The Best of Me ( film ) - wikipedia The Best of Me ( film ) The Best of Me Theatrical release poster Directed by Michael Hoffman Produced by Justin Burns Denise Di Novi Alison Greenspan Ryan Kavanaugh Nicholas Sparks Screenplay by Will Fetters J. Mills Goodloe Based on The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks Starring James Marsden Michelle Monaghan Luke Bracey Liana Liberato Music by Aaron Zigman Cinematography Oliver Stapleton Edited by Matt Chesse Production company Di Novi Pictures Distributed by Relativity Media Release date October 17, 2014 ( 2014 - 10 - 17 ) ( United States ) Running time 118 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $26 million Box office $35,926,213 The Best of Me is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Will Fetters and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Nicholas Sparks ' 2011 novel of the same name. The film stars James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan with Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Development 3.2 Filming 3.3 Post-production 4 Soundtrack 4.1 Commercial performance 4.2 Chart performance 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical reception 6 Home media 7 References 8 External links Plot Dawson Cole works on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana. One day, an explosion on the job nearly kills him, throwing him into the water. Days after recovering, Dawson learns that his close friend and surrogate father, Tuck Hostetler, has died and returns home for the first time in almost twenty years to carry out Tuck 's final wishes. When he arrives at his house, Dawson is surprised to find that Tuck also arranged for Dawson 's high school girlfriend, Amanda Collier, to join him. After more than twenty years of separation, Amanda is now married to Frank Reynolds and has a son, while Dawson has remained single. Dawson was born into a notorious backwoods criminal family with an abusive father and more than a dozen abusive cousins. In flashbacks, it is revealed that as a teenager, he ran away from his father 's home and stayed overnight in Tuck Hostetler 's garage. Tuck, a local mechanic who had lost his wife a few years ago, allows Dawson to live with him and eventually considers him a son of his own. During this time, Amanda and Dawson, two high school seniors, start dating and quickly fall in love with one another. The day of their high school senior prom, Dawson 's father and cousins savagely beat up Tuck and ruin his garden and the tulips his wife planted with their truck. Furious, an upset Dawson goes to his father 's house with the intent of killing him with Tuck 's rifle. Instead, Bobbie, Dawson 's cousin and best friend, is accidentally killed with the rifle in a rough scuffle between Dawson and his father. Dawson is arrested and cooperates with the authorities, leading to a police raid on the Coles ' property and all the other Coles are arrested. In exchange for a lighter sentence, Dawson testifies against his father and cousins. However, Dawson is not given the chance for parole before four years and he decides to cut ties with Amanda to allow her to move on with her life and to follow her ambitious dreams of becoming a lawyer. Meanwhile in the present, Amanda and Dawson meet with Tuck 's lawyer and learn that they are to scatter Tuck 's ashes at a cottage he owned with his wife. The lawyer hands them separate letters that Tuck wrote to them individually in the hospital. Broken and hurt, Amanda has no plans on spending any time with Dawson, but she changes her mind after reading Tuck 's letter. Dawson and Amanda eventually reconcile and spend a passionate night together at Tuck 's cottage. Although they are still deeply in love with each other, Dawson and Amanda agree that she must return to her family, despite her strained marriage. Her husband became an alcoholic after the death of their young daughter, Bea, many years ago. Dawson meets with Bobbie 's old girlfriend and apologizes for killing the father of her unborn child. She consoles Dawson by telling him that Bobbie 's death was not his fault, and she thanks him for anonymously sending money in the mail over the years to support her son. She then confesses to Dawson that her son Aaron is in trouble by hanging out with the Coles and living with Dawson 's horrible and abusive father. Dawson drives to his father 's filthy property to persuade Aaron to leave with him. He confronts his father and tells him that he 's a coward and a weak old man. In the meantime, Amanda tells her husband that their marriage is broken and that she wants to leave. She then calls Dawson and leaves him a voicemail, professing her love to him. Later in the night, Amanda receives a call from the hospital. Her son was in a very serious car accident and needs a heart transplant in order to survive. Amanda is devastated and can not imagine losing her other child. Miraculously, a heart donor is found the same night and the heart transplant surgery is a success. The next morning, Amanda wakes up from a dream in which she saw Dawson sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. Her mother arrives and somberly informs Amanda that Dawson has died. He was attacked the previous night by his cousins at a railroad crossing after listening to her voicemail, and is ultimately shot in the chest by his father. Amanda crumples to the floor in huge sobs. Grief - stricken, she attends his small funeral along with her mother, Bobbie 's old girlfriend and Aaron. One year later, Amanda is a new divorcee and is finally realizing her teenage dreams by working at a paralegal office focused on helping children. She receives a call from her son in college who just found out that his heart donor was Dawson Cole. She later visits Tuck 's cottage and finds a heartfelt letter written by Dawson the day of his death, expressing his profound love for her and how the best days of his life had always been with her. She then walks into the garden, and is taken aback ; Dawson had restored it to its original beauty. Amanda sits on the wooden bench in the garden, taking in the moment as she realizes that Dawson had given her the best of himself. In an alternate ending on the DVD, Amanda leaves her husband and she and Dawson get together and enjoy walking through Tuck 's garden and the end credits roll. Cast James Marsden as Dawson Cole Luke Bracey as young Dawson Michelle Monaghan as Amanda Collier - Reynolds Liana Liberato as young Amanda Sebastian Arcelus as Frank Reynolds Gerald McRaney as Tuck Hostetler Sean Bridgers as Tommy Cole Rob Mello as Ted Cole Hunter Burke as Abee Cole Jon Tenney as Harvey Collier Caroline Goodall as Evelyn Collier Ian Nelson as Jared Reynolds Schuyler Fisk as Older April Robby Rasmussen as Bobby Cole / Aaron Cole Julia Lashae as Clara Production Development On June 17, 2011, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights to the novel The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. On March 15, 2012, it was announced that the studio had tapped screenwriter J. Mills Goodloe to adapt the book. On September 27, it was reported that Warner Bros. was in final talks with Michael Hoffman to direct the film, Will Fetters was set to rewrite the screenplay, marking his second adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and Denise Di Novi was set to produce the film, along with Sparks and Sparks ' agent Theresa Park as co-producers, marking Di Novi 's fifth film collaboration with Sparks, Sparks ' second time producing a film adaptation of one of his novels and Park 's production debut. On July 25, 2013, Relativity Media acquired the distribution rights from Warner Bros., marking the studio 's third film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. On October 22, Michelle Monaghan was cast to play the female lead Amanda Collier, and Ryan Kavanaugh was to co-produce the film. On October 24, the studio set the film for an October 17, 2014 release. On January 9, 2014, the studio offered James Marsden from the 2004 adaptation of Sparks ' 1996 novel The Notebook to play the male lead Dawson Cole, replacing Paul Walker after his death. On January 28, Liana Liberato joined the film 's cast as the younger version of Monaghan 's character, Amanda Collier. On February 12, Luke Bracey was added to the cast to play the younger version of Marsden 's character, Dawson Cole. On March 12, Sebastian Arcelus and Gerald McRaney joined the cast of the film. Arcelus played Frank Reynolds, Amanda 's husband and father of her children, while McRaney played Tuck, a widower who takes in young Dawson and becomes a friend and father - figure to him. On March 25, Jon Tenney was added to the cast to play Harvey Collier, the father of Amanda. Filming Principal photography began on March 6, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana for a 42 - day shoot. On April 30 and May 1 the filming took place in the downtown Covington area. Also filming took place in parts of Pearl River, Louisiana. Post-production On June 27, 2014, it was announced that composer Aaron Zigman would be scoring the music for the film. Soundtrack The Best of Me : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Soundtrack album by Various Artists Released October 7, 2014 ( 2014 - 10 - 07 ) Genre Country Label EMI Nashville, Relativity Music Singles from The Best of Me : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack `` I Did with You '' Released : September 8, 2014 The soundtrack album for the film, released on October 7, 2014, features original music primarily from the genre of country music, recorded by artists such as Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, Colbie Caillat, Kip Moore, Eli Young Band, Eric Paslay, Thompson Square, and Thomas Rhett. `` I Did with You '' by Lady Antebellum was released on September 8, 2014 as the first promotional single from the soundtrack. The band 's other contribution, `` Falling for You '' is also available on the deluxe edition of their fifth studio album, 747. The titles and performing artists were published by Taste of Country. No. Title Performer ( s ) Length 1. `` I Did with You '' Lady Antebellum 3 : 15 2. `` Dream Girl '' Hunter Hayes 3 : 39 3. `` Hold On '' SHEL and Gareth Dunlop 3 : 26 4. `` In Love Again '' Colbie Caillat 3 : 31 5. `` The Way Things Go '' Thomas Rhett 4 : 06 6. `` Borrowed Time '' Thompson Square 4 : 12 7. `` Lead Me '' Kip Moore 3 : 50 8. `` Love Is a Liar '' Kacey Musgraves 3 : 15 9. `` Falling for You '' Lady Antebellum 3 : 54 10. `` Rain from Heaven '' Eric Paslay 3 : 58 11. `` All the Way '' David Nail 2 : 56 12. `` Unchanged '' Eli Young Band 3 : 35 13. `` Sweet Jane '' Cowboy Junkies 3 : 27 14. `` Crossroads '' Phoebe Hoffman 4 : 48 Commercial performance The album debuted at number 54 on the Billboard 200, selling 6,200 copies in its first week. Chart performance Chart ( 2014 -- 15 ) Peak position US Billboard 200 52 US Top Country Albums ( Billboard ) 11 US Top Soundtracks ( Billboard ) Reception Box Office The Best of Me opened in North America on October 17, 2014 across 2,936 theaters. It has grossed $26,766,213 in North America and $9,160,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $35,926,213. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $10,003,827, finishing fifth at the box office behind Fury ( $23,702,421 ), Gone Girl ( $17,511,956 ), The Book of Life ( $17,005,218 ) and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ( $11,456,954 ), making it the worst opening for a Nicholas Sparks ' novel adaptation. Critical reception The Best of Me has been panned by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 8 %, based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5 / 10. The site 's consensus reads, `` At nine films and counting, the line between Nicholas Sparks film fans and detractors is clear, and The Best of Me will change few minds on either side of the divide. '' On Metacritic, the film has a score of 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating `` generally unfavorable reviews ''. In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave The Best of Me an average grade of `` B + '' on an A+ to F scale. Home Media The Best of Me was released on DVD and Blu - ray on February 3, 2015. References Jump up ^ `` THE BEST OF ME ( 12A ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Best of Me ( 2014 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Best of Me ( 2014 ) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo ''. boxofficemojo.com. ^ Jump up to : Sneider, Jeff ( 9 January 2014 ). `` James Marsden in Talks to Replace Paul Walker in Nicholas Sparks ' ' The Best of Me ' ''. thewrap.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` ' The Best Of Me ' Adds Luke Bracey ''. deadline.com. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : Ford, Rebecca ; Kit, Borys ( 22 October 2013 ). `` Michelle Monaghan Joins Nicholas Sparks Film ' The Best of Me ' ''. hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 9 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Liana Liberato Joins ' The Best Of Me ' ''. deadline.com. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` ' The Best Of Me ' Adds ' House Of Cards ' Sebastian Arcelus & Gerald McRaney ''. deadline.com. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Jon Tenney Joins ' The Best Of Me ' ''. deadline.com. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ Fleming Jr, Mike ( 17 June 2011 ). `` Warner Bros Buys Nicholas Sparks ' Upcoming Romance Novel ' The Best Of Me ' ''. deadline.com. Retrieved 9 June 2014. Jump up ^ Fleming Jr, Mike ( 15 March 2012 ). `` Warner Bros Sets J. Mills Goodloe To Adapt Nicholas Sparks Novel ' The Best Of Me ' ''. deadline.com. Retrieved 9 June 2014. Jump up ^ Fleming Jr, Mike ( 27 September 2012 ). `` Warner Bros Romancing Director Michael Hoffman For Nicholas Sparks ' ' Best Of Me ' ''. deadline.com. Retrieved 9 June 2014. Jump up ^ Harmanian, Harout ( 25 July 2013 ). `` Nicholas Sparks ' ' The Best of Me ' Goes to Relativity ''. movieweb.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Relativity Sets Nicholas Sparks Adaptation ' The Best Of Me ' For Fall 2014 ''. deadline.com. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ Scott, Mike ( 17 March 2014 ). `` Filming in New Orleans : Actors sign on for ' American Ultra, ' ' Best of Me ' and more ''. nola.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ Le, Sarah ( 11 February 2014 ). `` FILMING IN LOUISIANA IN 2014 : DINOSAURS AND ROBOTS ''. locationshub.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ Chatelain, Kim ( 29 April 2014 ). `` Scenes for `` The Best of Me '' to be filmed in Covington this week ``. nola.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Aaron Zigman to Score ' The Best of Me ' ''. filmmusicreporter.com. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014. Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt. `` '' The Best Of Me '' Soundtrack Tracklist & Cover Art ``. Roughstock. Cheri Media. Retrieved 12 September 2014. ^ Jump up to : Vinson, Christina. `` Country Music Featured on ' The Best of Me ' Soundtrack ''. Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 12 September 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` I Did With You - Single by Lady Antebellum ''. iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 12 September 2014. ^ Jump up to : ( 1 ) Jump up ^ Matt Bjorke ( October 15, 2014 ). `` Country Album Chart Recap : October 15, 2014 ''. Roughstock. `` 10 Country Albums - October 15, 2014 - Google Sheets ''. Retrieved 15 October 2014. ^ Jump up to : Ray Subers ( October 19, 2014 ). `` Weekend Report : ' Fury ' Topples ' Gone Girl, ' ' Birdman ' Soars in Limited Release ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 4, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Best of Me ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved December 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Best of Me Reviews ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 22, 2014. External links The Best of Me on IMDb The Best of Me at Box Office Mojo The Best of Me at Rotten Tomatoes The Best of Me at Metacritic Nicholas Sparks Novels The Notebook ( 1996 ) Message in a Bottle ( 1998 ) A Walk to Remember ( 1999 ) The Rescue ( 2000 ) A Bend in the Road ( 2001 ) Nights in Rodanthe ( 2002 ) The Guardian ( 2003 ) The Wedding ( 2003 ) True Believer ( 2005 ) At First Sight ( 2006 ) Dear John ( 2006 ) The Choice ( 2007 ) The Lucky One ( 2008 ) The Last Song ( 2009 ) Safe Haven ( 2010 ) The Best of Me ( 2011 ) The Longest Ride ( 2013 ) See Me ( 2015 ) Two by Two ( 2016 ) Non-fiction Wokini : A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self - Understanding ( 1990 ) Three Weeks with My Brother ( 2004 ) Film adaptations Message in a Bottle ( 1999 ) A Walk to Remember ( 2002 ) The Notebook ( 2004 ) Nights in Rodanthe ( 2008 ) Dear John ( 2010 ) The Last Song ( 2010 ) The Lucky One ( 2012 ) Safe Haven ( 2013 ) The Best of Me ( 2014 ) The Longest Ride ( 2015 ) The Choice ( 2016 ) Films directed by Michael Hoffman Privileged ( 1982 ) Restless Natives ( 1985 ) Promised Land ( 1987 ) Some Girls ( 1988 ) Soapdish ( 1991 ) Restoration ( 1995 ) One Fine Day ( 1996 ) A Midsummer Night 's Dream ( 1999 ) The Emperor 's Club ( 2002 ) Game 6 ( 2005 ) The Last Station ( 2009 ) Gambit ( 2012 ) The Best of Me ( 2014 ) Gore ( unreleased ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Best_of_Me_(film)&oldid=837110455 '' Categories : 2014 films English - language films 2010s romantic drama films American films American romantic drama films Films directed by Michael Hoffman Films based on works by Nicholas Sparks Films based on romance novels Films shot in New Orleans Films shot in Louisiana Films set in North Carolina Relativity Media films Films produced by Denise Di Novi Filicide in fiction Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Use mdy dates from October 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Album infoboxes lacking a cover Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Українська 6 more Edit links This page was last edited on 18 April 2018, at 19 : 39. 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Question: who played dawson in the best of me
Answer: James Marsden