Sweeping Southern landscape? Check. Mismatched relationship between a rich girl and a laid-back boy (who often goes shirtless)? Check. A medical crisis that may determine the fate of the relationship? An overwrought plot twist? A repeated catchphrase that will soon be pasted across tweens’ Tumblr pages everywhere? Check, check and check.
Such are the attributes of “The Choice,” the latest book turned into a film from author Nicholas Sparks. But they’re also the hallmarks of almost every other movie based on the best-selling writer’s romance novels. (See: “The Notebook,” “A Walk to Remember,” “Dear John,” “The Longest Ride,” etc., etc.) “The Choice” is nothing if not consistent, following the well-worn footsteps of its predecessors.
The film tells the complicated love story of Travis (Benjamin Walker), a smooth-talking veterinarian used to getting his way, and Gabby (Teresa Palmer), an uptight, career-focused medical student.
Starring: Teresa Palmer, Benjamin Walker.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and some thematic issues.
They begin as neighbors, their meet-cute precipitated by Travis playing his music a little too loudly while Gabby is hitting the books. Her reaction to his transgression sets the tone for their relationship throughout the film: overreacting and emotional, she nearly jumps down his throat with her grievances, while he, calm and charming, tries to placate her.
One of the biggest problems with the film is this very dynamic: While Ms. Palmer and Mr. Walker do seem to have natural chemistry, her acting is so overripe that it seems as though every sentence Gabby speaks ends with an exclamation point. This makes Travis’ sudden, deep interest in her somewhat unbelievable. Perhaps this is why Travis keeps talking about Gabby “bothering” him — something he says to her often. It’s fitting, given her annoying manner.
After Travis helps Gabby through a pet-related emergency, they start to bond a bit through more regular interaction, including (accidentally deep) discussions about God. Still, the speed with which the relationship progresses feels forced. Early on, there are knowing looks from Travis’ sister (Maggie Grace, the victim of an unflattering brunette wig or an unforgivable hairstylist), who utters such unsubtle lines as “Uh-oh, you just met your wife,” despite having seen the couple interact only once or twice.
Metaphors in the film are used as big, blinking, neon signs: He’s a one-chair kind of guy, but he put out a second one. And logic and natural pacing go out the window, despite a nearly two-hour running time. Travis and Gabby go from yelling at each other one minute to having a civil conversation the next. Soon they’re boating with friends and sharing a homemade meal.
If you’ve seen the trailer, you know there’s a car accident that leaves Gabby hooked up to medical equipment — a plot point that propels the last third of the film. Consequently, the film relies on Mr. Walker to supply much of the heavy lifting, acting-wise, from that point on. He’s an able lead, strong but subtle in his emotional scenes. (It’s not a true Sparks movie unless you tear up, and you will.)
There are some characters that draw attention away from the main relationship, but it’s hard to become invested in Travis’ father (Tom Wilkinson) or his clumsy attempts to court a new love, much less Gabby’s innocent bystander of a boyfriend (a wooden Tom Welling). Their subplots are all just paths that wind their way to the central love story.
“The Choice” arguably raises more questions than it answers: How can Gabby go on a spiel about what kind of man Travis is, based on the number of chairs he has in his yard? Why do the puppies born to Gabby’s golden retriever look like chihuahuas? How is it that Travis’ hair stays in the exact same style, despite the film’s nearly decade-long storyline? And why is it that Gabby is surrounded by books when we meet her but then never seems to crack one again?
Anyone not expecting any more than another simple entry in the Sparks catalog will not be disappointed. There are no surprises here — OK, maybe one — and you can expect some light welling up of the tear ducts and a few laugh-out-loud moments, sandwiched between corny dialogue and dramatic acts of love.
Once again, Mr. Sparks delivers the goods to his waiting fans. But if you’ve never seen a movie based on one of his books before, this second-rate “Choice” may not be the best introduction.
First Published: February 5, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
