Theatrical Review: The Last Song (Julie Anne Robinson, 2010)

The Last Song (Julie Anne Robinson, 2010):

I have never read a Nicholas Sparks novel. I have never seen a film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel – until now. I was invited by a dear friend of mine to see the The Last Song tonight, and decided to brave the throng of giddy teenage/college women and sit through it. Generally, I check Rotten Tomatoes and read a handful of reviews before committing to see a film I am not particularly interested in, but since it was a spur-of-the-moment ordeal, I neglected to indulge in that habit. So, upon exiting the theater and returning home, I was curious to see how the film was fairing with the critics. To my astonishment, the general consensus seems to be that The Last Song is terrible. After briefly skimming the list of reviews, I was even more dumbfounded to discover that the major qualm most reviewers had with the film was the performance given by Miley Cirus.

First of all, I quite enjoyed this film. Sure, it was predictable and ridden with clichés, but there were also moments of originality, and certain events were handled in unexpected ways that saved the film from being ridiculous or overly dramatic. Granted, I have not seen very many chick flicks, but I still found the story engaging. The performances, too, were a pleasant surprise. I generally do not care for Greg Kinear (which really has nothing to do with his acting ability, but that is another story), but I thought he was superb. Unlike most critics, I also believe that Miley Cirus gave a rather solid performance.

The story, for those unfamiliar with the novel (like myself), follows Ronnie (Miley Cyrus), who is fresh out of high school, her younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman), and their father Steve (Greg Kinear) as the trio spend the summer together at Steve's beach house. While Jonah could not be happier to spend time with his father, Ronnie is still spiteful over her parents' divorce - the anger being directed at her father. Though she is an incredibly gifted pianist (taught by her father), she has refused to play since the divorce and refuses to go to Juilliard, to which she was accepted. This slowly changes, however, when she meets a boy named Will (Liam Hemsworth), as she lowers her defenses and eventually falls in love. During this time, her relationship with her father also gradually improves. But things are not quite what they seem. Both her father and Will are keeping secrets from Ronnie, which when brought out in the open have devastating effects on her. The nature of these secrets lies with the story of a local church that caught fire the previous year, for which her father is rebuilding a stained glass window. So as not to reveal too much of the plot, even though it is fairly straightforward and conventional, I will say no more.

Ultimately, The Last Song is a story of love and forgiveness, both with romantic and familial relationships. It is a story of learning to accept the fact that nobody is perfect - especially those closest to you. Everyone makes mistakes, even those we would least expect to; those whose faults have the potential to hurt you the most. I feel that this would have been more effective in the film if more of the screen time had been devoted to exploring certain aspects of the pivotal characters' lives. For example, why did Ronnie's parents get divorced? A proper explanation is never given in the film. While conversing after the film with my friend, who had read the novel, she informed me of several relevant tidbits that were not translated to the film (which included the explanation for the divorce). After hearing all that was left out, my initial opinion of the film dropped somewhat, as it seemed almost inexcusable that certain elements of the story - some of which were of crucial significance to those unacquainted with the novel - were missing, for it detracted from the overall emotional impact. Had some of this information been incorporated into the script, the characters would have not only had much more depth, but it would have also served to draw the viewer deeper into the narrative. Instead, I was constantly waiting with waning patience to learn certain things about the characters that were never to be revealed. It is not that this kept The Last Song from being an engaging film, but rather that it had to potential to be effective on a much greater level.

B-