The Choice

Based on the novel by Nicolas Sparks, The Choice follows laid-back Southerner Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker) as he finds himself falling for his next-door neighbor (Teresa Palmer’s Gabby) – despite the fact that he’s dating Alexandra Daddario’s Monica and she’s seeing Tom Welling’s Ryan. There’s little doubt that The Choice contains many of the elements generally associated with Sparks’ endeavors, with the movie dwelling on the unabashedly idealized relationship between Walker and Palmer’s respective characters to a degree that is, at times, oppressive and palpably padded-out (ie even the book didn’t spend this much time on the will-they-or-won’t-they question). It helps, then, that the two leads share a sense of genuine chemistry that ensures their scenes together are effective (and, occasionally, affecting), and it’s clear, too, that the movie benefits substantially from an unusually strong supporting cast that includes, among others, Tom Welling, Alexandra Daddario, and Tom Wilkinson. (It goes without saying that the latter is typically superb.) The watchable vibe is heightened by the ongoing inclusion of unexpectedly poignant moments and sequences, with the final stretch certainly rife with interludes designed to elicit an emotional response from the viewer (including an unexpectedly moving graveside conversation). The Choice does, in the end, fall right in line with the various Sparks adaptations that have preceded it, which ultimately ensures that the film succeeds in its own far-from-ambitious way (ie there’s nothing here that’s going to win over detractors).

**1/2 out of ****