The Best of Me (film)

The Best of Me is an American romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Will Fetters and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2011 novel of the same name. The film stars James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan with Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato.

Shooting began on March 6, 2014 in New Orleans. The film was released on October 17, 2014 by Relativity Media. Previews in selected test markets were shown on October 15.

Plot/Summary
Dawson Cole works on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana. One day, an explosion on the job nearly kills him, throwing him into the water, but miraculously, he survives. Months later after recovering, Dawson learns that his close friend and surrogate father, Tuck Hostetler, has died and returns home for the first time in almost twenty years to carry out Tuck's final wishes. When he arrives at his house, Dawson is surprised to find that Tuck also arranged for Dawson's high school girlfriend, Amanda Collier, to join him. It seems that Tuck's intention was that Dawson and Amanda would perhaps rekindle their former romance. However, Amanda is now married.

Going back to 1992, Dawson was born into a notorious backwoods criminal family with an abusive father. As a teenager, it is revealed that his cousin Bobby was going to be a teen parent along with his girlfriend April. When leaving the restaurant they were at, April's car breaks down. Being a helpful person Dawson gets out of the car and tells her to put the car in neutral and tries to go get help. He then goes ask the people in the car behind him if they were going to help push or just honk to which they just honk. In that car, however, was Amanda realizes that her friends were being jerks and decides to go help Dawson. Once they had the car to the side of the road, Amanda offers to call a tow truck to which Dawson decline saying he can fix it. See how kind he was tries to hit on him but Dawson is oblivious to any of it, to the dismay of his friends. When he got home his father is mad that he didn't say hello when he walked in so Dawson begrudgingly says hi. Not being satisfied he father threatens to beat him. Not feeling respected he left his father's home and stayed overnight in Tuck Hostetler's garage. Tuck, a local mechanic who had recently lost his wife, allows Dawson to live with him and eventually considers him a son of his own. One day at school Dawson sees Amanda at her car with the front open. He comes over to see what is going on to where he easily finds the problem being a disconnected battery. Amanda then asks him on a date to which he says yes. However, Dawson never came. Amanda being mad goes over to his house where she finds him working on a car. He then explains to her that the reason he didn't want to go out in public was that he had gotten a black eye earlier that day. In response, Amanda tells him to take her someplace private to which they go to a local water tower. It is here where Amanda tells Dawson about her plans for the future is going to Tulane University and wanting to work for a non-profit. The two start dating a truly fall in love. Before the prom, Dawson's father and brothers beat Tuck. Dawson angered, goes to his father's house with the intent of killing him with Tuck's rifle. However, in the scuffle Bobby is accidentally killed. In exchange for a lighter sentence, Dawson testifies against his father and brothers. However, since Dawson will not be paroled for another four years, he cuts ties with Amanda, forcing her to choose college over staying with him.

After Tuck's death, Amanda and Dawson meet with Tuck's lawyer and learn that he has left them with cottage he and he wife lived in and that they are to scatter Tuck's ashes there. Things start out with rocky with Amanda and Dawson keeping their distance and doing it for Tuck. Once Dawson stumbles upon a photo of Tuck, Amanda, and her daughter, Amanda starts to open up about what has happened over the past twenty years. She tells him that she went to Tulane University as planned but unexpectedly got pregnant. Afterward, she got married to a guy named Frank and had two children: Jared and Bee. She also tells Dawson that Bee had just turned two in that photo had been diagnosed with leukemia a few weeks later and passed away. Dawson comforts and consoles her and says that he couldn't fathom what that was like. Later, Dawson and Amanda spend a passionate night together. While having dinner Amanda asks if he had been in any relationships or had loved anyone. In response, Dawson said that she set a pretty high bar. Amanda then feels a bit guilty and touched being the only one he had truly loved. While walking to the car Amanda admits that she intentionally pulled the battery out of the car just so he could save her. However, Dawson knew all along that was the case and Amanda wonders why he did tell her to which Dawson replies when was a mechanic ever the hero of the story. Amand then goes in and kisses him. next day the take a ride in Dawson's stickshift car and Amanda is taught by Dawson how to operate it. They then come back to the cottage where they spread Tuck's ashers. They sit down at boat dock discuss their plans during which Amanda tells Dawson that she came every day for month and every week for a year. Dawson says to her that he knew about every time she came, she gets mad and walks away. Dawson, pleading for her to listen says that he only did that to alleviate some of the pain. Amanda then says that he didn't take away any of the pain and confesses that she would have waited as long as it took. She then says (knowing full well how wrong it was) that when Jared was born she wanted to tell him and when Bee died of Leukemia she wanted him to hold her and Dawson does just that. She hated him for it because she would have done anything for him and he took that option away from her. After admitting he was wrong the two of them kiss and makeup. Later that day, while by the fire Amanda and Dawson reminisce over their song "Sweet Jamie" and Amanda says to Dawson that she had always trusted for life to work out and that she doesn't feel that way anymore. Dawson then gets up, and to Amanda's surprise and glee, he goes to his car and plays that same song in his car. The two then dance and Amanda admits that he is not stepping on her feet to which Dawson replies that he hasn't yet. Afterward, they have sex and both are happy beyond content. The following day, they are both reminded of old times with a rose in a bottle. Later they both jump into the nearby lake and Amanda lies on her back as Dawson holds her. Then while sitting outside looking at the garden, Amanda gets a phone call from her son Jared asking how it was going and asks when she will be back. She says she will be back in a few days and hangs up. Dawson then says that Amanda should go back and respect her commitments to her family and only loves her more for it. Amanda knows that she should but doesn't know how to say goodbye. Dawsons says that he will be here and will always love her. She then decides to return to her family and her strained marriage, to meet her family commitments.

When Amanda goes home, Dawson remains at Tuck's to restore the garden. However, she later plans to split up with her husband, and she leaves Dawson a voicemail expressing her love. Before anything more can happen between them, Dawson is attacked and almost killed by his brothers and is almost pushed in front of a moving train. Dawson knocks out his brothers, but after calling 911, he is spotted by his father across the railroad tracks and is shot dead.

Meanwhile, Amanda's son is in an automobile accident and receives a heart from a donor. Amanda's mother in tears sobbingly tells Amanda of the tragic death of Dawson, and she is heartbroken. A year later, Jared calls her from college saying that since it has been a year since the accident, he has learned the identity of his donor and wonders if Amanda knew him: Dawson. Amanda says that she did and starts to cry happily They agree that she will tell Jared about him when he comes home for spring break.

In an alternate ending on the DVD, Amanda leaves her husband as her son goes to college and goes back to her work. Whilst there she gets an unexpected visit from Dawson and she and Dawson get together and enjoy walking through Tuck's garden as she takes the rest of the day off. The two then live happily ever after as the end credits roll.

Cast

 * James Marsden as Dawson Cole
 * Luke Bracey as young Dawson
 * Michelle Monaghan as Amanda Collier
 * Liana Liberato as young Amanda
 * Sebastian Arcelus as Frank Reynolds
 * Gerald McRaney as Tuck Hostetler
 * Sean Bridgers as Tommy Cole
 * Rob Mello as Ted Cole
 * Hunter Burke as Abee Cole
 * Jon Tenney as Harvey Collier
 * Caroline Goodall as Evelyn
 * Ian Nelson as Jared
 * Schuyler Fisk as Older April
 * Robby Rasmussen as Bobby Cole / Aaron Cole
 * Julia Lashae as Clara

Development
On June 17, 2011, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights to the novel The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. On March 15, 2012, it was announced that the studio had tapped screenwriter J. Mills Goodloe to adapt the book.

On September 27, it was reported that Warner Bros. was in final talks with Michael Hoffman to direct the film, Will Fetters was set to rewrite the screenplay, marking his second adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and Denise Di Novi was set to produce the film, along with Sparks and Sparks' agent Theresa Park as co-producers, marking Di Novi's fifth film collaboration with Sparks, Sparks' second time producing a film adaptation of one of his novels and Park's production debut. On July 25, 2013, Relativity Media acquired the distribution rights from Warner Bros., marking the studio's third film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. On October 22, Michelle Monaghan was cast to play Amanda Collier, and Ryan Kavanaugh was to co-produce the film. On October 24, the studio set the film for an October 17, 2014 release. On January 9, 2014, the studio offered James Marsden to play the lead, Dawson Cole, replacing Paul Walker, after his death. On January 28, Liana Liberato joined the film's cast as the younger version of Monaghan's character, Amanda Collier. On February 12, Luke Bracey was added to the cast to play young Dawson Cole. On March 12, Sebastian Arcelus and Gerald McRaney joined the cast of the film. Arcelus played Frank Reynolds, Amanda's husband and father of her children, while McRaney played Tuck, a widower who takes in young Dawson and becomes a friend and father-figure to him. On March 25, Jon Tenney was added to the cast to play Harvey Collier, father of Amanda.

Filming
Principal photography began on March 6, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana for a 42-day shoot. On April 30 and May 1 the filming took place in the downtown Covington area. Also filming took place in parts of Pearl River.

Post-production
On June 27, 2014, it was announced that composer Aaron Zigman would be scoring the music for the film.

Soundtrack
The Best of Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the soundtrack album for the film, was released on October 7, 2014. The soundtrack features original music primarily from the genre of country music, recorded by artists such as Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Colbie Caillat, Kip Moore, Eli Young Band, Eric Paslay, Thompson Square, and Thomas Rhett. "I Did with You" by Lady Antebellum was released on September 8, 2014 as the first promotional single from the soundtrack. The band's other contribution, "Falling for You" is also available on the deluxe edition of their fifth studio album, 747.

The titles and performing artists were published by Taste of Country.

Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 54 on the Billboard 200, selling 6,200 copies in its first week.

Release
Relativity Media released the film on October 17, 2014.

Box office
The Best of Me opened in North America on October 17, 2014 across 2,936 theaters. In its opening weekend the film earned $10 million debuting at #5 at the box office making it the worst opening for a Nicholas Sparks' novel adaptation. In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave The Best of Me an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Critical reception
The Best of Me has been panned by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 8%, based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. The site's consensus reads, "At nine films and counting, the line between Nicholas Sparks film fans and detractors is clear, and The Best of Me will change few minds on either side of the divide." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".