The Longest Ride

PG-13
Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Melissa Benoist and Lolita Davidovich
Running Time: Two Hours and 19 Minutes

This movie is based on the Nicholas Sparks bestseller, "The Longest Ride". When I went to screen this move I was prepared for the usual Nicolas Sparks basic love story that I have come to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.
This movie actually really delivered for me. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Longest Ride".
We have a young up and coming bull rider, Luke (Scott Eastwood) (and yes, he is Clint Eastwood's son) who has previously been injured while competing and Sophia  (Britt Robertson) a senior Art student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who meet each other at a championship bull riding event. When they saw each other after it was over, Luke asked Sophia out on a date.
They both come from totally different worlds and they had completely different dreams and aspirations.
While on their date they came upon a car wreck where  they pulled an older gentleman, Ira (Alan Alda) out of his car right before it started on fire and saved his life. He begged them to get a box out of the car before it was engulfed in flames. Sophia retrieved the box and kept it with her. Sophia took an interest in the man and she wanted to deliver the box he had requested so she decided to pay him a visit at the hospital. She had opened the box and found it full of love letters he had written to the love of his life, Ruth (Oona Chaplin) (and yes she is Geraldine Chaplin's daughter and Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter). Sophia gave him the box and asked him who Ruth was? Then the movie went to a flashback to his youth, how he met Ruth and how their relationship began back in the late 1930's and early 1940's, during the beginning of World War II. He asked her to please read the letters to him so he could reminisce. Sophia started to have a sweet relationship with him, visiting him in the hospital, reading the love letters out loud to him and helping him to recover from his accident.
As time goes by Luke and Sophia develop a relationship and struggle to make it work with each of them going in different directions. After Sophia read Ira all the love letters, she realizes how much she cares about Luke and how important he is to her. She and his mother Kate (Lolita Davidovich) beg him to give up bull riding because it is so dangerous and he cant afford another injury. Luke is also uncomfortable in Sophia's fast and trendy Art world, so they both need to come to some kind of a compromise.
To make a long story short. this is actually two love stories in one. Luke and Sophia and Ira and Ruth. Both in different times and different places, but both very touching and endearing love stories!
I found this movie to be really moving. I enjoyed how it had both history and culture in it and it had a lot of depth to it too.
I believe Scott Eastwood is going to be a very popular new star, he has his father's good looks and star quality. Kind of reminds me a little of the late and great Paul Walker.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. I would advise children over the age of 13 and even older for this one. I didn't notice much cursing but, there were about four intense love/sex scenes that were fairly provocative. A lot of innuendo without total nudity but clothing removed for love scenes.
I am giving "The Longest Ride" three and a half bags of popcorn.