Every Nicholas Sparks Film Adaptation: RANKED!
#11: The Choice (2016)
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This movie follows two bickering neighbours, Travis and Gabby, as they fall in love and choose to be with each other. It seems like they’re headed for a picture perfect future, until a car accident jeopardizes her life. The story ultimately has a happy ending, but it’s not very engaging. “The Choice” technically has all the classic makings of a great Sparks film: an unlikely love story, a tragedy that threatens everything, and puppies. But it pales in comparison to his other adaptations. The main couple isn’t compelling, the humour doesn’t land, and Tom Welling is underutilized as the “other guy”. Plus, the film’s slow pace makes it hard to get into the story.
#10: The Best of Me (2014)
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This is the story of Dawson and Amanda, told through two timelines. In the present, they reconnect after the death of Tuck, a friend who was like family. Back in 1992, we watch them fall in love and get torn apart by violent circumstances. Now adults, they work to heal their old wounds and realize they still love each other. But when Amanda decides to leave her husband to go back to Dawson, tragedy strikes. Dawson is murdered, and her son gets seriously hurt. In a bittersweet twist, her lover’s death saves her child’s life. It’s a good story, and Tuck infuses it with a lot of heart. But the movie tries to fit too much into its plot, making it difficult to dive in head first.
#9: The Lucky One (2012)
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When Marine Logan Thibault finds a woman’s picture on the battlefield, he decides to seek her out once he’s back in the US. The woman is Beth, a divorced mother processing the passing of her brother Drake, a Marine who died overseas. The two meet, fall in love, and Logan even bonds with her son Ben. Yet he fails to tell her about the picture. Her controlling ex-husband Keith finds it though, which sends everything into disarray. It all culminates in a storm that not everybody survives. Thankfully, Logan, Beth, and Ben live happily ever after. The movie is over-the-top at times, but it intertwines themes of fate, love, death, and family beautifully. Plus, it features Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling, which is a treat.
#8: The Last Song (2010)
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Ronnie, played by Miley Cyrus, is a combative teenager. She gives everyone, especially her dad Steve, a hard time. But when she falls in love with Will, played by Liam Hemsworth, she lets her guard down. In a cruel twist of fate, it is precisely as she lets music back into her life and reconnects with her father that we learn he is dying. To make matters worse, the church fire everyone blames Steve for was caused by Will’s friend, and he knew. There’s heartbreak and turmoil, and though her dad doesn’t make it, Ronnie grows a lot as a person. While she and Will end up together, it’s the love story between Ronnie and her family that makes this movie powerful.
#7: Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
What happens when you take over your friend’s bed and breakfast for a few days? If you’re Adrienne, you meet a reserved doctor named Paul. Sparks fly, but they both lead complicated lives. Her husband wants her back, and her daughter is constantly criticizing her. Meanwhile, he’s estranged from his son and is being sued. Yet that doesn’t stop their love from blossoming. As they forge an unbreakable bond, Paul leaves for South America to make things right with his son. Tragically, he dies while there, and never makes it back to Adrienne. It’s heartbreaking, but Diane Lane and Richard Gere deliver stellar performances and are charming to watch. Not to mention it’s nice to see a mature couple as the protagonists in a romance movie!
#6: Safe Haven (2013)
Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel take center stage as Katie and Alex in this emotional tale about a woman looking for a new beginning. We meet Katie on the run as she moves to a small town, where she meets widower Alex and his two kids. Naturally, they fall in love. But her past comes back to haunt her. She left home to get away from her abusive husband Kevin, who manages to track her down. Things come to a head in a roaring fire where he dies, after which Katie is free to be with her new family. Plus, there’s a twist at the end that’s out of this world. Romance, family, suspense, and supernatural elements come together here to create an exciting viewing experience.
#5: The Longest Ride (2015)
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Scott Eastwood’s Luke and Britt Robertson’s Sophia are smitten with each other. And when they save an elderly man named Ira - played by Alan Alda - from a crash, the story really takes off. As Sophia and Luke fall for each other but struggle to make it work, Ira’s love story with a woman named Ruth plays out in flashbacks. The stories differ vastly, with one centering on a Jewish couple in the throes of World War II, and another focusing on an art-lover and a bull-rider grappling with their two different worlds. But in both cases, the couples have to choose what sacrifices they are willing to make for each other. This tale of enduring love will tug at your heartstrings, so keep some tissues handy!
#4: Message in a Bottle (1999)
Newspaper researcher Theresa, played by Robin Wright, embarks on the ride of her life after she finds a washed up love letter in a bottle. When more letters are unearthed, she decides to find their author, Garret, played by Kevin Costner. Just as she was captivated by his words on the page, she falls for him in person. Garret feels the same way, but he’s not quite over his dead wife Catherine. Things are further complicated when he learns Theresa has the letters. Still, he starts to process Catherine’s passing. But in an ending that can only be described as devastating, he dies at sea before telling Theresa how much he loves her. With Wright and Costner’s impeccable acting, this adaptation is captivating from start to finish.
#3: Dear John (2010)
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Channing Tatum is John and Amanda Seyfried is Savannah in this story of love and loss. Their whirlwind romance is threatened after John extends his military commitment following the 9/11 attacks. They write letters to each other and try to make it work, but she eventually moves on. Years later, John returns home after his father suffers a stroke, and spends his final moments with him. Later, he catches up with Savannah and realizes she married her neighbour Tim, who is now dying. It’s not a traditional happy ending, but when Savannah and John run into each other again in the future, there’s a hopeful feeling. Between their love, and John’s relationship with his dad, this movie is a tear-jerker that will move you.
#2: The Notebook (2004)
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The Notebook features Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as Noah and Allie. In the present, their love story is being read to an ageing woman with dementia by a senior named Duke. He tells the tale of their joys and struggles, and how the young couple found their way back to each other despite countless obstacles. Of course, we learn that the narrator is actually present-day Noah, telling Allie their story to help her remember. We see how perfect they are for each other not just as young lovers, but also as seniors. By the time the credits roll, viewers are left feeling a little sad, but ultimately hopeful. Noah and Allie’s love stands the test of time, and the movie definitely does too.
#1: A Walk to Remember (2002)
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This classic stars Mandy Moore as Jamie, a shy reverend’s daughter who keeps to herself. That is, until she ends up helping Landon, the school's resident cool kid, played by Shane West. They fall in love, and at first glance it seems like any other teenage romance. But there's a lot more depth to it than that. Jamie is dying of cancer, so Landon does everything in his power to make her final months special. It's a beautifully bittersweet love story that’s enchanting from beginning to end. Moore’s singing voice is angelic, and the chemistry between her and West is undeniable. That, coupled with how tragedy, love, and family merge so thoughtfully ensures this is a film you’ll never get tired of revisiting.
