Walking into a Nicholas Sparks movie, you can count on a few things. The setting will most likely be in a coastal North Carolina town, the leads will be attractive, and there will be lots of ooey, gooey, forever-after love. This one—the 10th to be adapted from Sparks’ romance novels—ticks each box, and is one of those films that manages to be simultaneously awful and enjoyable. It’s comfortably predictable, like a favorite pair of sweatpants you’ve pulled on hundreds of times.
The Longest Ride meshes together two love stories from two different eras (another Nicholas Sparks element). The main storyline involves former bull-riding champ Luke (played by the very attractive Scott Eastwood, son of Clint) and art history major Sophia, who is set to move to New York to work at an upscale art gallery. On their first date, the pair rescue Ira, an elderly man, from a car wreck. We get his love story—a lifelong passion for his wife, an Austrian immigrant during World War II-—through flashbacks. The two stories don’t exactly blend together naturally, and the juxtaposition feels forced. Melodramatic and overly sincere, this film won’t be winning any awards, but it will surely entertain fans of films like The Notebook.
Should You See It? If you’ve liked earlier Nicholas Sparks movies, you’ll enjoy this one —S.Z.
