I LOVE entertaining people in my home. There is nothing I like better than having friends and family over for some good food, laughs and maybe even a good movie.
I enjoy going all out for my guests. I even enjoy coming up with “themes.”
When it comes to food there is never a shortage. The photo (above) is from one of my parties. Needless to say I stop at nothing to ensure that my guests have a great time. Sadly, it doesn’t always work out that way.
I was hosting a movie night with some friends to watch the newest Nicholas Sparks film, The Choice. Normally I do it on a Saturday but this time I had to do it on a Sunday, which happened to be Mother’s Day. That was mistake #1. Sigh…
I will spare you all the mishaps that went on. Let’s just say that the party started later than expected, a guest was late (really late), we couldn’t figure out a fun craft project that I wanted to do and the worse thing of all – my phone died and wouldn’t turn back on. Ugh! I had to take it to the Apple store and leave it there for them to fix it. THANKFULLY they were able to fix it and my photos were OK.
NOTE TO SELF: Put things on the Cloud that way I can access them from my husband’s phone.
Anyway…
The first part of the evening (pre-movie) we attempted to make a lovely wind chime out of sea glass. I am going to post about that separately. Whether it was the wine (LOL) or something else, we couldn’t figure out how to make it. Luckily I got the directions, but I had to make it on my own, not with my friends.
The movie of the night was The Choice by one of my most favorite author’s, Nicholas Sparks. If you are a fan of his you know that his books and movies are always centered around the water and beaches. For that reason I picked up some beautiful place mats, each one depicting a different beach scene.
Do you notice the wine glass in the top photo of the place mats? Those were sent to me in a wonderful package from Lionsgate to help me host a wonderful movie viewing party.
The wine glasses are BEAUTIFUL! So beautiful that I wish I had a place I could display them when not in use. I absolutely adore the etched Starfish design.
I have a nice assortment of wine on hand for my guests. These glasses were PERFECT for my guests to enjoy The Choice with.
Of course you need a wine opener as well as a stopper (although the wine went pretty quickly, so the stopper wasn’t needed that night – LOL).
In addition to the wine glasses I also received a wine opener and gorgeous Starfish wine stopper.
I’m enjoying the beach related party items.
You can’t watch a movie without something to nibble on. I made sure my guests had plenty to eat. It was well after dinner time so I focused more on sweet treats and snacks more so than food (dinner) items.
We always have chips and dip. Not pictured is a spinach dip that I made.
I LOVE the flower cookies. I know they don’t match the beach theme but they were just too cute to pass up when I saw them in the store.
Last but not least, Lionsgate sent lovely wine charms for the wine glasses. I had thought about letting my guests take home the one they used, but I love the set so much I opted to keep them. My guests can enjoy them again and again – beach theme or not.
We were having too much fun eating, chatting and trying to figure out the wind chimes that we started the movie much later than normal.
The Choice is the story of Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker) and Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer). They are neighbors who live along a coastal beach in Willmington.
Travis is a local veterinarian and Gabby is a medical student.
Their first meeting didn’t exactly go off too well. Gabby complained that Travis, his friends and his music were too loud and disrupting her studies.
Their second encounter was also not without drama. Gabby blamed Travis for letting his dog run lose and getting her dog pregnant (not knowing that Travis’ dog was neutered).
Eventually the ice thawed between them and Travis and Gabby became friends.
Gabby had a boyfriend and Travis was romantically involved with another woman, whom he was reluctant to fully commit to.
In time their friendship turned into something deeper. As you could probably guess, they fell in love. However, if you are a fan of Nicholas Sparks you know that nothing comes THAT easy. There has to be something life altering that comes into play that threatens the characters “happily ever after.”
What happens to Gabby and Travis? Knowing the title is The Choice you know that there must be some kind of a choice that can’t be easily made.
To find out for yourself you need to pick up a copy (or download on HD) The Choice, now available where movies are sold.
The Choice, in my opinion, is NOT one of Nicholas Sparks’ most “heart tugging” movies – thankfully. The last thing I wanted to do was ball my eyes out in front of my friends. LOL!
This is a sweet story with a somewhat predictable, but still emotional, ending.
I enjoy Teresa Palmer in this role. She was the perfect choice for Gabby. I wasn’t “feeling” Benjamin Walker in the role of Travis initially, but he grew on me.
As with every Nicholas Sparks movie the setting is an important part in the story. There were no secret bay filled with ducks like in the Notebook, but there was a secret island with the most breathtaking view (I would LOVE to visit that island).
This is a sweet movie that will leave you feeling romantic and hopeful (not depressed!). Honestly, I don’t consider this a “chick flick” either. I think men can enjoy it just as much as women.
Bonus features include:
- Audio Commentary with Director Ross Katz and actor Benjamin Walker (I am not a fan of commentary).
- Cinematic Choices: Making The Choice – A behind the scenes look at the making of this film. I always appreciate bonus features like this because I feel like they give you more insight into the film and a better appreciation for it.
- Choosing Home: Nicholas Sparks and North Carolina – A look at the author’s favorite place to shoot his films.
- Deleted Scenes
- Molly and Moby: Choice Dogs – A close up look behind two of the furry characters from the film.
- Nicholas Sparks with... – Nicholas Sparks interviews the various cast and crew from the film.
- Natalia Safran’s “Daylight” Music Video.
I watched the bonus features on my own, not with my guests.
As for my guests, they really enjoyed the film. Everyone kept talking about the beautiful location where it was filmed and how much we’d love to move there.
Have you seen The Choice? If so, what did you think about it?
What is your favorite Nicholas Sparks film or book?
Feel free to share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy and other goodies to facilitate my review and movie night. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
