If you have the choice, don't watch The Choice [Review]
Even if you're a hopeless romantic who loved The Notebook and Dear John, it's hard not to yawn through The Choice, the latest film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel.
Travis Parker (Benjamin Walker) has mastered the art of charming women, and few ever reject him. But when medical student Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) moves in next door and scolds him for his part in a canine-related mishap, he falls in love with her. Conveniently, Gabby's handsome doctor boyfriend Ryan McCarthy (Tom Welling) is out of town, but of course things go downhill when he comes back.
The film has some nice views of the North Carolina coast and Walker does a decent job; but the screenplay is awkward. The jokes aren't funny and the plot points are utterly predictable.
Unlike the protagonists of Dear John, neither Travis nor Gabby comes across as likeable, leaving the viewer very detached from the story. You're not even sure why the pair like each other so much. Palmer's performance is also as stiff as Kristen Stewart's in Twilight; everything from her smile to her gait is unnatural.
The Choice does have some sweet moments, but you could choose a much, much better way to spend two hours.