As of this writing, creator Nicholas Sparks has written 23 novels, and each single one in all them has been a New York Instances Bestseller. His first novel, “The Passing,” was printed in 1985, and he instantly established himself as one of many world’s preeminent pop-romance writers, authoring broad, tragic tales about unquenched longing, struggling lovelorn ladies, and flawless rescue studs. His 1999 novel “A Stroll to Keep in mind” was impressed by the tragic loss of life of his youthful sister, killed by most cancers at age 33. Sparks’ novels, largely set in North Carolina, are identified for his or her placid, pastoral tones, sweeping melodrama, and weepy endings.
Hollywood acquired their hooks into Sparks in 1999 once they tailored his e-book “Message in a Bottle” right into a notable hit starring Kevin Costner. That movie made $118 million on a $30 million finances, and main movie studios appear to have discovered a profitable formulation. Since then, 11 extra Sparks novels have been tailored into movies, and most of them have been money-makers. There was, it appears, an enormous demand for tragic romances all through the mid-2000s. The newest Sparks-based film was the 2014 TV film “Deliverance Creek,” a Civil Warfare drama starring Lauren Ambrose that aired on Lifetime. Though movie diversifications of Sparks novels have fallen out of favor, the person himself continues to write down hit novels. (His newest, “Counting Miracles,” was printed in 2024.)
One other notable side of Sparks-based films is that they are not usually obtained nicely by critics. The 2016 adaptation of “The Selection” solely has an 11% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes (based mostly on 83 opinions). And even his best-received film solely has a 54% approval score, based mostly on 182 assessment. As Sparks followers could intuit, his best-reviewed movie was Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 romance “The Notebook.”
The Pocket book is the best-reviewed Nicholas Sparks adaptation, natch
“The Pocket book” was, like “Message in a Bottle,” a notable blockbuster, making $115 million on a $29 million finances. Moreso, although, it turned a cultural touchpoint for a technology, and is now usually thought of (in an unofficial capability) probably the greatest romances of its period. Set largely in 1940, “The Pocket book” tells the story of a rich heiress named Ellie (Rachel McAdams) and a taciturn lumber mill employee named Noah (Ryan Gosling) and the years they spent having an on-again, off-again romance. Ellie is absolutely into Noah, however is frightened by his romantic depth, in addition to his low class. Because the story cycles via World Warfare II, Ellie marries one other man (James Marsden) and Noah continued to pine for her. Finally the pair will find yourself collectively. “The Pocket book” is bookended by Noah and Ellie as aged individuals (performed by James Garner and Gena Rowlands) as she suffers via a tragic case of dementia. The previous Noah reads from a pocket book containing the small print of their love story, hoping to restart her reminiscences once more.
Some of the reviews for “The Notebook” have been fairly harsh. Peter Bradshaw, writing for the Guardian, hated the movie’s sappiness, giving it one star (out of 5), and calling it a shameless “Titanic” knock-off. “Dentistry within the Renaissance couldn’t have been extra painful than watching this,” he wrote. Even the constructive opinions have been certified. Desson Thompson’s review for The Washington Post acknowledged that “The Pocket book” was shamelessly sappy, however that it contained some sincere, soulful performances.
This was Ryan Gosling’s first romantic main function, and his picture as a transfer star modified instantly after. The movie performed repeatedly at slumber events for many of the subsequent decade.
Different Nicholas Sparks diversifications
A lot of the opinions of “The Pocket book,” each constructive and destructive, precisely peg “The Pocket book” as a manipulative weepy, and a number of other critics made liberal use of phrases like “sap” and “syrup.” The movie is sticky candy. Related criticisms will be discovered within the opinions of any Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Thus far, none of them have been overwhelmingly beloved.
As talked about, “The Selection” solely has an 11% approval score, however the 2014 romance “The Better of Me” did not fare a lot better, with solely 12% (based mostly on 82 opinions). That movie additionally starred “The Pocket book” actor James Marsden, though his presence did not make it an enormous hit. Lasse Hallström’s “Safe Haven” with Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough has a 13% approval score (based mostly on 147 opinions). In that film, Duhamel’s character is so excellent, so dedicated to the Hough character, so single-mindedly dedicated that he invited the creator of this text to coin the phrase “Flawless Rescue Stud,” the archetypal flip aspect to the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. (“Flawless Rescue Stud” remains to be catching on.)
Sparks truly wrote the screenplay to one in all his film diversifications: 2010’s “The Final Tune,” starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. That movie was a Sparks-sized smash, making $89 million on a $20 million finances, however it, too, obtained poor notices. It solely has a 21% approval score, based mostly on 121 opinions. It was the primary movie Cyrus made after “Hannah Montana: The Film,” so audiences could have flocked to theaters merely to see the kid diva develop up a little bit.
All informed, Sparks’ 11 films have grossed nearly $900 million, making him a mini trade all through the 2000s and into the 2010s. He has fallen in estimation since 2016 — audiences not appear to be within the temper for sappy tragic romances — however for some time there, he was all the pieces.
As of this writing, creator Nicholas Sparks has written 23 novels, and each single one in all them has been a New York Instances Bestseller. His first novel, “The Passing,” was printed in 1985, and he instantly established himself as one of many world’s preeminent pop-romance writers, authoring broad, tragic tales about unquenched longing, struggling lovelorn ladies, and flawless rescue studs. His 1999 novel “A Stroll to Keep in mind” was impressed by the tragic loss of life of his youthful sister, killed by most cancers at age 33. Sparks’ novels, largely set in North Carolina, are identified for his or her placid, pastoral tones, sweeping melodrama, and weepy endings.
Hollywood acquired their hooks into Sparks in 1999 once they tailored his e-book “Message in a Bottle” right into a notable hit starring Kevin Costner. That movie made $118 million on a $30 million finances, and main movie studios appear to have discovered a profitable formulation. Since then, 11 extra Sparks novels have been tailored into movies, and most of them have been money-makers. There was, it appears, an enormous demand for tragic romances all through the mid-2000s. The newest Sparks-based film was the 2014 TV film “Deliverance Creek,” a Civil Warfare drama starring Lauren Ambrose that aired on Lifetime. Though movie diversifications of Sparks novels have fallen out of favor, the person himself continues to write down hit novels. (His newest, “Counting Miracles,” was printed in 2024.)
One other notable side of Sparks-based films is that they are not usually obtained nicely by critics. The 2016 adaptation of “The Selection” solely has an 11% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes (based mostly on 83 opinions). And even his best-received film solely has a 54% approval score, based mostly on 182 assessment. As Sparks followers could intuit, his best-reviewed movie was Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 romance “The Notebook.”
The Pocket book is the best-reviewed Nicholas Sparks adaptation, natch
“The Pocket book” was, like “Message in a Bottle,” a notable blockbuster, making $115 million on a $29 million finances. Moreso, although, it turned a cultural touchpoint for a technology, and is now usually thought of (in an unofficial capability) probably the greatest romances of its period. Set largely in 1940, “The Pocket book” tells the story of a rich heiress named Ellie (Rachel McAdams) and a taciturn lumber mill employee named Noah (Ryan Gosling) and the years they spent having an on-again, off-again romance. Ellie is absolutely into Noah, however is frightened by his romantic depth, in addition to his low class. Because the story cycles via World Warfare II, Ellie marries one other man (James Marsden) and Noah continued to pine for her. Finally the pair will find yourself collectively. “The Pocket book” is bookended by Noah and Ellie as aged individuals (performed by James Garner and Gena Rowlands) as she suffers via a tragic case of dementia. The previous Noah reads from a pocket book containing the small print of their love story, hoping to restart her reminiscences once more.
Some of the reviews for “The Notebook” have been fairly harsh. Peter Bradshaw, writing for the Guardian, hated the movie’s sappiness, giving it one star (out of 5), and calling it a shameless “Titanic” knock-off. “Dentistry within the Renaissance couldn’t have been extra painful than watching this,” he wrote. Even the constructive opinions have been certified. Desson Thompson’s review for The Washington Post acknowledged that “The Pocket book” was shamelessly sappy, however that it contained some sincere, soulful performances.
This was Ryan Gosling’s first romantic main function, and his picture as a transfer star modified instantly after. The movie performed repeatedly at slumber events for many of the subsequent decade.
Different Nicholas Sparks diversifications
A lot of the opinions of “The Pocket book,” each constructive and destructive, precisely peg “The Pocket book” as a manipulative weepy, and a number of other critics made liberal use of phrases like “sap” and “syrup.” The movie is sticky candy. Related criticisms will be discovered within the opinions of any Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Thus far, none of them have been overwhelmingly beloved.
As talked about, “The Selection” solely has an 11% approval score, however the 2014 romance “The Better of Me” did not fare a lot better, with solely 12% (based mostly on 82 opinions). That movie additionally starred “The Pocket book” actor James Marsden, though his presence did not make it an enormous hit. Lasse Hallström’s “Safe Haven” with Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough has a 13% approval score (based mostly on 147 opinions). In that film, Duhamel’s character is so excellent, so dedicated to the Hough character, so single-mindedly dedicated that he invited the creator of this text to coin the phrase “Flawless Rescue Stud,” the archetypal flip aspect to the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. (“Flawless Rescue Stud” remains to be catching on.)
Sparks truly wrote the screenplay to one in all his film diversifications: 2010’s “The Final Tune,” starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. That movie was a Sparks-sized smash, making $89 million on a $20 million finances, however it, too, obtained poor notices. It solely has a 21% approval score, based mostly on 121 opinions. It was the primary movie Cyrus made after “Hannah Montana: The Film,” so audiences could have flocked to theaters merely to see the kid diva develop up a little bit.
All informed, Sparks’ 11 films have grossed nearly $900 million, making him a mini trade all through the 2000s and into the 2010s. He has fallen in estimation since 2016 — audiences not appear to be within the temper for sappy tragic romances — however for some time there, he was all the pieces.