The Best of Me (2014 film)

Last updated

The Best of Me
The Best of Me poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Hoffman
Written byWill Fetters
J. Mills Goodloe
Based on The Best of Me
by Nicholas Sparks
Produced byJustin Burns
Denise Di Novi
Alison Greenspan
Ryan Kavanaugh
Nicholas Sparks
Starring Michelle Monaghan
James Marsden
Luke Bracey
Liana Liberato
Caroline Goodall
Gerald McRaney
Cinematography Oliver Stapleton
Edited by Matt Chesse
Music by Aaron Zigman
Production
company
Distributed by Relativity Media
Release date
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)(United States)
Running time
118 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$26 million [2]
Box office$35.9 million [2] [3]

The Best of Me is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Will Fetters and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2011 novel of the same name. The film stars James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan with Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato.

Contents

Plot

The film -- the story of Dawson and Amanda -- moves between alternate scenes of the couple's relationship in 1992, and their current separate lives.

Dawson Cole works on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana. An explosion on the job nearly kills him, throwing him into the water, but miraculously he survives. After his recovery months later, Dawson learns that his close friend and surrogate father—Tuck—has died, so he returns home for the first time in almost twenty years to carry out Tuck's final wishes, with the deceased's appointed lawyer.

When he arrives at Tuck's house, Dawson is surprised to find that Tuck arranged also for Dawson's high school girlfriend, Amanda, to join him. It seems that Tuck's intention was to heal some old hurt between them. However, Amanda is now married. Dawson was born into a notorious backwoods criminal family with an abusive father. In flashbacks, it is revealed that as a teenager, he left his father's home and stayed overnight in the garage of Tuck Hostetler, a local mechanic who had recently lost his wife, allowed Dawson to live with him and eventually considered him as his own son.

Dawson and Amanda attended the same high school and began dating, soon falling in love. On the afternoon of the prom, Dawson's father and brothers beat Tuck. Dawson, angered, goes to his father's with the intent of killing him with Tuck's rifle. However, they scuffle, and Dawson's cousin, an expectant teen father, is accidentally killed. In exchange for a lighter sentence, Dawson testifies against his father and brothers. Since Dawson would not be paroled for at least four years, he cut ties with Amanda, forcing her to choose college over staying with him.

After Tuck's death, Amanda and Dawson meet with his lawyer and learn that they are to scatter Tuck's ashes at a cottage he owned with his wife. Later, Dawson and Amanda spend a passionate night together. They have lunch and discuss their plans, during which he is reminded that she had continued to try to visit him in prison. The following day, Amanda decides to return to her family and her strained marriage, to fulfill her family commitments.

When Amanda goes home, Dawson remains at Tuck's to restore the garden. However, she later decides to split up with her husband, and she leaves Dawson a voicemail expressing her love. Before anything more can happen between them, Dawson is attacked and almost killed by his brothers, having been almost pushed in front of a moving train. He knocks them out, but after calling 911, he is spotted by his father across the railroad tracks and is shot dead.

Meanwhile, Amanda gets a call that her son has been in a car accident. On arriving at the hospital, the doctor tells her he needs a new heart. That same night, the doctors tell her they had found a donor. While sleeping, Amanda has a dream of Dawson sitting on the side of her bed when she is awoken by the doorbell being rung by her mother, who has come to tell her that Dawson had been shot and killed by his father.

One year later, Amanda gets a call from her son telling her he found out the donor's name and that maybe she knew him: Dawson Cole. Shocked and happy upon hearing this, she drives back to the house Tuck had left them. It is there that Amanda reads the letter Dawson had left her, telling her how much he loved her. She proceeds to take a walk through the garden Dawson had beautifully arranged for her before he died.

Cast

Production

Development

On June 17, 2011, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights to the novel The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. [10] On March 15, 2012, it was announced that the studio had tapped screenwriter J. Mills Goodloe to adapt the book. [11]

On September 27, it was reported that Warner Bros. was in final talks with Michael Hoffman to direct the film, Will Fetters was set to rewrite the screenplay, marking his second adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and Denise Di Novi was set to produce the film, along with Sparks and Sparks' agent Theresa Park as co-producers, marking Di Novi's fifth film collaboration with Sparks, Sparks' second time producing a film adaptation of one of his novels and Park's production debut. [12] On July 25, 2013, Relativity Media acquired the distribution rights from Warner Bros., marking the studio's third film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. [13] On October 22, Michelle Monaghan was cast to play the female lead Amanda Collier, and Ryan Kavanaugh was to co-produce the film. [6] On October 24, the studio set the film for an October 17, 2014 release. [14]

On January 9, 2014, the studio offered James Marsden, who co-starred in the 2004 adaptation of Sparks' 1996 novel The Notebook to play the male lead Dawson Cole, replacing Paul Walker after his death. [4] On January 28, Liana Liberato joined the film's cast as the younger version of Monaghan's character, Amanda Collier. [7] On February 12, Luke Bracey was added to the cast to play the younger version of Marsden's character, Dawson Cole. [5] On March 12, Sebastian Arcelus and Gerald McRaney joined the cast of the film. Arcelus played Frank Reynolds, Amanda's husband and father of her children, while McRaney played Tuck, a widower who takes in young Dawson and becomes a friend and father-figure to him. [8] On March 25, Jon Tenney was added to the cast to play Harvey Collier, the father of Amanda. [9]

Filming

Principal photography began on March 6, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana for a 42-day shoot. [15] [16] On April 30 and May 1 the filming took place in the downtown Covington area. Also filming took place in parts of Pearl River, Louisiana. [17]

Post-production

On June 27, 2014, it was announced that composer Aaron Zigman would be scoring the music for the film. [18]

Soundtrack

The Best of Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedOctober 7, 2014 (2014-10-07) [19]
Genre Country, pop [20]
Label EMI Nashville, Relativity
Singles from The Best of Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "I Did with You"
    Released: September 8, 2014 [21]

The soundtrack album for the film, released on October 7, 2014, [22] features original music primarily from the genre of country music, recorded by artists such as Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Colbie Caillat, Kip Moore, Eli Young Band, Eric Paslay, Thompson Square, and Thomas Rhett. [22] "I Did with You" by Lady Antebellum was released on September 8, 2014 as the first promotional single from the soundtrack. [21] The band's other contribution, "Falling for You" is also available on the deluxe edition of their fifth studio album, 747 .

The titles and performing artists were published by Taste of Country . [20]

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."I Did with You" Lady Antebellum 3:15
2."Dream Girl" Hunter Hayes 3:39
3."Hold On" SHEL and Gareth Dunlop 3:26
4."In Love Again" Colbie Caillat 3:31
5."The Way Things Go" Thomas Rhett 4:06
6."Borrowed Time" Thompson Square 4:12
7."Lead Me" Kip Moore 3:50
8."Love Is a Liar" Kacey Musgraves 3:15
9."Falling for You"Lady Antebellum3:54
10."Rain from Heaven" Eric Paslay 3:58
11."All the Way" David Nail 2:56
12."Unchanged" Eli Young Band 3:35
13."Sweet Jane" Cowboy Junkies 3:27
14."Crossroads"Phoebe Hoffman4:48

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 54 on the Billboard 200, selling 6,200 copies in its first week. [23]

Chart performance

Chart (2014–15)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 52
US Top Country Albums ( Billboard )11
US Top Soundtracks ( Billboard )4

Reception

Box office

The Best of Me opened in North America on October 17, 2014 across 2,936 theaters. It has grossed $26.8 million in North America and $9.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $35.9 million. [2]

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $10 million finishing fifth at the box office behind Fury , Gone Girl , The Book of Life and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day , making it the worst opening for a Nicholas Sparks' novel adaptation. [24]

Critical reception

The Best of Me was panned by critics. As of June 2020, the film scored a 12% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 82 reviews with an average rating of 3.64 out of 10. The site's consensus read, "At nine films and counting, the line between Nicholas Sparks film fans and detractors is clear, and The Best of Me will change few minds on either side of the divide." [25] On Metacritic, the film scored 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [26] In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave The Best of Me an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [24]

Home media

The Best of Me was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 3, 2015. At the same time, a "Tears of Joy" edition of the film with a running time of 115 minutes and an alternated ending was released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Famke Janssen</span> Dutch actress and model

Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress. She played Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series (2000–2014), and Lenore Mills in the Taken film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011. She is also known for her roles in the Netflix original series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015), FX's Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), and ABC's How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020). Janssen starred in the 2017 NBC crime thriller The Blacklist: Redemption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Sparks</span> American writer and novelist (born 1965)

Nicholas Charles Sparks is an American romance novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published twenty-three novels, all New York Times bestsellers, and two works of non-fiction, with over 115 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages. Among his works are The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle which, along with eight other books, have been adapted as feature films.

<i>A Walk to Remember</i> 2002 coming-of-age romantic drama film

A Walk to Remember is a 2002 American coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Adam Shankman and written by Karen Janszen, based on Nicholas Sparks' 1999 novel of the same name. It stars Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah, and was produced by Denise Di Novi and Hunt Lowry for Warner Bros. Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Plummer</span> American-Canadian actress (born 1957)

Amanda Michael Plummer is an American-Canadian actress. She is known for her work on stage and for her roles in films including Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). Plummer won a Tony Award in 1982 for her performance in Agnes of God. She most recently appeared in the third season of Star Trek: Picard (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Marsden</span> American actor (born 1973)

James Paul Marsden is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Touched by an Angel (1995), and Party of Five (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014) and for his roles in the films The Notebook (2004), Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), Enchanted (2007), and 27 Dresses (2008). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film The Butler (2013) and starred in the comedy films Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan Sprouse</span> American actor (born 1992)

Dylan Thomas Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck, where he starred alongside his twin brother Cole Sprouse. He is an owner of the All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Arcelus</span> American actor (born 1976)

Sebastian Arcelus is an American actor, best known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin on the Netflix thriller series House of Cards (2013–2016) and Jay Whitman on the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary (2014–2019). Arcelus began his acting career in the early 2000s and spent the first decade of his career on Broadway, having played Roger in Rent, Fiyero in Wicked, Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, and Buddy in Elf, among other roles. He returned to Broadway with the 2022 revival of Into the Woods and its subsequent national tour.

J. Mills Goodloe is an American film producer, screenwriter, director and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liana Liberato</span> American actress (born 1995)

Liana Daine Liberato is an American actress. She played the younger version of the female lead in the 2014 film The Best of Me and starred in the drama films The Last Sin Eater (2007) and Trust (2010), the thriller films Trespass (2011) and Erased (2012), and the horrors Haunt (2013) and The Beach House (2019). In 2017, she was part of the ensemble cast of the drama Novitiate and in 2018 she starred in the comedy Banana Split.

<i>Nights in Rodanthe</i> 2008 film by George C. Wolfe

Nights in Rodanthe is a 2008 American romantic drama film. It is an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' 2002 novel of the same name. The film stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane in their third screen collaboration after The Cotton Club (1984) and Unfaithful (2002).

<i>Dear John</i> (novel) 2007 romance novel by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John is a romance novel by American writer Nicholas Sparks released in 2007. Sparks took inspiration from the real-life story of his cousin Todd Vance who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2007.

<i>A Walk to Remember</i> (novel) 1999 novel by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember is a novel by American writer Nicholas Sparks, released in October 1999. The novel, set in 1958–1959 in Beaufort, North Carolina, is a story of two teenagers who fall in love with each other despite the disparity of their personalities. A Walk to Remember is adapted in the film of the same name.

<i>Nights in Rodanthe</i> (novel) Novel by Nicholas Sparks

Nights in Rodanthe is a romantic love story novel by American writer Nicholas Sparks in September 2002.

<i>The Best of Me</i> (novel) Book by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me is an American romance novel, written by Nicholas Sparks.

<i>The Longest Ride</i> (novel) 2013 novel by Nicholas Spark

The Longest Ride is Nicholas Sparks' 17th romance novel, released on September 17, 2013.

<i>The Longest Ride</i> (film) 2015 film by George Tillman, Jr.

The Longest Ride is a 2015 American Neo Western romantic drama film directed by George Tillman Jr. and written by Craig Bolotin. Based on Nicholas Sparks' 2013 novel of the same name, the film stars Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, and Alan Alda. The film was released on April 10, 2015 by 20th Century Fox.

<i>The Choice</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

The Choice is a 2016 American romantic drama film directed by Ross Katz and written by Bryan Sipe, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2007 novel of the same name about two neighbors who fall in love at their first meeting. The movie stars Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Alexandra Daddario, Tom Welling and Tom Wilkinson.

<i>Henchmen</i> (film) 2016 film by Adam Wood

Henchmen is a 2018 Canadian animated action comedy film written and directed by Adam Wood, based on his own 2014 short film Henchmen: Ill Suited. The film stars Thomas Middleditch as a henchman-in-training, James Marsden as his mentor, Rosario Dawson as a scientist, and Alfred Molina as the super villain. Production began in May 2015 in British Columbia.

<i>Father of the Bride</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Gaz Alazraki

Father of the Bride is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Gaz Alazraki and written by Matt Lopez, based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Edward Streeter. It serves as a reimagining of the titular 1950 and 1991 movies, and the sixth overall installment in the Father of the Bride franchise. The film stars Andy García, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, Isabela Merced, Diego Boneta, and Chloe Fineman. It is the third filmed version of the story, after the original 1950 film and the 1991 remake. Produced by Plan B Entertainment, it was released on June 16, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max.

Bad Monkey is an upcoming American drama developed and executive produced by Bill Lawrence. A co-production between Warner Bros. Television and Doozer Productions, it is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Carl Hiaasen. The series is led by Vince Vaughn, Michelle Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Meredith Hagner, Rob Delaney, Natalie Martinez, L. Scott Caldwell, Ronald Peet, and John Ortiz. Charlotte Lawrence and Alex Moffat also star in recurring roles.

References

  1. ↑ "THE BEST OF ME (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Best of Me (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Best of Me (2014) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
  4. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (January 9, 2014). "James Marsden in Talks to Replace Paul Walker in Nicholas Sparks' 'The Best of Me'". thewrap.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "'The Best Of Me' Adds Luke Bracey". deadline.com. February 12, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Ford, Rebecca; Kit, Borys (October 22, 2013). "Michelle Monaghan Joins Nicholas Sparks Film 'The Best of Me'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Liana Liberato Joins 'The Best Of Me'". deadline.com. January 28, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "'The Best Of Me' Adds 'House Of Cards' Sebastian Arcelus & Gerald McRaney". deadline.com. March 12, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Jon Tenney Joins 'The Best Of Me'". deadline.com. March 25, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  10. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 17, 2011). "Warner Bros Buys Nicholas Sparks' Upcoming Romance Novel 'The Best Of Me'". deadline.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 15, 2012). "Warner Bros Sets J. Mills Goodloe To Adapt Nicholas Sparks Novel 'The Best Of Me'". deadline.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 27, 2012). "Warner Bros Romancing Director Michael Hoffman For Nicholas Sparks' 'Best Of Me'". deadline.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ Harmanian, Harout (July 25, 2013). "Nicholas Sparks' 'The Best of Me' Goes to Relativity". movieweb.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Relativity Sets Nicholas Sparks Adaptation 'The Best Of Me' For Fall 2014". deadline.com. October 24, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  15. ↑ Scott, Mike (March 17, 2014). "Filming in New Orleans: Actors sign on for 'American Ultra,' 'Best of Me' and more". nola.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  16. ↑ Le, Sarah (February 11, 2014). "FILMING IN LOUISIANA IN 2014: DINOSAURS AND ROBOTS". locationshub.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ Chatelain, Kim (April 29, 2014). "Scenes for "The Best of Me" to be filmed in Covington this week". nola.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Aaron Zigman to Score 'The Best of Me'". filmmusicreporter.com. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  19. ↑ Bjorke, Matt. ""The Best Of Me" Soundtrack Tracklist & Cover Art". Roughstock. Cheri Media. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  20. 1 2 Vinson, Christina. "Country Music Featured on 'The Best of Me' Soundtrack". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media . Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  21. 1 2 "I Did With You - Single by Lady Antebellum". iTunes Store . Apple Inc. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  22. 1 2 ""The Best of Me" Soundtrack Tracklist & Cover Art". Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  23. ↑ Matt Bjorke (October 15, 2014). "Country Album Chart Recap: October 15, 2014". Roughstock.
  24. 1 2 Ray Subers (October 19, 2014). "Weekend Report: 'Fury' Topples 'Gone Girl,' 'Birdman' Soars in Limited Release". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  25. ↑ "The Best of Me". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  26. ↑ "The Best of Me Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved October 22, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.