I must preface this review by saying that I am not a fan of Miley Cyrus. My daughter is (although not as much as she used to be). I wanted to see the movie The Last Song because its a Nicholas Sparks movie. As you know Nicolas Sparks is known for one of the most epic tear-jerker movies ever made, The Notebook. He is also responsible for Dear John, another movie that tugs at your heart strings. With The Last Song I wanted to see if it stood up to other Nicholas Sparks films.
The Last Song is the story of a teenage girl name Veronica, or “Ronnie” as she prefers to call herself. The part of Ronnie is played by Miley Cyrus. Ronnie and her younger brother Jonah are sent from NY to Georgia to spend the summer with their estranged Father (Greg Kinnear). After their parents broke up their Father returned to his home town in Georgia and the kids remained in NY with their mother (played by Kelly Preston).
Ronnie and her Father used to have a very special Father-daughter bond, especially when it came to music. After her parents divorced Ronnie resented her Father and wanted nothing to do with him. She also turned to a life of crime and went from being a sweet gift pianist to a moody and rebellious teen.
Ronnie’s Mother felt it was important for the kids to spend the summer with their Father so she took them to Tybee Island where he lived. Ronnie was so resentful to the whole situation that she didn’t even bother to say much to her Father the moment she arrived. Instead she took off down the beach and ended up at a carnival where she met a handsome local boy name Will and a street tough homeless girl name Blaze.
What happened from this point on was very predictable. You could tell right away it was going to be a girl meets boy, boy pursues girl, girl eventually falls for guy sort of movie. And it was.
The first hour of the movie was all about the blossoming relationship between tough as nails Ronnie and sweet boy next door Will. The movie also touched upon the fractured relationship with Ronnie and her Father leaving viewers to wonder if she would ever get that huge chip off her shoulder and forgive her Dad so their relationship was saved.
I can see why this movie was a huge hit with my daughter’s friends when it was out in the theaters. The first hour was very appealing to teens. I was beginning to wonder if this truly was a Nicholas Sparks movie. I had my tissues handy waiting for those tear-jerking moments that failed to arrive. Then BOOM! Out of no where, the movie had a huge twist of events that only Nicholas Sparks could pull off.
The last half hour of the movie was depressing and made me cry. I won’t tell you what happens (you’ll have to see the movie for yourself). Lets just say that a few secrets come to light that will change Ronnie’s life forever.
Will Ronnie and her Dad ever be able to mend their broken relationship? Will Ronnie and Will end up happily ever after? What happens that memorable summer that will alter their lives forever?
I’ll give The Last Song 3 our of 5 stars. The first hour of the movie I found a bit boring and predictable.
Miley’s Cyrus’ voice drives me nuts! She sounds like she has shards of broken glass in the back of her throat when she talks. Its as annoying as nails on a chalkboard. I also hated her sloppy attire and her ALWAYS messy hair. It made me want to reach into the screen with a comb and run it through her hair. My kids thought I was nuts when I said that, but its true! Up until the last 5 minutes of the movie and one brief part earlier in the film her hair was ALWAYS messy.
Greg Kinner did an amazing performance as Ronnie’s Dad. He was very likable and you felt for him the moment you saw how much Ronnie hated him.
Liam Hemsworth who plays Miley’s love interest Will was OK. I can see why the teen girls think he’s “eye candy”. In real life Miley and Liam are a couple.
I would have liked to see more of Kelly Preston’s part. She was only in the movie for a few short moments.
The Last Song is available NOW on DVD, Blu-ray and Combo Packs.
Also featured on the DVD are some bonus features which include a behind the scenes tour of the making of the movie, hosted by the young boy who plays Jonah (Ronnie’s brother) in the film. He takes you around the set and introduces you to some of the people that helped to make the movie (like the Grip and video person) as well as a member of the food service crew.
Also found in the bonus section is the making of Miley’s Cyrus’ music video for the song “When I Look at You” as well as the complete music video.
You’ll also get to see some super adorable baby sea turtles in the movie too! I ♥ baby sea turtles! They are so cute!
Kimberly
*I received a free sample copy of the movie in order to do this review. There was no other compensation. The opinons expressed are my own.