The Longest Ride (2015) User Reviews

The chemistry is there

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 30 August 2015]

If you're thinking that this film has a familiar look to it that's because The Longest Ride And The Notebook are both originating from the pen of Nicholas Sparks. This is the story of a seemingly mismatched young couple Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson and an old man with his memories who cements their relationship.

Nostalgia is bursting all over the place with The Longest Ride. Scott Eastwood, son of Clint Eastwood is an aspiring bull rider competing in the Professional Bull Riders who gets dumped in the lap of spectator Britt Robertson. That's a plot gambit borrowed A Lady Takes A Chance where John Wayne made the acquaintance of Jean Arthur that way.

As her girlfriends tell her who wouldn't want to make it with a cowboy and I can agree there. But while the chemistry is there, they come from different worlds. Eastwood is the son of a bull rider and he lives on the ranch that he inherited from his dad with his mother Lolita Davidovitch. He knows his days as a professional bull rider are limited and he wants the prize money while he still can afford. He's flirting dangerously with permanent injury and death more than most bull riders as he's had a dangerous concussion already.

Robertson is an art history major and wants a career in that and may move to New York as that's the capital of the art world in the USA. Somebody is going to have to make a sacrifice.

One day both save the life of an elderly Alan Alda who kind of adopts the two of them and shares the memories of the wonderful married life he had with his late wife. Flashbacks give us big clues as to why these people were so right for each other and in his youth Alda is played by Jack Huston, grandson of John Huston and Oona Chaplin who has both Charlie Chaplin and Eugene O'Neill in her pedigree is his wife who was a refugee from the Nazis. For that matter Alan Alda is the son of Robert Alda speaking of nepotism.

Alda is really the one stealing the show here. As appealing and romantic as young Eastwood and Robertson are, Alda gives a really great performance and his introductory narrations really give flashback sequences some real poignancy. I hope there's some Oscar consideration for Alda in the Supporting Actor category.

Of course it all works out for the young people as you knew it would. But for it to happen young Eastwood hits the equivalent of a big lottery ticket. And I'm not talking about the PBR Las Vegas finals either.

For romantics of all ages is The Longest Ride.

'The Notebook' meets '8 Seconds'

[ouskullz · 7/10 · 16 August 2015]

Enjoyable tearjerker flick paralleling modern love story between bull rider and college student with that of an older gentleman who is on his deathbed. I personally thought that the story of the older couple was more developed and less cliché. The plot is overall enjoyable. The cinematography of North Carolina mountains is beautiful. My favorite scene was the last bull riding scene which is in slow motion and uses punchy bass (only real use of LFE effects in the movie).

On a personal note, I was saddened to read that Rango the Bull passed away after shooting the movie but before the film was released. Apparently he was a real life superstar in the rodeo circuit.

I really liked this movie, this is a feel good movie if that's what you need

[ht-75603 · 8/10 · 13 August 2015]

Two stories in one, which is what made this movie, had it just been one or the other I don't think I would have written this review. It certainly didn't hurt that they cast Alan Alda in it too, he is such a wonderful actor, no matter what role he plays, this included. This is a simple love story, times 2. This is not any brilliant "oh my gosh no one has ever made a movie this deep and this incredible before" type of movie. It's mushy, sweet, romantic, hopeful, sad, happy, sometimes predictable, and when it was over I said, "I really enjoyed that movie". That's what it's all about, for me, enjoying the movie. If it makes me feel good in the process, then that's even better. I would recommend this, but not to someone who is not the least bit romantic or hopeful, because you will be one of the people who writes a negative review.

Nicholas Sparks, pleasant love story where everyone ends up happy.

[TxMike · 6 August 2015]

About 1/3 the way into viewing this I asked my wife, "Is this from a Nicholas Sparks book?" I had not looked it up first but movies from his books all have a similar mood and story line. Good entertainment but not much depth. Mostly predictable.

Set and filmed in North Carolina, Britt Robertson (of "Under the Dome" TV series) is Sophia, just finishing up her college studies in some Art discipline when her good friend gets her to go along to see some competitive bull-riding, something she wouldn't normally enjoy.

As fate would have it Scott Eastwood (Clint's boy) as Luke Collins is one of the competitors, just coming back from a very serious injury falling off a ride. At the end of this ride his hat falls off and ends up near Sophia, she retrieves it, he tells her "Keep it."

This starts off their relationship, they each are smitten with the other even though their lives are quite different. He is a ranch man, she loves modern art. He is destined to ride the circuit, in spite of injuries, so he can help his widowed mom keep the ranch, she looks forward to her internship in New York City.

As another turn of faith would have it Luke and Sophia come upon a wreck at night and they manage to save Alan Alda as old Ira Levinson. It turns out Ira's wife had been an art collector, so when Sophia takes a liking to him, caring for him, reading his old letters from the 1940s, we know that somehow his art collection and Sophia will be united once he is gone.

Overall it is a pleasant movie with a good cast. I was happy to see Lolita Davidovich as Luke's mother. She is in her 50s now but still gorgeous. When she was in her 30s I though she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

SPOILERS: Sophia's and Luke's divergent priorities threaten to break them up but love overcomes all. When Ira dies by his direction all his artwork is auctioned and Luke and Sophia are among the invitees. The first is a non-famous portrait of Ira's wife, no one bids, finally Luke offers $600 as a gesture towards Sophia. As he is paying for it, the auction is paused, then it is revealed that Ira's will dictated that the person who buys that first painting will get the rest of the collection, worth many $ Millions, at no additional cost. Sophia and Luke made out pretty well, eh? Never pass by a chance to rescue an old person who has just crashed.

Half A Good Romance Tale, Yet One of The Better Sparks

[rgkarim · 7/10 · 10 April 2015]

Every year we get another Nicholas Sparks movie. These movies try to emphasize " true love", but are usually simplistic mushy plots, where eye candy fills the screen. Well this weekend I dive into the dark, surround sound trenches to review his latest installment, The Longest Ride. Out of annoyance, I quickly lowered my expectations at what was in store. What is in store? Read on to find out.

Most know what to expect from Sparks, a good-looking boy and girl meet up and magically start a romance. One of our characters is the perfect specimen of looks, sensitivity, and romance that drives the ideal romance, until it goes to pot for some reason eventually working out in the end. This is only partially the case, the tale of Sophia (Britt Robertson) and Luke (Scott Eastwood) act out following the typical Sparks plot. The beautiful people form another ideal couple that women idealize where chiseled abs, a handsome face are complemented by incredible feats of consideration and sincerity. Naturally I rolled my eyes at the drastically overplayed perfection, but there were many enchanted by the stereotypical romance he painted. A "nice" distraction that spices things up are the hot scenes, which you can guess involve sex. This movie sex ,starts with another shower scene filled with plenty of butts, and evolves to her riding the bull after he rides the animal of the same name. Some may find it hot, but I found it shallow, pointless, and a waste screen time.

You might think that there are some surprise twists in this half of the story, something that makes you say OH MY GOD. Sophia and Luke's tale unfortunately has little to shock you, foreshadowing revealing all that is to come in the tale, with the only mystery about when it would happen. I can't deny this was one of my favorite endings, but it took a bit to get to the ending.

However, there is a saving grace for this film and that is the second story of Ira and Ruth. The tale of the 1940's relationship could have been a movie by itself, truly showing a developing relationship and the troubles they face. This was the type of relationship I like to see, emphasizing care and compassion for the one you want to share your life with it. The gifts were heartfelt, a tribute to the love they truly felt only to be undermined by the struggles they faced. It was real, and an example of the type of relationship I pray many actually get instead of the shallower loves seen in most movies. This relationship was obviously to show how much love has changed, the comparison illustrating the differences between real and superficial love. Obviously this was the meant to drive Sophia and Luke's relationship and overcome their few challenges, but it was the more engaging and emotional of the tales.

Despite the great morals, sweet romance, and good looks though what else does this movie have in store. In terms of positives, the beautiful settings of North Carolina will take your breath away and offer you a taste of the country life. I also felt the camera work and sound editing did a nice job combining their talents to bring out the emotional spectrum. Many times the music was more emotional than the actual acting, the orchestra work nearly bringing a few tears to this reviewer's eyes. The acting is also decent, especially in terms of the young Ira and Rose (Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin) who really brought their characters to life. I felt great chemistry between these two, almost as if they were really in love and a married couple, something I normally don't say.

As for negatives, I've already mentioned a few. First off is that the tale is predictable and still follow closely to the Spark's formula. I know to expect it, but that doesn't mean I can't dock the score for unoriginality, which this movie is. In addition the movie was a little too long for me. Again the editing needs to work on what is necessary. I'll go ahead and say that a 2 hour Spark's romance is not necessary. There was not enough drive to carry my attention for the whole time, and half of the scenes, especially with her sorority life, could have been left to the director's cut.

The Longest Ride is definitely not the perfect film, and in the end is another Nicholas Spark's novel come to life. Yet I can say it is one of my favorite tales of this author, but only due to the first half of the film. I would have liked to have seen more integration of the two tales, but I was pleased with the balance overall. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Not really, but it is a decent romance film definitely good for a RedBox rent. The recommended audience are those that love Nicholas Sparks, want to see romance, or are just looking to stare at beautiful people.

My Scores are: Drama/Romance: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 6.5-7.0

Much better than than the reviews have one believe!!

[carierandolph · 9/10 · 18 April 2015]

If you enjoyed other Nicolas Sparks movies, you will enjoy this one. It is heartwarming and one with integrity that depicts what it is to love someone unconditionally. It is a sweet, and sensual romance of a young couple struggling to come together while each follows their dreams. Sophia, wants to follow her passion of art, and Luke, follows his passion as the world's best bull rider. Their love story is entwined with the memories of a relationship of love long ago, told and acted by Alan Alda, who plays Ira, as he reads letters he wrote to his dear wife, Ruth. The scenery of the movie is lovely, the bull riding is exciting, the script, thoughtful and touching. Have Kleenex on hand, you will cry. At the end of this movie the audience clapped because it was good all the way through.

The Longest Ride

[abouhelier-r · 6/10 · 30 July 2015]

After an automobile crash, the lives of a young couple intertwine with a much older man, as he reflects back on a past love.

The latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation stars Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood. When it comes to Nicholas Sparks you're either in or out. Director George Tillman Jr. embraced the sanitized banality of Sparks world with a straight face. It's easy to tease those films. It's harder to admit that Sparks is very good at it. He's thoroughly uncynical about love and believes that love is so powerful that it can salvage lives and control the weather.

A significant part of the interest here surely lies in the film's role as a showcase for four moderately known actors. First Robertson, who co-stared in the highly anticipated Tomorrowland. She feels a little over the top, her character's reactions seem too much like movie reaction and not something we'll do in real life. Eastwood, in his first significant starring role, but his potential remains to be determined as he comfortably inhabits a western-style-character.

Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood The two of them have nothing in common except golden good looks and a fondness for looking at each other and grinning. Still, they do this well enough that we buy their chemistry. This time characters are keeping apart not by scheming bad guys or misunderstandings but by a genuine concern for one another's happiness. By contrast, Oona Chaplin, grand-daughter of Charles, is the sole younger actor to pop here. Playing the only one of these youthful characters with any boldness or inclination to speak her own mind. It goes without saying that the ladies in Sparks adaptations are all beautiful; but let's be honest, his films are better known for their man. From Gosling to Efron, Costner to Tatum , a romantic hero is the heart and soul of those movies.

Moreover, Nicholas Sparks adaptations are like Michael Bay's movies. You know exactly what you're going to see: a lot of explosions, high contrast, saturated colors and low framed angles of people stepping out of cars. In a NS movie you have old people talking about when they were young and they first met the love of their life and how sad and tragic that is. Plus, young people who want to fall in love but can't because life is tough and something is in the way.

Director makes full use of the lights, black leather and glamour of this modern breed of Rock & Roll riders. The settings and compositions are picture-postcard. For the most part, it's a well directed movie with sold performances. The cinematography is good. It's a good movie that we've seen a million times before, just repackaged with a different structure.

Finally, as usual the ending, in Sparks world, when happiness rains, it pours!

Overall, a good romance never hurst anyone and ultimately can make us endure an implausible plot.

Cowboys

[abcvision · 8/10 · 17 April 2015]

• I really thought The Longest Ride was going to be a sappy movie based on a book by Nicholas Sparks. I was mistaken. Yes, it can be sappy but turns out to be a good story. A young couple, a city girl and a cowboy go out on a date only to discover they are too different for it to work. They drive up to an accident scene and the cowboy saves the driver while the gal discovers a lot of letters. This sets a path to a past love story and sets the course for the cowboy and city girl to have a little faith in finding love even though circumstances may point elsewhere. I believe this is a good date movie or just a feel good story. Long live cowboys.

Would Have Been More Satisfying Had Both Stories Received Equal Attention

[prospectus_capricornium · 6/10 · 15 April 2015]

Nicholas Sparks' movies are almost always seemingly made to please the hopeless romantics and the fairytale romance-loving audience, they're expected to manipulate emotions, no matter how extremely recognizable their set ups may be, and they often triumph. But in THE LONGEST RIDE, the attempt barely mimics such success, primarily because of its confusing and ever shifting narrative, whose backbone runs on two romantic sagas spanning across different generations.

THE LONGEST RIDE sprawls across two love stories set in the modern day and seventy years ago. In modern day, it has Luke and Sophia, two utterly good-looking people, who at first sight falls in love with each other, they stumbles upon Ira, a World War II veteran, who himself, has his own epic love story to tell—that one he shared with his wife, Ruth, seventy years ago. More often, these two love stories bear no difference from each other, as both couples go through similar hardships to carry their relationships.

The idea of crisscrossing time to present two supposedly compelling love stories, perhaps, is to double the magnitude of emotions and deliver a more poignant result, yet such very confusing structure is what actually makes giving both the stories with equal level of sentiment, difficult. Still, no matter how one appears to hold more promise of an engaging love story than the other, the tedious and confusing process of going back and forth across two different time frames, and the fact that the narrative failed to establish concrete connection between the two stories, renders less than satisfying result. There's also this chemistry that Luke and Sophia seem to be lacking, regardless of how incredibly beautiful they are as persons, and that, may also be the reason why the other story, strikes as more riveting than theirs. This makes the entirety of the movie—its interesting premise and structure yet often convoluted, and its thinly drawn characters—hard to appreciate and care about. Nevertheless, in the eyes of a true Sparks' fan, and of anyone easily drawn to such anthems, THE LONGEST RIDE easily serves its purpose.

Spanning through generations and intertwining love affairs, THE LONGESTh RIDE would have been more satisfying had it treated both the stories with equal attention. That's not to say it has no small moments of perfection, because it does, but as a whole, the movie just falls below average.

****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 29 December 2015]

An absolutely magnificent film. This is what movie making should all be about.

A story of parallel loves through the years is so good that words can't describe the emotions felt.

Both stories are beautifully told. In a supporting performance, Alan Alda nearly steals the show, as Ira Levinson, who recounts the story of a love he nearly lost, but was saved and by what the couple endured to compensate for what they couldn't have.

Our young North Carolina couple who comes upon Alda in his auto accident also have divisions that may destroy their relationship.

This is a highly intelligent, thought provoking film. Life can succeed when people work to do so. Of course, the Cinderella-like ending may not be always what occurs, but it established a love to go on.

Kind Of Like The Notebook

[ShelbyTMItchell · 7/10 · 18 April 2015]

It is like the movie "The Notebook" as it is by the same author that of Nicholas Sparks.

It shows Clint Eastwood's son Scott. In his first lead role as Luke Collins, a bull rider who is making a comeback. After a fall. As he falls in love with a art student named Sophia Danko played by up and coming actress Britt Robertson.

Despite their differences and different lifestyles, they fall in love. After she meets him at a rodeo as he is doing it to save his ranch despite how the injury nearly ended his career and possibly life.

But on a date they meet Alan Alda's Ira who was nearly killed in a car wreck. But he asks Sophia to save his photos with him and his long deceased wife before the car goes up in flames.

As they mainly Sophia get to know Ira through flashbacks. As how he met Ruth from Vienna and despite some difficulties of their own. They manage to keep loving one another before, during, and after WWII.

Despite two couples with very little in common, will share an unexpected bond.

It is kind of like the Notebook but in a way, it is different.

Two Excellent stories in One

[darrell_romine · 10/10 · 10 April 2015]

This is an extraordinary film that is almost two features in one. My wife and I (oldsters, but still in glorious married Love) saw it as a date film and enjoyed it immensely.

It is two stories of enduring Love- one in modern day, the other in the past (1940s to present), which intertwine through the chance meeting of Ira Levinsen (Alan Alda) who is in a car crash, with Luke and Sophie who are on a first date. Their subsequent friendship changes all their lives. Sophie saves a box of love letters from the crash, the reading aloud of which provide the narrative (a common Nicholas Sparks theme) for interweaving the two very different worlds together.

The acting was superb, Scott's portrayal of Luke was spot on for rodeo cowboys - a stoic bunch. Britt Robertson's charming young "Sophie" was sweet, but tough. Alan Alda was priceless, as usual, but the two who really stand out are; Oona Chaplin as young Ruth Levinsen, and Jack Huston as young Ira. The period is amazingly presented and their acting just makes it sumptuous.

Two complaints that some reviewers find wrong with these types of film are - not enough realism (read overt sex and Violence) and happy endings. This movie is guilty of both. We left the Theater feeling emotionally spent and happy. As Christian Slater said in Bed of Roses: " There's no such thing as too much perfection"

Scott Eastwood's Big Break

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 13 April 2015]

Movies made from bestsellers by Nicholas Sparks usually require Kleenex galore if you don't want to drown in your own tears. The tenth Sparks' novel to receive the silver screen treatment, "The Longest Ride" isn't as hopelessly tragic as some of the author's earlier tearjerkers. Meaning, "The Longest Ride" is nowhere near as heartbreaking as "Message in a Bottle" (1999), "A Walk to Remember" (2002), "The Notebook" (2004), "Nights in Rodanthe" (2008), and "The Best of Me" (2014). Mind you, "The Longest Ride" does have more than enough lachrymose moments. Nevertheless, everything works out well enough for all the protagonists in this sappy soap opera. Each of the four primary characters and most of the supporting players are endearing souls. The villains that lurk on the periphery are far from despicable. More than anything else, they just seem suspicious, but never hateful. Like "The Notebook," "The Longest Ride" intertwines two romantic melodramas occurring in different times at different places to illuminate the message that true love involves sacrifice. "The Longest Ride" emerges as lightweight and frivolous compared with the far more serious "Notebook." "Scream 4" actress Britt Robertson and Clint Eastwood's youngest son Scott Eastwood portray the youthful lovers in the contemporary romance who negotiate an obstacle course of trials and tribulations. She is a second semester college senior studying art from the city with her entire life awaiting her, while he is a hard-luck, rodeo riding cowboy from the country playing wet nurse to snotty bulls and struggling to save the family ranch. In the romance from the past, set during the Second World War, Jack Huston plays the Jewish son of a haberdasher who falls in love with a vibrant refuge from Vienna. Jack's inamorata, Oona Chaplin, and her family have fled from the wicked Nazis and are embarking on a new life. Interestingly enough, "The Longest Ride" marks the first time that Sparks has integrated his predominantly White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant characters with Jewish characters. Despite their ethnic traditions, each couple must triumph over demoralizing medical conditions that threaten to ruin their romance more than parents concerned with class mixing.

You know tragedy is going to strike in "The Longest Ride," but you cannot be certain when it will or who it will affect the worst. The contemporary romance between the cowboy and the city slicker surpasses the experiences of the Jewish couple. Principally Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood generate greater charisma than Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin. Nevertheless, "Soul Food" director George Tilman Jr., and "Light It Up" scenarist Craig Bolotin neatly connect the older romance with the contemporary one. Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson of "Scream 4") is the kind of college student who would rather study than goof off on campus with her sisters. Now that she's half way through his second senior semester and has earned straight A's, Sophia cuts herself some slack when a sorority sister invites her out to witness a rodeo. Love at first sight aptly describes Sophia's reaction when the bull that rodeo rider Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood of "Fury") straddles sends him sprawling into the dirt at her feet. Luke loses his Stetson, and Sophia retrieves it for him. Luke lets her keep his headgear and ambles away. Later, during the day, Luke and Sophia strike up a conversation and the inevitable date ensues. Basically, she is the sophisticated dame, while he is a rural ranch hand. Nevertheless, opposites attract in the best love stories.

Anyway, as Luke is taking Sophia back to her sorority house after their first date, they notice smashed through a bridge railing. They find an elderly man who plunged off the bridge and slammed into a tree. He lies near death in his wrecked car. Courageously, Luke pulls Ira Levinson (Alan Alda of "The Aviator"), from his automobile. Ira cries out about a box, and Sophia grabs it as Luke is toting Ira away. Since nobody knows Ira at the hospital, Sophia hangs around until he awakens from surgery. Ira, it seems, banged his head up pretty badly in the accident. As a patient, Ira is nothing but cantankerous. He complains that his nurse soaks her hands in ice water. Sophia tells him that she was one of the two good Samaritans who rescued him. Moreover, she persuades grumpy Ira to eat his objectionable hospital fare. If he'll eat his food, she promises to read some of the letters in the box of letters. Sophia knows the letters are love letters because she has perused them. Later, she reads Ira, and we find ourselves swept up in a wistful flashback love affair in the 1940s between a Jewish lad and lady from different backgrounds. As it turns out, love is no different for different people. Everybody encounters variations on the same heartache. The love of Ira's life, Ruth (Oona Chaplin of "Quantum of Solace") dreams of having a large family, but Ira cannot accommodate her owing to a war wound. Like Noah in "The Notebook," Ira tangles with the Nazis in Europe, but he comes home a different man much to Ruth's chagrin. Meantime, Luke and Sophia quarrel after a nasty bull dumps him. Luke's physician warns him his next tumble could be fatal. Sophia begs him to quit bull riding, but Luke refuses out of stubborn pride.

"The Longest Ride" is sure to make Scott Eastwood into a movie star. He looks so much like his father that you cannot believe he is his son. Director George Tillman doesn't overlook an opportunity to photograph every muscular contour of Eastwood's virile physique, and the PG-13 rating prevents him from going all out. Eastwood and co-star Britt Robertson have a shower scene together and do just about everything that is expected of a young romantic couple. Comparatively, Ruth and Ira's romance is restrained. Alan Alda spends most of his time in a hospital bed. Altogether, "The Longest Ride" serves up a lot of hankie with some panky.

I Hate Bad Romance Movies

[madamemoviemonsterheart · 1/10 · 16 April 2015]

Every-time I watch a romance movie I'm going to either really love it or really hate it. This movie is one of those examples.

1. The characters are so bland and forgettable. They don't learn anything from there experience. All I know about the main guy is that he rides bulls and that's it. The lead girl is into art and nothing else. Alan Alda is old with letters and that's all we know about him. Every character is just a one character description.

2. The story has too many coincidences and questions. What was his health problem that injured him so badly? Why does her family take her to the bull rides? Why did the guy promise to quit bull riding but only after he won the championship? Plus the coincidences are over the top. The elderly mans wife happened to be an artist like the main girl, his wife had issues with him going to war kind of like the bull riding with the two leads, the wife also had difficulties in their relationship just like the leads, she collects art just like the main girl etc.

3. The romance is so dull and bleak to watch. After maybe five weeks of knowing each other she gets into a fight with him saying: how can you do this when I've given up every thing for you? I'm sorry but you've had an on and off relationship with him for five weeks. You shouldn't plan ahead with him in a life when you've hardly known him. Most of the time they talk it's exposition dialog that doesn't improve their characters so they can know each other.

This movie is just every example of a bad romance movie. No chemistry of romance with the leads, no character development with anyone in general, unanswered questions, too many coincidences and overall it feels five times longer than it actually is with it's awful pacing. The opening to UP is more romantic than this.

Just watch Amélie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Princess Bride. Those are better romances than this mess.

A super touching film

[Gordon-11 · 22 July 2015]

This film tells the story of a young woman with her eyes on pursuing an art career, and a bull riding cowboy who falls in love with each other. However, in order to make their relationship work, someone has to make a sacrifice somewhere.

"The Longest Ride" is easily the best Nicolas Sparks adaption I have ever seen. The story is super touching. I kept having tears in my eyes frequently along the film. Scott Eastwood is super handsome, and he is so convincing as the charming cowboy. His character is so romantic, it would easily make any girl fall head over heels. As for the ending, I thought it was not unrealistic at all. It is in fact so touching that even thinking about it, hours after I watched it, makes me eyes well up again. I truly enjoyed it.

Spoilers: Here's why the ending is actually realistic. Luke saves Ira's life, Ira acknowledges this fact right after Ira meets Luke for the first time. Ira is very grateful for it. Ira hopes the relationship between Sophia and Luke will work, because he sees parallels between his relationship and their relationship. Ira and Ruth could not have children, so the young child McDonald is the son they never had. McDonald is so inspired and touched by Ira and Ruth, so he painted the portrait of Ruth. In the auction, Sophia and Luke are the only people (apart from the attorney) who know the huge personal significance of the painting. By inviting Sophia and Luke to the auction, Ira is betting on Luke to buy the painting for Sophia. If Luke buys it, then Ira repays the altruistic act of Luke saving Ira's life by giving Luke all his paintings. Ira also knows that people at the auction are unlikely to buy the painting, because it is probably the only painting that is painted by an unknown painter. If Luke didn't buy it, the auction would have just gone ahead. Hence, the film is really about reciprocal altruistic acts - that's why it is so beautiful.

Everyone is Too Nice

[dansview · 6/10 · 22 August 2015]

I am not against schmaltzy fairy tale romance novels and films. There is a legitimate need for them. But for my tastes, you have to spice it up a bit with more edgy characters. Because real life is populated by them.

First let's get some of the unrealistic inconsistencies out of the way. They don't bother me much, but I feel obligated to mention them. North Carolina is a wide state. Wake Forest university is nowhere near the mountains of Western North Carolina, where the bull rider guy is obviously from.

The characters are seen at the beach, in Charlotte, in the Raleigh area, and the western mountains, as if these places are all easily accessible. They are not. Where do the characters sleep when they go to all these places? There were no scenes at Best Western motels.

Where does the guy actually live? They show a barn, but it's not at his family ranch. Is it close to the college? Why? Are there a lot of rodeos near the Raleigh area? We only see him competing locally and once in Tennessee, so how does he move up the ranks to one of the best in the world? Aren't most guys competing in Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Montana? Wouldn't you have to travel there frequently? What does he do for a living during the week if he does not live on the ranch? When you have a barbecue meal at a lake, your mouth will be covered in beef particles and sauce, and you will have to go to the bathroom within an hour and a quarter. But in these movies, everyone's mouth is fresh and they don't need a bathroom.

Alan Alda is too young to have been in World War 2. He is also Italian. The girl is actually from the Carolinas in real life, not Jersey, and the guy is from Hawaii. Neither speak with an accent, nor did characters in other Sparks' movies.

It would have been more interesting if the Jewish character was a bull rider, but couldn't compete on the Sabbath. The main girl looks like she weighs about 90 pounds. The Eastwood guy is only 5'11, but the girl is so short, that he appears as tall as his dad.

Kudos to Sparks or the screenwriter for pointing out that modern art is complete B.S. Yet we are still expected to respect the women's love for it.

The music is too much. Too manipulative. Come on.

At one point the Austrian lady goes to some hillbillies' house. They should have made those characters lash out at her with some primitive anti-Semitism. That's what was going on in real life at the time.

The best thing in this picture is the photography. That includes the landscapes and the bull riding. Nice use of slow motion. At one point we see copious amounts of bull spittle flying through the air.

I really got a sense of how bull riders both fear and respect the bull. I had no idea that there is a drawing to see which bull you ride.

Go into this one expecting clichés, obligatory exploitation of hunky men, and a tidy ending. Accept it for what it is and deal with it. But be prepared for a fairly sterile tear jerker that goes on endlessly.

A Very Great Romantic Drama Movie.

[Open-mindedMuslimWoman · 10/10 · 17 April 2015]

The Longest Ride is a 2015 American romantic drama film directed by George Tillman, Jr. and written by Craig Bolotin. Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, the film stars Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Alan Alda, Melissa Benoist, and Lolita Davidovich.

Luke Collins is a bull rider who is seriously injured one night while riding. One year later he gets back on and meets Sophia Danko by chance. On their first date they encounter an older gentleman who has crashed his car and help rescue him. Luke continues riding bulls, no matter the risk of being hurt again. He and Sophia fall in love. Meanwhile, Sophia continuously visits the man she and Luke rescued, Ira Levinson. He tells her the story of how he met his late wife, Ruth; their stories interweave.

Indeed an outstanding and haunting movie everyone must see.

one love story inspires another.

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 24 January 2021]

PBR rider Luke (Scott Eastwood) goes on a date with cutie Sophia (Britt Robertson), and on the way home, they pass a burning car. Mr. Hero Luke pulls the guy out to safety, and Sophia rescues a box of letters in the car. in the hospital, Sophia reads the letters, and FLASHBACK... we learn how Ira (Alan Alda) met and married his wife. Luke and Sophia have THEIR own ups and downs. there's a jam packed ending.. can't say too much, but if you've sat through this LONG film (over two hours), don't bail before the ending. a lot going on there. which was kind of out of place from the rest of the film. but it works if you buy into it. directed by George Tillman. story by Nick Sparks. many of his tales have tragedy, or life changing events. much like his own story. but we carry on. it's good. but long. showing on various streaming movie channels through roku.

'I don't know what the future holds but I know there is no future without you.'

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 25 December 2016]

Nicholas Sparks has an enduring audience – his novels are read by those of all age who love romance stories and his books are consistently transformed into successful films. In the case of THE LONGEST RIDE the screenwriter is Craig Bolton and he ha managed to make Sparks' story even more significant and touching than the original book. Much of that is, of course, due to director George Tillman, Jr. and a cast able to create the present and the past with aplomb.

At first the audience may be put off by the violent brutality of bull riding – violent for both the bull and the human rider – but as the story progresses this degree of gut courage and commitment plays well in the film. The story centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke (Scott Eastwood, a significant growth in presence), a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia (Britt Robertson), a college student at Wake Forest in North Carolina who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world. As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected connection with injured Ira Levinson (Alan Alda) whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife (the young Ira being played by Jack Huston and his wife Ruth played by Oona Chaplin) deeply inspire the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining and very parallel love stories, THE LONGEST RIDE explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.

In addition to the mentioned actors, supporting roles are well managed by Lolita Davidovich as Luke's mother and Elea Oberon as Ruth's mother and Kate Forbes as Ira's mother. Mark Isham wrote the musical score. The inclusion of fine art plays a major role, both in the parallel stories of Sophia and Ruth and in the sensitive manner in which the story ends. THE LONGEST RIDE is a sweet and satisfying film.

A surprising, romantic ride

[russellingreviews · 6/10 · 7 April 2015]

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." John Wayne

Walking into the cinema... Mentioning Nicholas Sparks or The Notebook can cause most men to squirm. Yet, this self- proclaimed master storyteller has developed a formula for novels and films to keep people coming back for more. Sparks' storytelling is predictable and shmaltzy. Will The Longest Ride prove to be different or is the title a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Overall rating: 2.75 stars Cinematic value: 2.5 stars Big Questions value: 3 stars

Cowboys, art galleries and two love stories that span three generations. A strange mix for a romantic drama, but this is the basis for the newest Nicholas Sparks inspired film, The Longest Ride. Art student, Sophia (Britt Robertson), and bull rider, Luke (Scott Eastwood) are an unlikely couple that must choose between new found love and their dreams. This young couple's story becomes a parallel journey of love due to a chance meeting with a man who helps them to define true, sacrificial love. This tangled, multi- generational tale of love and sacrifice delves into the depths of relationships and considers what truly matters in life.

Nicolas Sparks has become a cottage industry within himself. From The Notebook to Safe Haven, Sparks fills the cinematic void for audiences by supplying this generation with romantically themed dramas. The word that comes to mind after leaving The Longest Ride was surprised. Through the advertising, the film makers seem to provide the new Urban Cowboy, but the cowboy element is a mere foot note in this multi-layered love story. The Longest Ride is a conventional romance, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson have good chemistry and they are believable as a young couple who find themselves in the turning point of their lives. Their story is the central relationship, but it is not what makes this film enjoyable. The saving grace of the film is the casting of Alan Alda (MASH) as the crotchety, but lovable Ira. His role helps to differentiate this story from the other Sparks stories. Without giving too much away, his love story with his wife, Ruth, gave this romantic tale it's heart. The portrayal of their love affair had the benefit of being told through a two dimensional flashback style by director George Tillman Jr. (Faster, Notorious). This allows for the story to focus on their love story without unnecessary distractions of other aspects of their lives. The ups and downs of their relationship is meant to mirror the younger couple's love journey, but in the end the senior couple's tale provided more depth and believability because of the the trials they had to overcome. Their marriage proves that the richness of a relationship comes with time and something all people should aspire to in their relationships. Sophia and Luke's love story, at times, became unintentionally awkward. This was apparent during one of the key romantic scenes when the audience burst into laughter at the predictability of the love story, not because of the any comedic experience offered by the director. The Longest Ride, like other Sparks' story lines, offers a 'tying off all the loose ends' twist, which was unnecessary, but will leave many satisfied, but conflicted with the conclusion. It will not go down as one of the great cinematic romances, but it was surprisingly entertaining. Like the lollies at the concession stand, it was sweet, enjoyable for a moment, but inevitably forgettable.

The Longest Ride may not be a cinematic triumph, but it does open the door to some of life's deeper considerations. One of the best lines from Ira to Sophia was, "Love requires sacrifice... always." It seems simple, but profound in it's context. Sacrificial love is a consistent theme throughout many romantic dramas, but George Tillman Jr. manages to masterfully show this love at different points in people lives and relationships. This study of personal dreams, familial desires and allowing people to let their loved ones go for the sake of their happiness gives this story an unexpected depth. There are only two warnings for before viewing this film. One for the unnecessary sex scenes, the other for poorly written connecting dialogue. The first is for families the second is for those who have specific cinematic standards. Even with these predictable trappings, on the scale of Nicholas Sparks inspired films, this was better than most. It is not ground breaking cinema, but it could make for an enjoyable date night with your spouse.

Leaving the cinema: There were some pleasant surprises in The Longest Ride. It surpassed expectations, but those early expectations were pretty low. For the blokes, the story has bull-riding and Alan Alda. For the ladies, offers a romance with a hint of testosterone to coerce your loved one to see it with you. If anything, it should make for some interesting conversations about the sacrifice that comes with any love story.

Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. What is sacrificial love? (John 15:13, Ephesians 5:25) 2. What does the Bible say about adoption? (Ephesians 1:5, Hebrews 2:13) 3. Does God care about my dreams? (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:3)

Written by Russell Matthews based on a five star rating system @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews

So, There's Yet Another Eastwood Heartthrob!

[patsworld · 8/10 · 14 May 2015]

And I don't think it's going to take any time at all for this hunk to be completely and absolutely known only for his own looks, talent, and fame rather than having the fact that he's Clint Eastwood's son being tacked on. Scott is good! Britt Robertson was nicely cast as Sophia, except I have to admit here that I kept seeing a young Renee Zellweger in the part– before the silly plastic surgery turned her into a total stranger. Or just strange. Whatever. Jack Huston was excellent as a young Ira and I think portraying the elderly Ira is one of Alan Alda's best roles. I was just expecting the usual chick flick - but not so. Rugged enough action with the bull riding to interest any guy, as well as a decent plot and all around good acting. To sum it up, this is a nicely done film and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Pretty good romance drama

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 16 April 2015]

College student Sophia (Britt Robertson) meets cowboy Luke (Scott Eastwood) in South Carolina where she's going to school. He rides bulls and she's an art student. They meet and fall in love...but she just got an internship in NYC at an art gallery. Will she give him up and go? There's also another love story here set in the 1940s. Ira (Jack Huston) falls in love with Ruth (Oona Chaplin) but the war tears them apart. He survives but has injuries which prevent him from ever having kids. Will they marry and work through this?

It all sounds terrible but it works. The movie doesn't get overly sentimental and each couple is believable and sympathetic. Every romantic cliché in existence is trotted out (there are at least THREE romantic montages) but carried off in an OK manner. It's a little bit too long but I was never bored. It works but the ending is more than a little ridiculous. It seems like they were straining for a happy ending but it worked. And I'll admit I cried more than a few times during the end.

The acting isn't bad. Eastwood and Robertson have zero sexual charisma but they play very well off each other. They're also ridiculously good-looking so they're easy on the eyes. Their sex scenes are handled tastefully (hence the PG-13 rating) with Eastwood showing his muscular chest and baring his butt briefly. Chaplin is also very effective as Ruth. Huston is just so-so as Ira and (even worse) Alan Alda plays him as an old man and he's terrible. Still, all in all, I was entertained by this. I give it a 7.

Such a cute film

[authortinaleonard · 8/10 · 11 April 2015]

My husband and I really enjoyed this. It's sweet and romantic. If you like a movie without swearing and gratuitous sex, etc., this is a feel-good story. Alan Alda was wonderful, and we enjoyed seeing him in this role. Scott Eastwood was convincing as a PBR rider trying not to become a has-been and working through issues of his own. There's action for the guys (bull riding), and something for the ladies (bull riding, and a flash of Scott Eastwood's nice buttocks-thank you for that-so there's something for everyone. The actress who played Alan Alda's wife was absolutely darling. Very romantic film about two people who had a meet-cute and found their lives changed in many ways.

Robertson's fans may be disappointed...

[A_Different_Drummer · 6/10 · 26 June 2015]

This is perhaps unusual for a review, but let's get the movie portion of the review out of the way...

Longest Ride is at best a "Lifetime" romantic drama that is overlong, has a weakish script, relies heavily on flashbacks, lacks focus, and at the very end tries (with limited success) to redeem itself with a "feel good" happy ending.

The happy ending was sort of fun. The rest of the film, not so much.

The real issue is whether this fork in Robertson' career will pay off or not...?

Going into this project Robertson had some extraordinary credits:

In both FIRST TIME and ASK ME ANYTHING she stole both films. She was hypnotic. She was mesmerizing. The camera loved her. The audience loved her. She could do no wrong.

In TommorrowLand, her most commercial project (filmed the same year as Longest Ride) she did a very acceptable job playing "young" (she is mid-20s, she played a teenager) and can claim to have carried a major Disney movie, not to mention holding her own in scenes with George Clooney.

And to top all that off -- Longest Ride? I don't think so. Weighed down by weak script and direction, she seems lost, cannot connect with a poorly written character, and is just marking time.

Until her next star turn comes along.

Sorry, really bad. Phony, mushy and predictable. Too many longing looks (phony) and giggling (even phonier).

[susanw-50877 · 3/10 · 18 April 2015]

This was garbage and we knew it within 15 minutes. The atypical blonde girl...though Scott Eastwood is seriously gorgeous it wasn't enough to stop one friend walking out with half an hour saying she'll meet us at the coffee shop when we're done..an hour later the 3 of us left and joined her.

Honestly it was just drivel, phony acting (except for Scott who was wasted on such garbage)..the characters bland and incredibly intertwined within 5 minutes of meeting each other.

I loved the Notebook..but this soppy rubbish just did not work..cept maybe for teenagers?