By Alexandra Gutierrez
She cuts and dyes her hair. Puts her belongings in a pillow case and stuffs it under her shirt. She runs out into the rain to go into town and buys a bus ticket to Atlanta. Once she is in her seat and her husband’s out of view, she can finally release a sigh of relief.
“Safe Haven” hit theaters on Feb. 14 as the eighth Nicholas Sparks book to make it on the silver screen. And while it was a hit in the box office, it fell a little short of readers’ expectations.
“Safe Haven” was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the same man behind previous Nicholas Sparks hit, “Dear John.” All Nicholas Sparks movies often make a killing in box office even though they’re known for getting bad reviews. Julianne Hough was the leading lady along side “Transformers” soldier Josh Duhamel. Hough has starred in “Rock of Ages,” “Footloose” (2011), and she’s taken the stage in “Dancing with the Stars.” Duhamel, on the other hand, has made quite the name for himself in a number of genres. He’s helped our friendly robots in the “Tranformers” series, starred next to Kristen Bell in “When in Rome” and has learned to love in “Life as We Know It.”
In “Safe Haven,” Katie (Hough) escapes her alcholic, abusive husband in Boston and flees to Southport, North Carolina. There she settles down in a samll fixer-upper and gets a job at a local restaurant. During her visits to a near-by convenience store, she befreinds the owners daughter and soon the owner himself. She falls in love with the off-the-grid town and begins to let her gaurd down, but as soon as things seem to good to be true, everything takes a turn for the wrost. Her boyfriend begins believing lies about her past and her husband find her. After tragedy hits them, they begin to re-build their lives and come out a stronger.
It’s a typical Sparks script and although it proves much different from the book, it’s been written in a way that still makes you awe at all the right moments. To those who have read the book, I don’t recommend pointing out all the differences if you want to enjoy the movie.
“Safe Haven” is another must-see Sparks fans everywhere, even if you don’t drive to your local therater to see it on the big screen.