Safe haven movie series#

The story hits many familiar notes - a handsome widower who hasn't quite gotten over his wife's death, a need to start over fresh in a quaintly beautiful setting. The love scenes are gauzily romantic and staunchly PG. It's set, as nearly all Sparks' tales are, in a picturesque Southern town marked by good-hearted folks, lovely homes and a gorgeous coastline. Its focus remains squarely on sappy romance. But don't be fooled: This film, adapted from the novel by Nicholas Sparks, is no thriller. The two actors with the most vitality and genuine appeal are young Mimi Kirkland and Noah Lomax, who play Alex's children, Lexi and Josh.Ī pair of laughably ludicrous plot twists loom. If he had a mustache, he'd surely twirl it. He's a villain with a capital V, and goes around drinking and driving and dishonoring a small-town Fourth of July parade. Still, she can't outrun her past.Īlmost as bad is David Lyons, who plays Kevin, a driven policeman who grows more maniacal as the film unspools. It seems to take forever, but she ultimately falls for Alex and makes a powerful connection with his children. Constantly looking over her shoulder, she avoids human connection.īut she can't quite resist the charms of handsome store owner Alex (Josh Duhamel), a widower with two adorable children. We learn, mostly through flashbacks, that something traumatic happened to her, prompting her to get on a bus and flee. This emotionally manipulative tale (** out of four, rated PG-13 opening Thursday nationwide) centers on Katie (Julianna Hough), a mysterious woman who abruptly leaves her Boston home and ends up in a quiet seaside village in North Carolina. Safe Haven may not be the most dangerous place to spend Valentine's Day - but it's hardly a worthwhile romantic choice.

Rated PG-13%3B runtime 1 hour%2C 55 minutes%3B opens Thursday nationwide.

Stars%3A Julianna Hough%2C Josh Duhamel%2C David Lyons%2C Mimi Kirkland%2C Noah Lomax.He also founded The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, which uses global education experiences to improve cultural and international understanding.

His works include A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, Safe Haven, The Best of Me, and The Notebook. All of his books have been The New York Times bestsellers, and many have been made into films. Nicholas Sparks is a bestselling American author. Maybe I’d like to be defined by what I am.” “Maybe I don’t want to be defined by what I do. All we can do is to try to make the best of it. “I’m not sure anyone’s life turns out exactly the way they imagine. You can learn from it, but you can’t change it.” “Everyone has a past, but that’s just it–it’s in the past. We just have to try to make the best of it” “Love doesn’t mean anything if you’re not willing to make a commitment, and you have to think not only about what you want, but about what he wants. and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards. a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.īut even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her.

Safe haven movie series#

Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past.