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The Best of Me

  • 2014
  • PG-13
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
80K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,149
319
James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Liana Liberato, and Luke Bracey in The Best of Me (2014)
Watch a trailer for The Best of Me featuring music by Lady Antebellum.
Play trailer1:48
42 Videos
84 Photos
Teen RomanceTragedyTragic RomanceDramaRomance

A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

  • Director
    • Michael Hoffman
  • Writers
    • Nicholas Sparks
    • Will Fetters
    • J. Mills Goodloe
  • Stars
    • James Marsden
    • Michelle Monaghan
    • Luke Bracey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    80K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,149
    319
    • Director
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Writers
      • Nicholas Sparks
      • Will Fetters
      • J. Mills Goodloe
    • Stars
      • James Marsden
      • Michelle Monaghan
      • Luke Bracey
    • 204User reviews
    • 91Critic reviews
    • 29Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos42

    Special Trailer feat. Lady Antebellum
    Trailer 1:48
    Special Trailer feat. Lady Antebellum
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:40
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:40
    Official Trailer
    Teaser Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
    Teaser Trailer
    Clip
    Clip 0:49
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:53
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:56
    Clip

    Photos84

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    + 78
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    Top cast77

    Edit
    James Marsden
    James Marsden
    • Dawson
    Michelle Monaghan
    Michelle Monaghan
    • Amanda
    Luke Bracey
    Luke Bracey
    • Younger Dawson
    Liana Liberato
    Liana Liberato
    • Young Amanda
    Gerald McRaney
    Gerald McRaney
    • Tuck
    Caroline Goodall
    Caroline Goodall
    • Evelyn
    Clarke Peters
    Clarke Peters
    • Morgan Dupree
    Sebastian Arcelus
    Sebastian Arcelus
    • Frank
    Jon Tenney
    Jon Tenney
    • Harvey Collier
    Sean Bridgers
    Sean Bridgers
    • Tommy Cole
    Rob Mello
    Rob Mello
    • Ted Cole
    • (as Robert William Mello)
    Hunter Burke
    Hunter Burke
    • Abee
    Robby Rasmussen
    Robby Rasmussen
    • Bobby…
    Caroline Hebert
    Caroline Hebert
    • Young April
    Ian Nelson
    Ian Nelson
    • Jared
    Schuyler Fisk
    Schuyler Fisk
    • April
    Douglas M. Griffin
    • Jack
    Bill Martin Williams
    Bill Martin Williams
    • Uncle
    • Director
      • Michael Hoffman
    • Writers
      • Nicholas Sparks
      • Will Fetters
      • J. Mills Goodloe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews204

    6.780K
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    Featured reviews

    7tavongaishefaneti

    Wow.

    This actually made me sad. It was corny and cliché like 80% of the time yes, but it was actually kind of great, and I liked it. Rare
    10jcmann01

    Brought Tears To My Eyes!! It was THAT GOOD!

    I was looking for a nice romantic flick to bring my girlfriend to so it could set the mood for the evening. Well, that plan failed and I ended up bringing my ex to the movies to see it instead. It really touched me in a deep way that no other love story has in the past. Sounds kinda corny, but for me, it touched on some areas. Well, needless to say, we held hands all during the movie and more later.

    Okay, so I read up on the reviews before coming to see this movie and they all made it sound like a boring box office flop, BUT reviews can be very deceiving because this was a diamond that was tarnished by viewers who had NO clue what a romantic flick this really is about! So my advice to you is to go and see it with an open mind and heart and let the movie just unveil itself to your heart and mind and see what happens... best wishes!
    5Bob-45

    Trite story, bad direction, poor casting, barely redeemed by performances

    Good romantic films are almost as rare as good comedies. I really did not ask for anything special, as I like "chick flicks" and Hollywood has such a love affair with action movies, Hollywood has almost stopped making them. Nonetheless, I really disliked this one; because, even with the clichés, this movie had so much promise. The movie opens with a fine action sequence; and James Marsden is a really watchable actor. However, as soon as the parallel love stories begin, the movie falls apart. First of all "young Amanda" (Liana Liberato) not only does not look much like "older Amanda" (Michelle Monaghan), their body languages and acting styles are completely different. There is even a bigger disparity with "young Dawson" (Luke Bracey) and "older Dawson" (James Marsden). Thanks to terrific performances by Liana Liberato and Gerald McRaney, the flashback sequences are much more entertaining than the present sequences, even though Michael Hoffman's direction is much better in the present sequences. Hoffman shoots WAY too many of the flashback sequences as medium shots, when closeups would have been far better. Even the ending seems tacked on and trite.

    Except for Liana Liberato and Gerald McRaney, "The Best of Me" is anything but. I give "The Best of Me" a "5".
    7tavm

    The Best of Me was a pretty enjoyable Nicholas Sparks movie

    So my movie theatre-working friend was getting off from work in the afternoon today and he wanted to see another movie before going to his sister's house to watch the New Orleans-Green Bay football game there. So this was what we ended up seeing. I once again decided to humor him and to tell the truth, this was quite enjoyable despite some familiar clichés like bad boy-liking-good girl-who-he-has-to-break up-with-because-of-his-roots (well, there was more than that but you get the idea). The fact this was filmed and takes place in our home state of Louisiana was a plus for me and my friend as we recognized some town names being mentioned and certain car window stickers in the film. Yes, it's based on a Nicholas Sparks book and it has what you'd possibly expect from him. Still, by the time it all ended, we were both touched by what happened. So on that note, The Best of Me is worth a look.
    postmaster-40175

    Terrible and not the acting

    The story line is worthless and you walk away hating the movie, because of the story line. Everything that can happen bad, happens to these two and in the end they are destroyed again......not one positive happens to them in this story. Books and movies are supposed to be entertainment. Yes you can have some bad in movies to, but the whole thing? It's like, you meet your love of your life and she dies, then she's reincarnated and you find each other again and you die and then the kids die and then the cheating husband walks away rich......it's like why would anyone want to watch this. This is not entertainment, this is solely an attempt to make a tear jerker on top of a tear jerker and all they succeed at is making you mad at how disturbingly sadistic the story line is destroying their lives over and over again.

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    Related interests

    John Cusack and Ione Skye in Say Anything (1989)
    Teen Romance
    Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea (2016)
    Tragedy
    Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
    Tragic Romance
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    Drama
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    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Paul Walker was initially cast in the lead role but after his sudden death from a car accident on November 30, 2013, the role was given to James Marsden. Additionally, both actors were born in September 1973 (along with the late Jason David Frank, Paddy Considine, Shannon Elizabeth and rapper Nas) but were only in six days apart from each other. Nas was born in ten, nine, seven and two days after Frank, Considine, Elizabeth and Walker and was born in four days before Marsden.
    • Goofs
      When Dawson is repairing Amanda's car, he puts his physic book on the motor, then closes the engine hood but without taking the book.
    • Quotes

      Amanda: You want me to fall back in love with you? How do I do that if I haven't ever stopped?

    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Derek Jeter/James Marsden/5 Seconds of Summer (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Down by the Riverside
      Arranged by Jay Weigel

      Performed by Allstar Quartet+1

      Courtesy of Music of Melpomene

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Best of Me?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 17, 2014 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Blog
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lo mejor de mí
    • Filming locations
      • Pearl River, Louisiana, USA(Off Military Rd & Hwy 3081)
    • Production companies
      • DiNovi Pictures
      • Relativity Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $26,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $26,766,213
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,003,827
      • Oct 19, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $38,609,668
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 58m(118 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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