The Choice is formulaic and lazy writing

Movie Title: The Choice

Grade: C-

Rating: PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

In a Nutshell: My husband says that the definition of a Chick Flick is when two good-looking guys fall all over themselves for one spoiled girl. If that’s true, then this is definitely a Chick Flick, although not a very good one.

One of the obvious choices in this formulaic movie isn’t just which guy to choose, but there are several others.

Uplifting theme:

“Life just keeps unfolding. If you sit still, it’ll pass you by altogether.” – Gabby (Teresa Palmer)
“Life is held together by choices – all sizes.” – Gabby
“Opportunity is missed by most people, because it’s dressed up in overalls and looks a lot like work.” – Thomas Edison, as quoted by Shep (Tom Wilkinson)
“Every path you take leads to another choice.” – Travis (Benjamin Walker)

Things I liked:

Most of the movie takes place lakeside with beautiful views.
Cute puppies!
Teresa Palmer looks like the All-American girl next door.
Nicholas Sparks tries to add depth to his romantic stories. His most recent tale-turned-Chick-Flick was “The Longest Ride.” You can see my movie review of that film here. That film did it much better than this one.
If you’re thinking about cheating on your boyfriend, you’ll see what a two-timer feels like.
There’s a funny proposal scene.

Things I didn’t like:

Everything about this movie is clichéd, even the clothing. For example, he wears a tank top to show off his muscles and she wears a white t-shirt in the rain.
A lot of movie critics are begging Nicholas Sparks to stop writing such cheesy love stories that then get turned into sappy movies.
Benjamin Walker drinks bottles of beer in a weird way. I know that seems nit-picky, but it bugged me.
They try to have clever chit-chat, but it comes out forced and predictable. The actors look like they’re acting.
SPOILER ALERT: A happy ending is an easy out. The harder ending would have been to write something more interesting.
Both Travis and Gabby are too cocky for my taste. They fight and bicker from the very first moment they meet, which is a clichéd, although not appealing, form of flirtation.
What kind of character does a girl have who jumps in bed with another guy when her boyfriend has only been gone a few days on a business trip? Does true love excuse lack of integrity or morality? Um…nope.

Funny lines:

“What are you doing?” – Gabby

“Walking towards you real slow.” – Travis

“Why?” – Gabby

“Cause if I ran, I’d scare you.” – Travis

“Mama, he’s a walking cautionary tale.” – Gabby

Interesting lines:

“Has anyone ever said no to you?” – Gabby

“No.” – Travis

“Then, I’m making history.” – Gabby

“Your friends, family…that’s all you can count on in this world. That’s what I believe.” – Travis
“I kind of fell into the Bible. He wanted to burn it.” – Shep
“If you see a man sleeping on the cold floor, there’s sure to be a pretty woman nearby.” – Shep
“There’s no shame in being a broken man. I should know. You just pick up the pieces and start rebuilding.” – Shep
“That’s all any woman wants…a man who’s going to fight.” (for her) – Monica (Alexandra Daddario)