Safe Haven

"Safe Haven" is yet another affirming film based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, who also spawned other novels, namely "The Notebook" and "Dear John" in which films were based on. Even though all Sparks' novels have a good deal of similarity, they simply speak to the heart of all who watch these films.

In this story a mysterious young woman Katie (Julianne Hough) appears in the small town of Southport, North Carolina only to have questions raised about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, she seems determined to avoid forming any personal ties until she meets a widowed store owner, Alex (Josh Duhamel) who has a kind heart, his two young children, Josh and Lexie (Noah Lomax and Mimi Kirkland), and her plainspoken neighbor, Jo (Cobie Smulders).

Despite her reservations, she starts to slowly lower her guard to put down roots in the close-knit community and becomes increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie starts falling in love, she struggles with a dark secret that terrifies her-- a past that has set her across the country to the small yet safe Southport. With Jo's empathic support, Katie must realize that she must choose between a life of walking on eggs and one of awards that carry certain risks.

Others to round out the cast are David Lyons as Detective Kevin Tierney, Robin Mullins as Maddie, owner of the restaurant in Southport, Irene Ziegler as Mrs. Feldman, and Mike Pniewski as Lieutenant Robinson.

This was effortlessly directed by veteran Lasse Hallstrom ("ABBA: The Movie" (Documentary) '77, "Tuppen" '81, "My Life as a Dog" '85, "Once Around" '91, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" '93, "The Cider House Rules" '99, "Chocolat" 2000, "The Shipping News" '01, "An Unfinished Life" '05, "Casanova" '05, "The Hoax" '06, "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" '09, "Dear John" '10, "Salmon Finishing in the Yemen" '11, "The Hypnotist" '12). One thing you can count on with a Halstrom film, is the element of diversity in his films. The characters and subjets of the films run the gambit, and that carries a tremendous amount of respect in the eyes of those thar watch his films. It was written by Leslie Bohem and Dana Stevens based on Sparks' novel.

Romantic comedies or dramas are really not my forte, but when the drama is based on a novel by Sparks, the plot and character development seems to obtain a higher caliber than those that are originally written for the screen or even based on someone else's work. Sparks has found his niche, and we are the winners of his talent. Because of a small amount of jumping in the script, obviously by the screenwriters, this is one that will still keep you positive that relationships can often still happen today.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                             Rated: PG-13                           115mins.