Heartfelt but could have been better

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2012)

I usually love Nicholas Sparks books turned films, but this one didn't capture my heart. I mean it was alright and a feel good movie, but I felt Shane west as Landon Carter didn't express much chemistry towards Jamie (Mandy Moore).
The storyline was great and I was definitely expecting a problem to occur to one of the characters, as many of Sparks books do. I felt that they should have shown more time filming Jamie and Landon working together before he tells her he loves her. It kind of went from one bit where he was rude and mean to her, from another bit telling her he loves her.
And the scene where Jamie is photo shopped onto a photo which is stuck all through the school. That scene could have been so much more improved and dramatic all I felt was that he saw her upset, then punched a guy and then it was it.
But apart from that Mandy Moore was brilliant, she did such a great job in portraying a purist girl without being to cheesy. I felt she did much more of the loving towards Landon, and he was just letting it come to him.
Overall it was a good movie, and although there are a few things that could have been improved, it still managed to make me cry and become attached to the storyline. Its a film about first loves, miracles and opening yourself up to things you never imagined.