The Best of Me

PG-13
Starring: James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato and Gerald McRaney
Running Time: 1 Hour and 57 Minutes

This is a movie based on the very popular Nicholas Sparks New York Times Bestseller book, "The Best of Me". The story of two long-lost star-crossed lovers who reunite after twenty-one years.
The characters, Dawson (James Marsden) and Amanda (Michelle Monaghan) originally met while both were in High school in Louisiana. Their younger characters were portrayed by Luke Bracey as Dawson and Liana Liberato as Amanda. The movie continued to switch back and forth between the older long-lost lovers and the younger high school characters.
This is your basic story of the wealthy young debutante and the rough and tumble bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks meeting and falling desperately in love with one another.
Young Dawson is raised by his father and two older brothers. They are criminals and they deal in illegal activity. His father is terribly abusive to him! He is continually a victim of beatings and violence. He is actually a very good young man with aspirations to rise above the garbage and overcome all that he has been exposed to.
On the other hand young Amanda is a child of privilege who has been raised by two loving parents who love her dearly and just want the very best for her.
They continue to date and spend time with each other.
The night of their prom, there is a horrible event that will change their lives forever. After his father and brothers go to attack and beat up a wonderful older man named Tuck, (Gerald McRaney) who has befriended Dawson, taken him in for food and shelter, Dawson is also confronted by them! In a fit of rage Dawson seeks them out and takes out a rifle and accidentally shoots his best friend and kills him! He is devastated and he is sent to prison!
Amanda never gives up on Dawson. She goes every week to visit him in prison. He refuses to see her, he does not want to drag her down!
She has no choice but to move forward with her life. She goes on to attend college and meets another young man and gets married and has a family.
Dawson on the other hand serves out his sentence and lives a very lonely life.
When the old man Tuck dies, he awards Dawson and Amanda his estate.
They are reunited at the reading of Tucks will and discover that they still have strong feelings for each other.
I actually liked this movie. I thought it was good but a little bit sappy. It is a total "chick flick"!
I found the abuse and the beatings Dawson endured very difficult to watch. There were also some sexual scenes between the two that got a little heated as well. I had a tough time with the adultery! Also, I didn't think the younger Dawson was a very good match for the older Dawson, they looked nothing alike.
Parents be advised: this is definitely NOT a movie for any age children! It is rated PG-13, but it is a really hard PG-13. Very adult subject matter. I don't think this movie is appropriate for young adults under the age of 17. The F-bomb is also dropped once.
I am giving " The Best of Me" three bags of popcorn.