I'm a sucker for this movie
I am one of those snobs who will snark that the book is, as a rule, always better than the movie. I have two exceptions; the first is The Witches of Eastwick, the second is this.
Nicholas Sparks leans heavily on sap, and he dishes it out in spades for this book, complete with bible passages and virginal child brides dying of cancer. And the writing is not that good. I'm no Margaret Atwood, but I had my mental red pen out to edit as I read, which of course distracted me from fully enjoying the story.
The movie, on the other hand, modernizes the story by placing Jamie and Landon in the 90s. The movie versions of Jamie and Landon are more complex, more human, and far more interesting. This may be due to the talents of the scriptwriters as well as Mandy Moore and Shane West.
The movie also gives Reverend Sullivan more warmth and empathy, acting as a tragic but wise father figure for Jamie and then the widowed Landon. We also see Landon grow from his relationship with Jamie to become a strong and capable adult. And we get to hear Mandy Moore sing.
I wasn't expecting to be negative; this may be the only one that gets a less-than-glowing review. I loved the movie, just not the book.
