Pretty decent, it's not like we're dealing with a second round of Gigli or Glitter here

Rating: 5/10 (7 April 2010)

So I saw this movie with a friend of mine tonight, who is a big Nicholas Sparks fan. Mid way through the movie, she turned to me and said "If you haven't read the book, this probably makes little to no sense". That statement pretty much covers this movie. I haven't read the book, so I knew pretty quickly I was watching a cliché and bad screen play. That being said, what seemed like a train wreck in progress turned out being pretty decent.
If anyone deserves something good out of this flick, it is Greg Kinnear (who plays the father character) and Bobby Coleman (who plays Miley's brother). Both did fantastic with their roles. While the movie was filled to the brim with cliché's and excessive montages, these two were able to grab your attention in a positive way. Bobby was exceptional on making you feel for his character on an emotional level, which for a child actor is a rare ability. Greg Kinnear reminded us why he is an underrated actor, eliciting laughter (the good kind) in the most unexpected and emotional places, while at the same time making you feel for his character.
As for Miley; I'll be blunt, she wasn't that great. However, I must give credit where it's due: While she displayed limited range, she did not once overact, even if the scene was 'begging' for it. Miley definitely showed a presence in the movie, and while she wasn't the best thing about it, her performance was hardly the worst. Her performance was fairly uneven; bad at some points, but fairly good at others. I think with more practise/instruction, Cyrus could definitely become a better actress.
Overall, I'd give this flick a 5/10. It was decent. It's nothing to write home about, but it's not an abomination of Gigli or Glitter proportions either. Despite it's weak screen play and abundance of cliché's, it did hit several people in the theatre in an emotional way, which is kinda the whole point.