The Lucky One (2012)
Average Rating: 4.2/10
Reviews Counted: 141
Fresh: 28 | Rotten: 113
While it provides the requisite amount of escapist melodrama, The Lucky One ultimately relies on too many schmaltzy clichés to appeal to anyone not already familiar with the Nicholas Sparks formula.
Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 33
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 27
While it provides the requisite amount of escapist melodrama, The Lucky One ultimately relies on too many schmaltzy clichés to appeal to anyone not already familiar with the Nicholas Sparks formula.
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 187,915
Movie Info
U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive--a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good
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Cast
-
Zac Efron
Logan, Logan Thibault -
Taylor Schilling
Beth -
Blythe Danner
Ellie -
-
Jay R. Ferguson
Keith Clayton -
Trey Burvant
Logan's Brother in Law -
Adam Le Fevre
Judge Clayton -
Robert Terrell Hayes
Victor -
Joe Chrest
Deputy Moore -
Russ Comegys
Roger Lyle -
Dr. Sharon Morris May
Principal Miller -
Ann McKenzie
Charlotte Clayton -
Kendal Tuttle
Aces -
Cameron Banfield
Younger Marine -
Ritchie Montgomery
Cottage Owner -
Courtney J. Clark
Logan's Sister -
Gavin Reyna
Logan's Nephew -
Matthew Michaud
Logan's Nephew -
Dustin Bergene
Pastor -
Ned Yousef
Iraqi Translator -
Naim Alherimi
Cursing Old Man -
Jillian Batherson
Amanda -
Douglas M. Griffin
Bartender -
Donna Heckel-Reno
Dog Owner -
Hunter Reno
Dog Owner's Son -
Amanda Fetters
Grace -
Calvin Quatroy
Hamden Fisherman -
Marcie Antony Courtney
Choir Member -
Michael A. Cowan
Choir Member -
Deborah Denise Graves
Choir Member -
Gary Harris
Choir Member -
Melba Marie Harris
Choir Member -
Tina Marie Lumas
Choir Member -
Consuella Johnson Lumas
Choir Member -
Gregory J. Probst
Choir Member -
Valerie Diane Vaughan
Choir Member -
Adam LeFevre
Judge Clayton
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The Lucky One Trailer & Photos
All Critics (141) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (28) | Rotten (113) | DVD (2)
Even taken as simple schmaltz, 'The Lucky One' lacks the romantic impact of the adaptation of Sparks's 'The Notebook' or even the Channing Tatum-starrer 'Dear John'.
Top CriticAs long as Efron's shirt comes off, he could play an accountant and no one in the target audience would care.
Well-acted schmaltz with some gaping plot holes.
There's not much to the movie besides handsome sets, sun-dappled photography and a plot as predictable as the verse in a Hallmark card.
[Hicks] hits the beats - lonely woman, hunky stranger - without bothering to develop even the slightest depth.
The overheated eroticism could have at least made for a camp classic, but the film's chilling narcissism ultimately makes for a pleasureless fantasy.
How bad is this Zac attack? Well, let's just say I'm convinced director Scott Hicks opted to render his buff-and-scruffy star the strong, silent type just to keep Efron from opening his mouth.
Falling victim to his source material, Hicks fails to invest it with any sort of edge, rendering the cinematic version as mawkish and saccharine as Sparks' bloated prose.
Even within the company of recent Sparks releases like this year's 'The Vow', 'The Lucky One' comes across as a two-dimensional cartoon masquerading as heartfelt human interaction.
A pretty to look at but emotionally void film that does no favours for its otherwise lovely lead actors.
The movie follows the Sparks formula so precisely, you could write out every detail of the plot just from watching the trailer.
If you're after a high-quality weepie, this superbly crafted romantic melodrama from director Scott Hicks (Shine; The Boys Are Back) and novelist Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook; Dear John) will drain your tear ducts.
If you are inclined to say, 'they had me at Zac Efron' then the hunky actor and his scene-stealing boxer briefs will likely make any logic in this screenplay superfluous.
There is not one real, natural, or genuine second in this movie. It's a standard, stock romance that felt more like the filmmakers were completing a checklist of "romantic drama" story cliches, than telling an actual story
Unfortunately, this film will only appeal to those on date night or diehard Sparks fans.
Clearly, weepie king Sparks is scraping for angsty love story scenarios.
There's a thin line between the exploration of grief and its exploitation that this film crosses.
All of this [plot] serves as justification for the movie's true purpose, which is to show two gorgeous-looking actors, Efron and Schilling, in artfully photographed and tasteful PG-13 sex scenes.
Old-fashioned romance to the core, Hicks' film will win no film-making accolades, but will do neither of its attractive leads any harm in the notoriety stakes either.
It's all very contrived and sentimental and could easily be unbearably slushy, but director Scott Hicks just about keeps the schmaltz in check.
After this performance no further evidence is needed of Efron's ability to do vulnerability and puppy love - we're ready now to see whether he can show any bite.
Hicks coats everything in a treacly glow that suffocates any sign of life, least of all from the cast.
It is dispiriting to see Efron fall prey to the most dangerous rival of artistic expression facing young actors today: the Nicholas Sparks adaptation.
Flicks don't come chickier than this.
A tsunami of syrup and a Niagara of nonsense here in this mind-blowingly ridiculous romdram...
Zac Efron is Tom Cruise-lite. Beyond the blue eyes and man-scaped stubble, you are left with an actor who simply pauses on screen when he is not speaking.
Audience Reviews for The Lucky One
Super Reviewer
Good movie! Zac Efron does a decent job playing the character of Logan, however, he just can't pull off the tough-guy look that is essential in this film. He will always be remembered as Troy Bolton from "High School Musical". In any case, this is a tear-jerking, cheesy movie that most teenage girls would enjoy. It's not terrible, yet nothing special.
Logan is a marine serving in Iraq. While there, he finds a photo of a girl with "keep safe" written on the back. He is admiring it when his unit is attacked. He survives and credits the photo for saving him. He tries to find the owner but can't, assuming he was killed. When he goes back to the States, he finds it difficult to adjust and is still haunted by what happened. Analyzing the photo, he finds in the background a landmark that tells him she is in Louisiana. He then goes there and finds her. He learns her name is Beth. He tries to tell her what happened but can't get the words out. She assumes he's there to apply for the job they advertised looking for someone to help at her family's business, a dog kennel. He says yes but at first she gets an uneasy feeling from him but her grandmother decides to give him a chance. It isn't long that he makes a connection with her son. He then discovers that it was her brother who had the picture only he doesn't remember him. He sees that her brother's death has a profound effect on her. Eventually they get close which makes her grandmother happy but not her ex who is a deputy sheriff who's always threatening to take their son away from her.
Super Reviewer
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- Logan: Sometimes, the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple.
-
- Logan: How do you explain something that you can't even understand yourself?
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- Logan: Everyone has their own destiny, but not even one makes a choice to follow it, but I'm lucky I did.
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- Beth: You don't even know him!
- Ellie: You don't neither.
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- Beth: How did you get him to leave?
- Ellie: I gave him the job.
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- Ellie: Start appreciating the memories you have and stop begrudging the ones you never got to make.
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Featured
Movie: ID: 771252920 Title: The Lucky One Release Date: 2012-04-20 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 3 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- The Lucky One - Für immer der Deine (DE)
- Cuando te encuentre (ES)
