Saturday, February 13, 2016

The Choice is formulaic and lazy writing

Movie Title:       The Choice

Grade:   C-

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

In a Nutshell:    My husband says that the definition of a Chick Flick is when two good-looking guys fall all over themselves for one spoiled girl.  If that’s true, then this is definitely a Chick Flick, although not a very good one.

One of the obvious choices in this formulaic movie isn’t just which guy to choose, but there are several others.  

Uplifting theme: 
  • “Life just keeps unfolding.  If you sit still, it’ll pass you by altogether.” – Gabby (Teresa Palmer)
  • “Life is held together by choices – all sizes.” – Gabby
  • “Opportunity is missed by most people, because it’s dressed up in overalls and looks a lot like work.” – Thomas Edison, as quoted by Shep (Tom Wilkinson)
  • “Every path you take leads to another choice.” – Travis (Benjamin Walker)

Things I liked:
  • Most of the movie takes place lakeside with beautiful views.
  • Cute puppies!
  • Teresa Palmer looks like the All-American girl next door.
  • Nicholas Sparks tries to add depth to his romantic stories.  His most recent tale-turned-Chick-Flick was “The Longest Ride.”  You can see my movie review of that film here.  That film did it much better than this one.
  • If you’re thinking about cheating on your boyfriend, you’ll see what a two-timer feels like.
  • There’s a funny proposal scene.

Things I didn’t like:
  • Everything about this movie is clichéd, even the clothing.  For example, he wears a tank top to show off his muscles and she wears a white t-shirt in the rain.
  • A lot of movie critics are begging Nicholas Sparks to stop writing such cheesy love stories that then get turned into sappy movies.
  • Benjamin Walker drinks bottles of beer in a weird way.  I know that seems nit-picky, but it bugged me.
  • They try to have clever chit-chat, but it comes out forced and predictable.  The actors look like they’re acting.
  • SPOILER ALERT:  A happy ending is an easy out.  The harder ending would have been to write something more interesting.
  • Both Travis and Gabby are too cocky for my taste.  They fight and bicker from the very first moment they meet, which is a clichéd, although not appealing, form of flirtation.
  • What kind of character does a girl have who jumps in bed with another guy when her boyfriend has only been gone a few days on a business trip?  Does true love excuse lack of integrity or morality? Um...nope.



Funny lines:
  •  “What are you doing?” – Gabby
“Walking towards you real slow.” – Travis
“Why?” - Gabby
“Cause if I ran, I’d scare you.”  - Travis
  • “Mama, he’s a walking cautionary tale.” - Gabby

Interesting lines:
  • “Has anyone ever said no to you?” – Gabby
“No.” – Travis
“Then, I’m making history.” - Gabby
  • “Your friends, family…that’s all you can count on in this world.  That’s what I believe.” – Travis
  • “I kind of fell into the Bible.  He wanted to burn it.” – Shep
  • “If you see a man sleeping on the cold floor, there’s sure to be a pretty woman nearby.” – Shep
  • “There’s no shame in being a broken man.  I should know. You just pick up the pieces and start rebuilding.” – Shep
  • “That’s all any woman wants…a man who’s going to fight.”   (for her)  - Monica (Alexandra Daddario)

Tips for parents:   

  • Girls falling out of their bikini tops.
  • One girl flips the bird.
  • Some profanity.
  • Two people jump in bed together on their very first date.
  • Take the opportunity to talk to your family about “Do Not Resuscitate” orders.  

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