Twice the tearjerkers
What was I thinking? Two movies that were bound to be tearjerkers – oh, because they were both written by Nicholas Sparks (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook) but I’m just a sap for anything super romantic, epic, tragic.. whatever.
Surely there’d still be a fairytale journey on the way to whoever was meant to die (as there is always someone that dies in a Nicholas Sparks tale) so I went with Dear John starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, and then the Last Song with Miley Cyrus and the boyfriend she met on set – aussie Liam Hemsworth. Boy – the two were poles apart.
Dear John tells of a man and woman seperated by the army at first, only to be temporary, then by a longer stretch due to the events that took place on September 11, 2001. All this, after an epic 2 week summer romance that featured a musical montage, and lots of hand holding on the beach.
I tried to write that in the epically tragic way it was meant to be told but to be honest – I’m not sure if there was chemistry lacking, or the fact that it is hard to relate, and get to know characters through letter writing alone. Then.. without giving anything away, there’s a pity marriage, and bad mistakes, and then a pity donation, and a pity hug. Once you see it, it will make sense, but it all just left me with the thought of… uh, Nicholas Sparks, WHAT were you wanting me to feel here? Who was I meant to feel sorry for? Or in love with? What life lesson should I have learnt here?
It just left me so dissatisfied, and practically disgruntled because I think the plot veered off, tried to be more preachy and over the top self-righteous, I wouldn’t recommend this on a girl’s night in movie night.
Then there was the Last Song. It had all the right elements – though I’m not entirely convinced that Miley Cyrus could ever succesfully play a ‘rebellious’ teenager. Sent off for the summer with her younger brother to spend time with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear) she refuses to play piano anymore (though Juilliard know about her) and spend any time with the family.
She then meets handsome volleyball playing, mechanic, aquarium volunteer Will, and swoon, she’s smiling again. Thus.. the romantic summer begins, and she starts seeing a different side of family. All the cliches are here, the epic musical date montage, and having a mud fight, seriously. Too. Much. Romance. I won’t go into too much here, or why it made me bawl my eyes out but for what it was, and what Nicholas Sparks always promises – pick this over Dear John.
P.S – the forehead kiss gets me every time.
