness. That's what saves it.

"The Lucky One" is nothing grand, but in the right context it is a satisfactory watch. True, there are better Nicholas Sparks movies out there. Nevertheless, this picture has earned the right to be among their ranks. How many of us watch the movies for reality anyway? If you're not expecting too much, "The Lucky One" is a cute little movie.

"I couldn't find the words"

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 January 2013]

Zac Efron made some giant strides in shedding his Disney High School Musical image with this romantic drama where he plays a former Marine on a mission. In The Lucky One even gets some tastefully done romantic sex scenes with co-star Taylor Schilling.

While in Iraq on a military style mission Efron finds a picture of a pretty woman with the inscription 'stay safe' on the back. Without thinking it didn't help the Marine who had it before, he takes the picture and credits it as a good luck charm which kept him safe in a nasty fire fight. After discharge, Efron makes it his mission to find whose picture it is.

The mission takes him to the Louisiana bayou country where he finds Schilling together with her young son Riley Stewart and a most jealous ex-husband Jay Ferguson who is a deputy sheriff. She's living with her grandmother Blythe Danner and the photograph belonged to her brother who was in Iraq the same time as Efron.

There's a fine line between romance and stalking and Efron may have erased it. He tries to tell Schilling, but she just assumes he is answering an advertisement she put around town about her needing help with the family business which is a dog kennel. She hires him and nature takes its course.

Efron and Schilling hit it off for themselves on the screen and for the audience watching. Some real nice cinematography of Louisiana in the fall also distinguishes The Lucky One.

Will this be luck for life? You have to watch The Lucky One to find out. I will say Zac Efron was lucky to do this film.

Not the same

[shadybabi69 · 7/10 · 4 May 2012]

I know not all books that turn into a movie are exactly like the book but this didn't even really follow the story. It didn't show much from the book at all and that was really disappointing.

I mean the movie was still really sweet and I did enjoy it but if you read the book you probably share the same disappointment of a lot of things that made it really a great story. So I guess what I am getting at is the movie left out the good storytelling. Everything in the movie happened too fast and just got thrown together.

As for the characters they all fit perfect, I just really wish it would have followed the story line of the book.

Zac all growed up

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 23 March 2013]

Okay, it's a chick flick and I'm an old man. But I like chick flicks...sometimes. And this one is pretty decent. In fact, I'm not so sure it is a chick flick. It tackles some pretty tough topics -- infidelity, a child needing a father, loneliness, etc. And these are not treated lightly. So, I'll change my mind -- not a chick flick -- a drama.

This is the first film I've seen Zac Efron in where I actually liked his acting. He's beginning to develop into a pretty good adult actor...not quite there yet...and a bit too stone-faced and serious throughout most of the movie...but it's a start. I do wish he would have shaved, at least occasionally...but perhaps that's part of giving him a more adult look.

His costar here, an actress with whom I was not familiar (Taylor Schilling) is very good in her role as a young woman trying to balance here need for love with a jealous ex-husband who is attempting to hold their young son as the psychological hostage.

It's always a pleasure to see Blythe Danner, is she very nicely here as Schhilling's mother who is sympathetic to Efron.

Keith Clayton, as the ex-husband, is appropriately creepy, but not particularly impressive here...he just does okay in his role.

Quite a good movie. Recommended.

Surprisingly good romantic drama

[trini316 · 9/10 · 11 March 2013]

I normally do not like sappy romantic movies. I typically don't really enjoy Nicholas Sparks movies in particular, with one or two exceptions. Guess I'll have to add another exception now.

While there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about this movie, and there were a few clichés (I spent the first 10 minutes counting every time a character was portrayed back-lit by the sun. I lost count!), I ended up being surprised with the subtlety of the story- telling. Every time I expected, for instance, the small-town cop, abusive ex to: arrest Logan for a trumped up charge, beat him when everyone was looking and then deny it, beat up his ex-wife when she defied/challenged him, or any number of movie tropes, the story took a more subtle route. He is portrayed as the "bad guy" so to speak, but not in a one-dimensional manner.

And every time I expected the love interests to: rip each other's clothes off at the first opportunity, fall head over heels for each other in a melodramatic, saccharine fashion, and over-explain every scene at every given opportunity, they surprisingly didn't.

Instead, the love interests are portrayed as gradually falling for each other over a period of time in a regular, reasonable manner.

I especially appreciated that dialogue was used sparingly and everything wasn't talked to death like a lot of movies these days.

If you're looking for a witty, fast-paced, sex-filled movie with lots of dialogue and plenty of action, this definitely isn't the movie for you.

But I thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing change of pace, the sweet, gentle love story, as well as a surprisingly decent performance by Zac Efron.

My main gripe is that there were entirely too many back-lit scenes. I wish I could have the sun following me around all the time, back- lighting my profile.

Overall, though, I recommend it. Will probably watch again.

Book vs. Movie May Contain Spoilers

[michael-risner · 7/10 · 22 February 2013]

The movie was great but I had to opportunity to read the book before watching the movie. This is truly a great story from Nicholas Sparks. The title "The Lucky One" is not really explained in the film, Victor tells Logan that he is "The Lucky One" because of the photo of Elizabeth (Beth). Another thing is that Logan doesn't call her Elizabeth in the movie, in the book he does and it strikes her because only her brother Drake had called her by her real first name. Also the way Drake died changed from the novel to the movie. In the novel Drake was killed by friendly fire, in the movie Logan tells Beth that he saw Drake when their platoons crossed and he was killed by enemy ambush. Victor dies from a boating accident in the novel, in the movie he is killed by enemy ambush. The death of Clayton in the novel is more elaborate. In fact in the book we aren't sure if Logan survived until the Epilogue. Other than the fact that the movie was a condensed version of the novel it was pretty good. The novel itself is exceptional. The film could have been better but what movie adapted from a book is without criticism?

Alas, I was not the lucky one.

[TheSquiss · 2/10 · 17 June 2012]

Whoever The Lucky One was meant to be, it certainly wasn't me.

If you've read any of Nicholas Sparks' novels (I haven't) or suffered, sorry, seen any of the film adaptations (Message in a Bottle, The Notebook etc.) then you'll understand the formula: Woman in need of love meets man but an obstacle (death, another woman/man etc.) bars their way to rumpy pumpy and never-ending happiness but something will occur (argument, misunderstanding, accident etc.) resulting in the death or change of heart of the cause of the obstacle and the opportunity for the heartthrob to prove his prowess and win the girl.

If that was a plot spoiler for you, you evidently didn't watch the trailer (the entire film in 30 seconds – and better for it!) and deserve only to watch such turgid, pox-ridden flicks as Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

There are no surprises in The Lucky One other than how utterly predictable the plot and outcome are and how thoroughly stereotypical and two-dimensional the principal characters turn out to be. Oh, I suppose I was marginally surprised at how a young man who essentially stalks the sister of a dead soldier is able to turn that into a plus point… Scott Hicks, who deservedly won plaudits for Shine and then ripped the hearts out of the adaptations for two superb novels (Snow Falling on Cedars and Hearts in Atlantis), again directs with a join-the-dots approach with similar results: Yes, you'll know what the picture is supposed to be but you won't want to frame it and hang it over the fireplace.

I don't dislike the film because it's a rom-com, I dislike it because it's a really badly made rom-com. It's certainly no Notting Hill and doesn't even reach the dizzy first-floor heights of Hicks' own The Boys Are Back.

The presence of Blythe Danner should be a plus point (and trust me, we need every plus point we can find in this offering), but she's been written another predictably fanciable, quirky grandma role who is too beautiful, too 'wise', too absolutely perfect to be realistic or engaging. Zac Efron's heartthrob marine, Logan, is equally unbelievable; a good-looking, almost perfect, animal-loving, child-adoring, non-judgemental, placid, mechanic, painter, pianist who just happens, let's not forget, to be an obsessive stalker!!! What's lovable or dependable about that? Taylor Schilling is as bland as Beth, as Jay R. Ferguson is paint-by-numbers bad as ex-husband/pantomime villain. It's barely worth saying much more about them lest the venom I spit corrodes my teeth on the way out.

Stuff happens. All the stuff you know is going to happen happens. The holes are big enough to swallow entire ranches. Nothing is fully thought out or explained, everything ties up neatly and you'll either leave the cinema in love with the pastel world of Hollywood's schmaltziest minds or you'll escape to the car park just about in time to vomit on your shoes without ruining the carpet.

I need a new pair of Ted Bakers.

Spoilers ...Great movie

[terrihatton15-325-372577 · 9/10 · 20 April 2012]

If you read the book you will notice some huge differences, but I was expecting that going in as Hollywood does it to every book adaptation known to man. This movie won't win any Oscars, but it's a sweet romantic movie that will brighten your day and make you feel there are still some good guys left in this world.

I thought the performances were great. As the Logan character in the book didn't have much dialogue neither did he in the movie and I thought Zac Efron did amazingly well conveying his emotions through facial and body movements. I will say I think Taylor Schilling lacked performance wise, but she did gain steam toward the end of the film.

I gave this movie a 9/10 because I wanted sappy romance and I got it with some extra steamy Zac Efron.

Romance lovers will appreciate it but, not the strongest Sparks story

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 25 June 2013]

Logan (Zec Efron) is a marine who just returned to the USA from some harrowing missions overseas. While he was there, he found a photograph that a fallen marine carried with him for protection. The lady pictured was his beautiful wife, Beth (Taylor Shilling). Finding the likeness very appealing, Logan feels compelled to go to Louisiana, where the couple lived, and tell Beth what he knows of her husband's situation. But, when he arrives at the kennel Beth operates with help from her bright young son and her grandmother (Blythe Danner), the lovely lady thinks he is there to apply for a job and hands him an application. Stunned, Logan does so and when Beth learns he is a marine, she hires him on the spot. Naturally, she is still grieving the loss of her husband. Surprisingly, the deceased man is not the father of Beth's child. That awful man is still around, an ex-football star who got her pregnant during their senior year. Now divorced and a police officer, this man is unbearable, always creating problems and dreaming of the day that he will get Beth back. Everyone knows its not going to happen, except him. Proving he is a hard worker and good company, Beth wants to ignore Logan's vibes but finds she can't resist them. Will a romance ensue and will it last? What will the abusive ex-husband do if he finds out? This is a fair romantic drama, with an attractive and talented cast. The setting is also a major asset, for it is very scenic and beautiful. But, the story is just not strong enough to set it apart from countless other romantic dramas. This is surprising, for Sparks usually writes great material for films. Also, here is another tale of first husbands that truly are monster-like, which occurs in quite a few of Sparks works. So, it might seem too familiar as well. All in all, if you like the author or are searching for romantic movies that are fewer and fewer in number, you should give this one a try. While not outstanding, it has some passionate kisses that will please fans.

Rubbish

[ue-53660 · 3/10 · 19 October 2020]

My 3 out of 10 is for Zac Efron for taking off his shirt, the rest is 0 out of 10 for me.

Lead female wrongly cast

[michelle_kummer · 7/10 · 26 June 2021]

Zac and Blythe carried this movie, unfortunately I don't think that Taylor should have been cast as the main she looks a lot older than Zac and I think there are loads of better actresses that would have made this movie a lot better. Taylor looks like she's in her late 30's and she over acts which is annoying. It would have been a 10 otherwise.

Not a good pair but the love scenes are great!

[joan-may-mallillin · 6/10 · 12 January 2022]

I guess everyone portrayed their characters very well. Mood and music are all Nicholas Sparky.

The chemistry between them is workable but i think there's a better pair than them two. I love zac efron but i feel that he's unmatched with the female.. and vice versa.