The Last Song

Director: Julie Anne Robinson, Julie Ann Robinson Julie Anne Robinson

Overview

Miley Cyrus stars as a teenager who reconnects with her father years after her parents go through a nasty divorce in this adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel. The novelist also provides the screenplay for the production, which is directed by Julie Ann Robinson.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/17/2010
UPC:	0786936805871
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	PG
Source:	Touchstone / Disney
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	15,538

Special Features

Set Tour With Bobby Coleman: Go Behind The Scenes To See How This Film Was Made; ; Miley Cyrus Music Video: "When I Look At You"; ; The Making Of The Music Video With Miley Cyrus; An Inside-the-Recording-Studio featurette includes Interviews with Miley and Crew; ; Audio Commentary; By Director Julie Anne Robinson and Producer Jennifer Gibgot

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Miley Cyrus	Ronnie Miller
Greg Kinnear	Steve Miller
Bobby Coleman	Jonah Miller
Liam Hemsworth	Will Blakelee
Hallock Beals	Scott
Kelly Preston	Kim
Nick Lashaway	Marcus
Carly Chaikin	Blaze
Kate Vernon	Susan Blakelee
Nick Searcy	Tom Blakelee
Adam Barnett	Teddy
Michael Jamorski	Lance
Melissa Ordway	Ashley
Carrie Malabre	Cassie
Lance E. Nichols	Pastor Harris
Stephanie Leigh	Megan Blakelee
Phil Parham	Megan's Husband
Bonnie Johnson	Neighbor,Wedding Band
Rhoda Griffis	Doctor
Anthony Paderewski	Security Guard
April Moore	Firefighter at Church
Stephanie Leigh Schlund	Megan Blakelee
Todd Smith	Firefighter at Church
Aaron Zigman	Composer

Technical Credits

Nicholas Sparks

Jeff Van Wie

Julie Anne Robinson	Director,Director
Nicholas Sparks	Screenwriter
Jeff Van Wie	Screenwriter
Adam Shankman	Producer
Jennifer Gibgot	Producer
Tish Cyrus	Executive Producer,Producer
Cal Johnson	Stunts
Will Purcell	Special Effects
Dara Weintraub	Producer
Logan R. Berkshire	Key Grip
Jonathan Gaynor	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

Nicholas Sparks doesn't hold back when it comes to sentimental love stories that bring middle-aged women and their daughters to tears, and The Last Song is no different. Based on his novel of the same name, the film explores the emotionally complex world of a teenage girl transitioning to womanhood during a summer of discovery. The trailer paints the film like a sappy summer romance that ends in heartbreak in an attempt to appeal to the teenage fan base that grew up with Hannah Montana, but in actuality the film is about the relationship between a daughter, her father, and a piano. Though The Last Song hits all the necessary emotional highs and lows, it's the in-between moments that suffer as a result, and at times you question whether the film was the right vehicle for a young actress who's still very green. Disney darling Miley Cyrus sheds her teenybopper persona to star as Veronica "Ronnie" Miller, a defiant teenager sent to live with her estranged father for the summer in a small Southern beach town. Ronnie resents him for leaving the family when she was young, and out of spite gives up a potential spot at the Juilliard School of Music. One day she meets hunky Will (Liam Hemsworth), a beach-volleyball-playing Southerner with a privileged background. Ronnie resists his advances, but eventually gives in to his charms and begins a whirlwind romance that leads to the couple making plans to move to New York City. But when she discovers that her father has a terminal illness, Ronnie decides to reprioritize her life in an effort to resuscitate their relationship. Cyrus makes a good effort in her transition from preteen idol to serious actor in a hopeful attempt at making the young Hollywood list, and though she does a good job of invoking the kind of sentimentality necessary to translate the character from page to screen, her performance is at times inconsistent, and an attempt at an emotional connection with the audience falls flat -- which leads you to wonder if at this point in her acting career this role is just beyond her reach. There is, however, a definite connection between Ronnie and her father, Steve, played by Greg Kinnear, who has a knack for playing characters with heavy hearts who are more complex than they seem. Their relationship is solid and Kinnear's acting prowess helps anchor Cyrus. Director Julie Anne Robinson demonstrates restraint, and the film never veers too far into melodrama territory, perhaps in part due to the solid script by Nicholas Sparks and Jeff Van Wie. Even though this is Sparks' first time adapting his own novel, he does a great job of including all the necessary plot points and makes it work for a big-screen format. That's what makes The Last Song more sentimental than melodramatic, and by the end of the film even the most cynical of moviegoers might find themselves shedding a tear.