This was the first movie I have seen in the newly remodeled Village Theatre in the “big” theatre. It is so awesome! I love the murals on the sides and the wide aisles between the rows of seats. I felt like any seat in the theatre would have been a good one, but chose to settle with my hubby towards the back and in the middle. Ahhhhhh.
“The Lucky One” takes us far and away from High School Musical with Zac Efron as the lead in this journey from war zone to small town Louisiana. I mean that in a good way, too. I loved the HSM movies for their dance choreography and music and the shrieks of laughter they produced from my girls. The Lucky One, however, is intended for a more mature audience as it carries us through the search for Sgt. Logan Thibault’s destiny originally introduced in the book with the same name by Nicholas Sparks.
During his third tour in Iraq as a United States Marine, Sgt. Logan Thibault (Efron) finds a photograph of a young woman. His retrieval of the photograph literally saves his life. He carries the picture with him and attributes its presence to his survival. He has watched numerous friends and colleagues die and he has, at last, come home.
He returns to Colorado with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and wounds of the war that are often not visible on the outside. It quickly becomes evident that staying with his sister and her family will not work. Logan sets off with his German shepherd, Zeus, to find the woman in the photograph, his only clue a lighthouse in the picture. He walks to Louisiana and finds his way to Beth (Taylor Schilling) and the small town kennel she runs with her Grandmother Ellie (Blythe Danner) and son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart). He desperately wants to tell Beth why he is there, but cannot find the words.
He takes a job at the kennel and though quiet, he is a good worker and nice presence for Ellie, Beth and Ben. The town sheriff and son of the local judge, Keith, doesn’t much care for Logan. He is Beth’s ex-husband and a controlling, demeaning, and insecure jerk. He uses Beth’s fear of losing custody of her son as leverage to control her actions. Ellie does a great job of making Beth realize that she can’t stop living her life because she has a child of her own.
Somewhat predictably Logan and Beth eventually fall for each other, amid many challenges. Logan is polite, secure, honest and tormented by his past. He speaks seldom but when he does, it’s meaningful. He doesn’t look for trouble and does a good job of defusing it. He is a humble, likeable character and I couldn’t help but root for him.
Fellow movie goer Dina said, “I thought it was great! It has a little bit of everything.” Many others in the theatre must have agreed as they applauded with closing credits rolling.
My husband and I both enjoyed this movie. From the opening scenes to the end, there were tears, smiles, fear, disgust, sadness and joy. “The Lucky One” definitely produces a myriad of emotions. Some may find it too predictable or even cliché but I enjoyed watching Logan win Beth’s heart by being everything the father of her son wasn’t. While working out his own demons, he was able to bring joy and healing to others as well.
Take the PG-13 rating seriously for sexuality and some violence; this is not a movie for young children.
Check out all the Village Theatre movie times here.
Kellee Hearther
Online Editorial Intern
eCoronado.com
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