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Author Nicholas Sparks has built a successful career on his knack for making women cry. With the release of each new novel—and each new film adaptation—his loyal fans gather up their tissue boxes and flock to the nearest bookstore or movie theater for their fix. After years of watching one Nicholas Sparks movie after another, though, I’m starting to think that the author doesn’t have much respect for his fans—because even when he adds a new twist to the story, as he does in Safe Haven, it’s just more of the same predictable fluff.
In the latest Sparks romance, Julianne Hough stars as Katie, a young woman who escapes a dark and mysterious past in Boston and finds a new home in the small coastal town of Southport, North Carolina. There, she meets Alex (Josh Duhamel), a widowed father of two who runs the town’s general store.
But as Katie settles into her new life—complete with new friends and a new relationship—a Boston detective (David Lyons) is determined to track her down, no matter what it takes. And her old life soon follows her to her new home.
If you’ve seen (or read) a Nicholas Sparks romance before, you’ll know exactly where the story is heading. For the most part, you’ve seen it all before. Clearly, Sparks doesn’t see his fans as particularly bright, since he keeps cranking out the same story time and time again. The coastal setting is the same, the characters are pretty boilerplate, and even minor plot points like the weather are shamefully predictable.
To be fair, Safe Haven does try to offer a few new twists on the same old story—and, for that reason, it’s actually one of the more interesting Nicholas Sparks films. While the opening scene hints at the event that sent Katie south, it remains a mystery for most of the film. And the added complication of the determined detective gives the story a little more urgency and suspense. There’s even a final twist that closes the film with a surprise. Still, the twists and turns don’t make a whole lot of sense—and the more you think about them, the more you’ll most likely feel cheated by the cheap tricks and generally lazy writing.
But, then again, maybe you’ll just find yourself distracted by the unbearably cute co-stars. Duhamel is adorably awkward—a charming match for the incessantly perky Hough, who tries her best to make full use of her two expressions: laughing or intensely pensive. Throw in a couple of lovably precocious kids, a little bit of dancing, and some frolicking on the beach, and you’ve got another fluffy February romance.
If Valentine’s Day puts you in the mood for a brainless love story, you can always count on Nicholas Sparks. But, since the author’s stories are generally made up of the same old predictable melodrama, you could just as well watch whichever one is playing for free on basic cable.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of Safe Haven comes complete with the standard extras. There’s a making-of feature, Igniting the Romance, which touches on everything from the setting and the story to the cast and crew. There’s also a handful of deleted and extended scenes—most of which are entirely unnecessary—as well as an alternate ending (which isn’t really all that different from the theatrical ending). And, if you love the film’s charming seaside setting, you can also check out the set tour.
The best feature in the bunch, however, is Josh Duhamel’s Lessons in Crabbing, a short feature that follows star Josh Duhamel in his adorably unwavering mission to catch a crab. So if you take the time to watch just one of the film’s extras, make it this one.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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