Review of The Longest Ride

Excuse me, as I must gush for a second. I don’t normally, for I always like to think of myself as a dignified movie critic of some sorts, reporting nothing but the facts and blunt opinions of myself and the people who see it with me. But, there is no way around it. Scott Eastwood was the only person I, and the other members of my entourage, were able to concentrate on. I strongly urge the female population to go and see it for this Adonis, alone! The amount of oohhing and aahhing from my row of seats got a few hushes from the back crowd. (guys probably, wishing they’d picked to see another movie with their date, because let’s face it, they were forgotten the moment Scott Eastwood took a seat on that bucking bull and clenched his chiseled jaw)

Seriously though …. Scott aside, the movie was really fantastic. Of course, Mr. Sparks continued his formula of love letters that paved the road to a flashback of lovers from another era with a conflict that mirrored present day lovers and their conflict. But, it worked yet again! The waffling back and forth between stories was done in a way that it was almost unnoticeable. Like soap operas where the spectator is so engrossed in the storyline of both, morsels of details get easily consumed without treachery.

Albeit, there were some “Oh, give me a break” moments for me. Where things were tidier on screen than they would be in real life, but that’s why we go to movies, right? To escape the harshness of reality and fall into some sort of magical trance of the make believe.  All in all, it ended with satisfaction, someone did die (well, perhaps a few did!), and lessons were learned. Everyone went out smiling, especially the women.

Although I can’t read Mr. Spark’s books, I do enjoy his movies. It was two hours of living someone else’s lives and enjoying every minute of it. The scenery (North Carolina, of course) was spot on, the cast was perfect, and the storyline made you want to fall in love all over again! It’s a must see;-)

On an added note, the movie convinced me to go on a diet, too! The girls in this movie were so tiny it made me feel like a whale. I suddenly stopped eating my popcorn, sat up in my seat, sucked in a bit, and promised myself the next day I’d stop eating all together. (I thought the camera added pounds. What did these girls weigh, eighty pounds?)