The New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks brought his heart-warming novel, “The Choice,” to life in its film version on February 1, 2016.
“The Choice” the film was written by Bryan Sipe and directed by Ross Katz. It is about a fate-driven story of two neighbors, Gabby (Teresa Palmer) and Travis (Benjamin Walker), who go from enemies to lovers quickly, over the span of one summer. Travis is a ladies’ man who thinks a serious relationship would ruin his laid-back lifestyle. Gabby is a feisty medical student who’s starting to prepare to settle down with her long-term boyfriend, Ryan (Tom Wellington). When the two begin to spend more time together due to their dogs at Travis’s family’s veterinary clinic, an irresistible spark between them begins to go off, and the two’s attraction towards each other becomes too much to handle. Gabby must decide whether to follow her head and settle down with Ryan, or follow her heart and embrace the love with Travis that she has never experienced before.
A gorgeous asset to this story is the setting. It takes place in the beachtown of Wilmington, North Carolina where the ocean is easily a few paces away from Travis and Gabby’s houses. In the movie, Travis takes Gabby and his friends on his boat and beautifies Wilmington by showing off its sunny weather and long, white beaches. There is also a scene where he takes Gabby to his private, hidden beach during the night, which also shows off how stunning Wilmington can be at nighttime. If the scenery was not as beautiful as it was in this movie, it would not have been as good of a movie, as it had been anticipated. Showing off the Wilmington summer really brought the story to life, and almost made Gabby and Travis’s love more apparent.
Another really enjoyable thing about this movie is the stellar casting. Benjamin Walker truly was the best person to cast for the role of Travis because he embodies the Southern charm and good ol’ boy sensibility in a way that nobody else probably could’ve. Teresa Palmer couldn’t have brought out Gabby any better, as well. She was focused, driven, and still overly sentimental at the same time, which is everything Gabby should’ve been and more. Their chemistry on and off screen was inevitable and truly made the film as realistic as it could be. Truly being in love was the biggest moral in this movie, and this cast showed viewers how good it can really be.
“The Choice” showed what the true meaning of following your heart means, and that you should never settle for anything less than the best. Out of all of Nicholas Sparks’s romance novels turned into movies, this one specifically showed that the purest and deepest kind of love is real, and it is everywhere. Conveying the true meaning of love is the best thing a viewer can take from a film. It is rated PG-13, and receives a worthy five star rating. This movie convinces people that you never have to settle for anything less than what you deserve.
