‘The Choice’ Review: Your Annual Dose of Nicholas Sparks

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that’s it time for your annual dose of Nicholas Sparks!

The Choice hits theaters today, and if you like the Nicholas Sparks formula (which is what I’m now officially calling it), then you’ll like this film as well. There’s a boy and girl who want to be together, but one them has reservations, there’s a hot sex scene, there’s a rain scene, there’s someone that ends up in the hospital, and there’s a lot of crying….

The film centers around Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) and Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker) who find themselves living next to each other on the North Carolina coast. Despite Gabby’s boyfriend (Tom Welling) and Travis’ preferred bachelor lifestyle, Gabby and Travis find themselves falling in love. We journey over a decade with these two and see their love tested by a pretty predictable event.

When I say that the film follows the Nicholas Sparks formula, it’s not necessary a bad thing. Sparks has it figured out. He knows the stories that females want to hear, and he tells them again and again switching out characters and challenges – ultimately creating a world that we wished lived in and fell in love in.

Teresa Palmer and Travis Shaw have clear chemistry together, and their on-screen personalities don’t seem terribly far off from their actual personalities in the real world. Each deliver a fine performance, growing their character over the years that pass on screen. Tom Welling was also a pleasant surprise to see as I don’t think I’ve seen him since Smallville wrapped a few years back. His role here didn’t require much, but it was still refreshing to see him on a bigger screen and not as superhero.

The Choice Trailer

Overall, The Choice is predictable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good or doesn’t work. The nice thing about Sparks’ film is you always know what you’re going to get, and you’re always going to feel the same hope for yourself each time. There’s something beautiful in that, and while I don’t recommend you take your boyfriend to it, I do think it’s a solid pick as a Galentine’s movie to check out with your girlfriends.

The Choice Review

Grade: B