‘The Lucky One’—A movie for hopeless romantics
Erin Crooks, news editor
April 23, 2012
Filed under Arts and Entertainment
Any Nicholas Sparks book-turned-movie is sure to bring out female movie-goers in droves, and “The Lucky One” was no exception. The film made approximately $22.8 million this past weekend, and not surprisingly, its audience was 76 percent female, 52 percent of whom were under the age of 25.
Like many, I didn’t have particularly high hopes for the film when I bought my ticket, my popcorn and found a seat amongst the hordes of giggling teenage girls. Director Scott Hicks’ “The Lucky One” didn’t let me down.
The film begins in the middle of the war in Iraq, where Logan Thibault (played by Zac Efron) is struggling to hold it together the morning after a night raid gone wrong. When he spies a piece of paper on the ground and goes to investigate, he finds a photo of a beautiful blonde wearing white, giving her best impression of an angel. By picking up her picture, Logan narrowly avoids being in the exact spot of a bombing that takes place only seconds later.
After his third tour in Iraq, Logan allows his need to find the girl in the photo to take him to Louisiana, where she runs a dog kennel with her mother and young son, Ben. Rather than tell Beth who he is and how he came to find the photo she gave to her brother, Logan signs on to work at the kennel as dog-walker, kennel-cleaner and general handyman.
The plot is as predictable as it is boring, with only a tiny few surprising moments that save it from being a total flop. Hicks’ insistence on spoon-feeding the audience the movie’s themes is both overdone and keeps the audience from having to make any emotional connections or think for themselves.
When the characters are sad or angry, it’s storming. When Logan and Beth are happy and enjoying romantic scenes and playfulness, the weather is gorgeous. Beth wears flowing white tops, skirts and dresses on a daily basis that, while impractical, reinforces the idea of her being an angel-like figure that kept Logan safe in Iraq.
The movie builds infinitesimally towards a finale that is both expected and eagerly anticipated. And as usual, Nicholas Sparks’ characters find love and each other, and are almost too late.
The film is by no means completely horrible, or a complete waste of film, but is definitely one to be enjoyed by hopeless romantics, and those simply seeking an evening of entertainment and perhaps something to mock.
“The Lucky One” is showing at Fulton Cinema 8. For movie times and ticket info, call (573) 642 – 2122 or go to www.bbtheaters.com.
