The Longest Ride
Tags: melodrama, flashback

Plot synopsis:
In the opening scene, Luke (Scott Eastward) is riding a bull and falling off of it; the commentators seem concerned as his fall seemed unsafe.Then the movie cuts to Sophia, a young college student at Wake Forest College. She is in her room at her sorority house with her best friend handing her a pair of boots and begging her to come to a bull riding competition. Her friend calls her boring and tells her that she can't spend her whole life studying. She - relenting - goes to the competition and watches Luke (and several other riders) ride the Bulls. Luke is attempting to make a comeback at the championship after his fall. He rides the bull for the required amount of time and dismounts. As he waves to the crowd the bull charges in his direction, so he heads to the rails, in his rush his hat falls into the lap of Sophia, and he tells her to keep it. Later that night while everyone is drunk at the bar, Sophia heads outside and runs into Luke, who recognizes his hat and says "hi". They are both about to make their way inside for a drink, but Sophia runs into her friend who is noticeably drunk and feels sick. They all agree it's best for Sophia to take her friend home. Luke takes Sophia's number.Luke calls Sophia, but she doesn't answer because she has an upcoming art internship in New York after she graduates in two months and doesn't think it worthwhile to pursue a relationship. Her friend (who was drunk in the bar that night) convinces her to call him as all the sorority girls would like to be with a handsome bull rider like that. He takes her out to a secluded lake and brings some delicious barbecue take out for them to eat. On the ride home, though it's pouring outside, Luke notices some missing rails on a bridge, reverses and runs towards a car- It's on fire, and an elderly passenger is inside. As he is rescuing the old man, he keeps yelling about saving a box in the front seat. Sophia grabs the box, and they take him to the hospital. Sophia agrees to stay behind with the elderly gentleman and they part ways as Sophia explained to him earlier that she won't be in town for much longer.While in the waiting room, Sophia opens the box and discovers a lot of letters. She opens one and finds that it's addressed from a young Ira to his late wife, Ruth. When he's out of surgery, Sophia introduces herself and hands him the box. The old man is not eating his food so she says she'll read him one of the letters (as his eyesight is not a good as it used to be) if he eats. While eating we cut to a scene with a young Ira being introduced to a young immigrant Ruth from Austria, at his parents' store; he is at a loss for words.Ira observes her around town but doesn't approach her out of shyness. He finally summons up the courage to approach her with a rose in his hand, but sees another young man talking to her and so throws away the Rose as he walks off, but she sees him as he walks away. Another day at a joint gathering she approaches him and wonders why he hasn't said "hi" even though he always stares at her, she said it's a shame he threw away the rose.In the present day, Sophia asks old Ira if he would like her to read another letter but as he is crying he asks her to do it another time. Sophia comes back to visit old Ira regularly and so the rest of the movie is intertwined with scenes of Ira and Ruth and the present. Luke continues to ride bulls and is shown throughout the movie in a series of competitions climbing the ranks, and his aim is to be number one. Driving home one day, he notices a picture in his car of young Ira and Ruth and so goes back to the hospital to return the picture to the old man, where he runs into Sophia. As he turns to leave Sophia asks him to go out sometime and he accepts. He tells her he'll take her bull riding, but she agrees to ride a horse.They go home to his ranch and after a day of horseback riding she dares him to a race but before he can stop her she runs right into the lake hidden behind the grass. He takes her inside to change and have a shower. As she is entering the bathroom, he offers her soup when she gets out. While undressing they both notice that the door is slightly open, so she takes off her clothes slowly making eye contact with him. He joins her, and they have sex in the shower.Ruth and Ira continue courting enjoying dates on the beach and at art galleries. One day she pulls him into a hotel lobby and shows him an arty picture and explains how beautiful it is and her interpretation of it. He is also shown having dinner with her family one night where we learn that art is looked upon highly in her family. He proposes to her one day on the beach, and she says that she wants a large family. It is then shown that he is called off to serve in the war; they are both sad, but she promises to wait for him til he returns. While in the middle of the battlefield one of his fellow wounded soldiers calls for help. Many of his colleagues are hiding in a ditch as shots and bombs are being fired, so they see helping him a suicide mission. Ira decides to help against the warning of a colleague. He grabs the wounded soldier but is shot on the way although they both make it to safety.Next he is shown in the hospital, and while he is still alive he is sent home but the reason is not yet known. Upon arriving home he is shown outside Ruth's home but doesn't have the courage to enter. She approaches him in a diner saying that his mom called to tell Ruth that he has been home for a few days, and she is upset as he hasn't called her. She demands to know why he won't talk to her as she waited all that time for him and wanted to marry him. He reveals that the injury left him unable to have kids and said that he can't give her the family that she wants so she should continue without him. She says that she loves him and will marry him regardless. On one of their dates he takes her to an open house and asks her if she likes it, she says yes and he reveals the keys in his hands and inside the house he reveals the painting she loved from the hotel lobby. They hang it in the house.Sophia and Luke are now in a relationship. While talking to his mom one day at home, she reveals that his father was also a bull rider who passed away several years ago. Luke rides Bulls as a way to keep the ranch and his mom afloat. Sophia's boss calls her and tells her that the New York art dealer will be in Charlotte that weekend and asks if she'd be interested in meeting him, she says yes. On leaving to meet the art curator she receives a call from Luke's friend and finds out that he took a rough fall and is in the hospital. She calls her boss to let her know she can't make it this weekend.While at the hospital, she hears the doctor warn Luke not to ride again, as he was warned against riding after his serious injury (for which he has a scar on his chest) at the beginning of the movie. Sophia is concerned as she cares about Luke, and doesn't want him to harm himself, upon being discharged from the hospital she assumes he will stop riding bulls but when he tells her he won't she breaks up with him as she can't be with him if he is harming himself unnecessarily especially after she called her boss to cancel both the meeting this weekend and her upcoming internship so they could be together. His mom says that he is making a mistake letting her go as she is the rest of his life. When he explains that he does it for his mom, she says she will make it without the ranch and that the only person he is doing it for is himself.Sophia meets with Ira at his home as he has been discharged from the hospital. She learns that adoption was not as easy in those days so Ruth took a job as a school teacher so she could be around kids. Though it is shown that it still isn't enough for her. She notices a kid asleep in class one day and it is obvious that he needs a bath, she visits his home to find that his impoverished half brother looks after for him and neither he nor his wife care much for the boy. Ruth takes extra care of the boy bringing him home after school and feeding him some days. Ruth and Ira become attached to the boy and look into adopting him, but his half-brother says no. She cries and says there must be another way, but Ira says that his lawyer said there was no other way. This is a small town, and his brother is legal guardian so there is no way they will win in court. Upon bringing the boy to his family for the last time, she tells him that he can be anything he wants to be a farmer, a scientist a lawyer. Whatever he wants to be as he is a smart young boy.This loss and Ira's level headed approach to the situation is too much for Ruth as she considered the boy a part of their family. She packs her bag and leaves as she wants children too badly. Ira cries but loves her enough to want her happy and so lets her leave. She comes back a few days later, and they grown old together, continuing to collect art and have adventures until one morning in their old age Ruth doesn't wake up. After her funeral, Ira says that a woman showed up to his door, she is the wife of the young man Daniel they wanted to adopt. She reveals that he has passed on but was not only a teacher but professor at University College of London; she returned to America after he died. He was inspired by Ira's wife who told him as a child that he could be whatever he wanted to be. Words that clearly struck a chord with him and so upon reading Ruth's name in the obituary she felt compelled to visit. She hands him a framed portrait. While the portrait is not shown, a picture of Ruth and Ira stuck to it is. This is the same picture Ira had with him the night of the accident.Cut to present day, when Luke is ranked number five in the world and is competing for the championship. From the hat pick, it is shown that he will ride the number 1 bull for the championship. His hand is still shaky from his accident, but he rides the bull and the entire time he is looking in the audience to the empty seat where Sophia usually sits. He rides the bull long enough and is now ranked number 1 rider in the world. Sophia receives a call one day and is notified that Ira has died, she starts crying but is invited to an invitation only auction for his art the following week. Luke also receives an invitation in the mail. Apparently, Ruth has an eye for art, and amassed a large collection throughout their lifetime, which Ira took down after she died because the painting were a permanent reminder of her and too painful to bear. They have Warhols and other paintings by famous artists in their collection as Ruth was great at identifying young talent.Luke arrives late and stands to the back of the room while the first picture goes to auction, it is a picture of Ruth painted by Daniel. The auctioneer offers $1,000 with no takers and so goes down to $800 with still no takers. At $600 Luke purchases the picture, and Sophia is surprised to see him. The auction is on hold until he finalizes the purchase, and in the other room, Sophia says "hi". He tells her that all thought he wanted was to be the #1 bull rider, but the entire time he was riding the bull, he was thinking of her. He realizes that she is his life, and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. They kiss and can't keep their hands off each other til the curator calls them up. The auction was put on hold as Ira's lawyer reveals that the entire collection now belongs to the owner of the picture of Ruth. He reads a letter from Ira explaining that Ruth was his heart and his entire life belonged to her so the entire collection will go along with the painting of the love of his life Ruth. Luke is unsure what the hysteria breaking out in the room is about as people start asking him how much he wants for the pictures. Sophia grabs his hand and explains that he is now a millionaire.In the final scene, Sophia is seen at a art gallery surrounded by Ira's pictures and is shown locking the door to the room and jumping into a car with Luke. The building she left is the 'Ira and Ruth Levinson Museum'.

Review: Their love story is entwined with the memories of a relationship of love long ago, told and acted by Alan Alda, who plays Ira, as he reads letters he wrote to his dear wife, Ruth.
The Longest Ride is definitely not the perfect film, and in the end is another Nicholas Spark's novel come to life.
Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, the film stars Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Alan Alda, Melissa Benoist, and Lolita Davidovich.Luke Collins is a bull rider who is seriously injured one night while riding.
In the book you find yourself falling in love with the couple while I do not believe they got enough screen time.As for Ira and Ruth's story, it was wonderful to see the scenes played out and while I LOVED the way their story was presented in the book, I was glad for the chance to see Ira have more screen time as an elder.There were a LOT of things that were changed from the book when this AMAZING story was made into a movie, and I feel that it only hurt the story.
Nicholas Sparks' movies are almost always seemingly made to please the hopeless romantics and the fairytale romance-loving audience, they're expected to manipulate emotions, no matter how extremely recognizable their set ups may be, and they often triumph.
In modern day, it has Luke and Sophia, two utterly good-looking people, who at first sight falls in love with each other, they stumbles upon Ira, a World War II veteran, who himself, has his own epic love story to tell—that one he shared with his wife, Ruth, seventy years ago.
Sophia(Britt Robertson) a college student living in North Carolina, while on a date with Luke(Scott Eastwood) a rodeo star, is not real sure where to go with it, cause she is moving to New York within two months, feeling it would not work out with him, even though she really finds herself falling for him, one night after there first date they discover a car wreck, and rescue a man that was in the wreck, and take him to the hospital.
You know what to expect when you go to a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, but I was entertained, Britt Robertson was great I believe there is an Oscar in her future.
After an automobile crash, the lives of a young couple intertwine with a much older man, as he reflects back on a past love.The latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation stars Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood.
Adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' source material (calling it a book would be too charitable), this drama, targeted at lovelorn teenage girls, concerns the turbulent love affair between a handsome professional bull rider and his university girlfriend, which parallels the one between an elderly man (whom they rescued from a car accident!) and his wife in the 1940s.
Art student, Sophia (Britt Robertson), and bull rider, Luke (Scott Eastwood) are an unlikely couple that must choose between new found love and their dreams.
Love isn't easy for Sophie and Luke or for Ira and Ruth, but as old Ira tells Sophie, "Love requires sacrifice.""The Longest Ride" is a title that carries different meanings in this movie, much like the dual love stories that play out on the screen.
This is perhaps unusual for a review, but let's get the movie portion of the review out of the way...Longest Ride is at best a "Lifetime" romantic drama that is overlong, has a weakish script, relies heavily on flashbacks, lacks focus, and at the very end tries (with limited success) to redeem itself with a "feel good" happy ending.The happy ending was sort of fun.
Now, in present day, Sophia must decide whether or not to go along with her internship or stay behind with Luke, who must decide whether or not to pursue his bull-riding career through one traumatic injury after another.The first problem with most Nicholas Sparks films is that they take two potentially thoughtful stories and mesh them together to create a romance amalgamation.
It might sound strange being a male, but I am a huge Nicolas Sparks fan and this does not disappoint.I did not even know of Scott Eastwood until I heard about this film, even though I saw him in Fury, but I have long been a fan of Britt Robertson from TV shows Life Unexpected and Swing Town and Alan Alda everyone should know and love by now.
All of the performances by the leads are fantastic, but Alan Alda's really stands out and if nothing else convinces you to see it, see it just to see him shine.I am very glad that Scott changed his name to Eastwood as he had now earned himself a huge fan as I have been of his father Clint for most of my life.If you enjoyed The Notebook, you have to watch this one, after I had seen The Notebook I didn't think I would see another like it, but this comes pretty close.
For those who just can't get enough of "The Notebook," "The Longest Ride," written by Craig Bolotin and directed by George Tillman, Jr., is guaranteed to stir up all those feelings from the earlier film - not a surprise, given that they're both derived from novels by Nicholas Sparks, that modern-day purveyor of romantic schmaltz.
Nicholas Sparks has an enduring audience – his novels are read by those of all age who love romance stories and his books are consistently transformed into successful films.
The story centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke (Scott Eastwood, a significant growth in presence), a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia (Britt Robertson), a college student at Wake Forest in North Carolina who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world.
As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected connection with injured Ira Levinson (Alan Alda) whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife (the young Ira being played by Jack Huston and his wife Ruth played by Oona Chaplin) deeply inspire the young couple.
Thankfully, The Longest Ride casts two vibrant and talented actors to bring their characters and most importantly, chemistry to life.While you could guess that every Sparks romance involves two parallel love stories, a dark personal secret, a past and present rendering, a World War II reference, an infamous scene in the rain, and very noticeable slices of Americana, The Longest Ride only fulfils half of the typical Sparks criteria, allowing the film itself to play on a fresher slate than half a dozen of his previously adapted films.This time around, we are introduced to the eclectic and cultured Sophia (Britt Robertson), a young and beautiful woman studying in North Carolina on a full scholarship.
While the similarities of young Ira (Jack Huston) and Ruth's life beg to make their way into Sophia and Luke's relationship, the young couple begin to question the route of their lives and the acceptance of whether or not they are meant to be.With any good Sparks film, there is always an independent director trying to reinvent them self for a career in the mainstream.
Luckily this time around, George Tillman Jr. was the man responsible for directing Sparks latest, and like Lasse Hallstrom, the director at the helm of Safe Haven and Dear John, as well as other very successful light-hearted fares including Chocolat, The Cider House Rules and most recently The Hundred-Foot Journey, Tillman Jr. continues Hallstrom's tradition of executing successful romance without ever down playing its clichéd niche and obvious narrative directions.Tillman Jr. does some of the best work with his actors in creating very real yet idealized characters within Sparks' world.
The film exposes a world that confirms sometimes opposites attract – a notion many young people need to begin to accept.Although many might complain of its duration, The Longest Ride (no pun intended) does also showcase one of the Sparks cannon's best flashbacks since The Notebook.
Night Shayamalan, I don't think audiences will ever get a Sparks adaptation that will be better than The Notebook, while other films like A Walk to Remember and The Longest Ride will continue to satisfy audiences, begging to never see iterations that are closer to the flat and tired Safe Haven and The Last Song side of things..
Only a few more lines to go so I may just repeat myself...I feel just like Nicholas Sparks writing his next "masterpiece".I would explain why this movie is bad but I am afraid after seeing this film it has sucked my will to live, typing anything is a challenge right now, but I must endure the pain to save future generations from self torture..
This is the story of a seemingly mismatched young couple Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson and an old man with his memories who cements their relationship.Nostalgia is bursting all over the place with The Longest Ride.
The contemporary world is owned by bull-riding handsome Luke, played by Clint Eastwood's son, Scott, and the innocent but fiesty art-loving college girl, Sophia (Britt Robertson) who falls for him.
The movie stars Luke Collins, a professional bull rider looking to be the best of the best, who is portrayed by the handsome Scott Eastwood along with college student, art lover and sorority sister, Sophia played by Britt Robertson.
The movie begins when Sophia's sorority drag her to the rodeo Luke is participating in and the two meet and begin to fall in love, but with Sophia getting ready to head to New York City for her dream job and Luke trying to make a comeback in the bull riding scene, their relationship might not make it.
Throughout the movie Ira tells them stories about him and his beloved wife and how they got through life and their struggles together, which gives Sophia and Luke lessons about life and love.
Ira, a world war 2 veteran, played by Alan Alda is very grouchy the first time we talk to him, slowly the audience falls in love with him and his stories as he grows closer with Sophia.
At the end of the day Longest Ride is the best romance movie I have ever watched.
Review: I really didn't like this movie because it doesn't the classic mold of a Nicolas Sparks love story.
Its the usual angsty star crossed love affair with two stories in one -which is actually what made this movie.Scott Eastwood takes the leading hunk role as Luke Collins, a former bull riding champion trying to make a comeback on the rodeo circuit and Sophia an art student preparing to seek her future in New York.
Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin and Alan Alda all gave decent acts, Britt Robertson also was good, fitting the character.on the other hand, for a 2 hours 3 mins, the story was supposed to be more in depth, more touching, not saying it wasn't but when you have plenty of running time it should be a bit more.
Pretty descent movie....i will not say that it is one of the best movies but also not a bad one..The story of Sophia and Luke is very simple but the second one is mind blowing...yes the story of Iris and Ruth..Luke is a Bull rider and wants to be the no 1 in world..One day at a bull riding event,he accidentally meets Sophia, a student of arts...Both fall in love and give us sensual romance through out the movie.On their first date,they meet an old man called Iris..His love story has also been traced back in the movie.The essence of this movie is unconditional love.and that, you have to sacrifice for your love..In the movie,both love stories go parallel..One of Luke and Sophia.
Filled with more cheese and sap than a full season of Days of our Lives, The Longest Ride wears its Hallmark like heart on its cowboy sleeve and never once tries to hide it but for a film that so easily could've been too mawkish to take, it ends up being a likable, watchable and most importantly smile inducing effort.As a word of warning, anyone that has found Nicholas Sparks adaptations like The Notebook, A Walk to Remember or Nights at Rodanthe unbearable then stay as far away as possible from Ride as like those films it features impossibly cute couples being in love like only novels and movies can portray and with this film you don't just get one love story, you get two.
This two pronged element is quite likely the main reason Ride never becomes too unbearable and at 2 hours in length it could've easily become that but experienced director George Tillman Jr. handles both the modern day story of bull rider Luke Collins and art loving college student Sophia and also the told via flashback story of Boardwalk Empire's Jack Huston's Ira and Oona Chaplin's Ruth in a way that the film never gets to bogged down in either story mode and the audience is able to enjoy their time spent with these love birds before they start to get annoying, whether it be Britt Robertson's OTT laugh or Oona Chaplin's off putting accent.Like all Sparks adaptations before it and likely after it, Ride finds young attractive couples to take centre stage here and while the chemistry of both Eastwood and Robertson and then Huston and Chaplin isn't at a Notebook like level they all share an easy to like persona which helps these slightly unbelievable characters feel a little more real.
The most interesting of these is Eastwood's Luke, while his like a fairy-tale cowboy Luke isn't your typical male lead and while he has a long way to go Clint Eastwood Jr shows enough to suggest a career as a leading man like his father isn't out of the equation.A slight bit more cheerful than your average Sparks story thanks to an almost groan inducing ending, The Longest Ride is a romantic tale that thankfully boyfriends, partners and husbands the world over can watch with their better halves and enjoy rather than count down the minutes until the pain is over.3 full faced Richard Harrow's out of 5.
The love story works (there have been some movies where the romance felt "forced" upon or either too slick or not "real" enough) and the actors are having an obvious blast in this (put Mr. Alda into the mix for the occasional funny bit and you are set to go).While it's obvious what the second story line is there for (helping one or both our main characters realize what is right in front of them), it never quite feels as urgent or as "topical" as it could have been.
Well I admit I wasn't gripped from the beginning; the script was weak to begin with, the prospect of watching bull riding was slightly unsavory and I felt little connection to the characters at the beginning.The chemistry between the two lead actors though built nicely, it was interesting to observe Clint Eastwood's son stamping a similar level of masculinity on the screen but in a softer, more modern way.For me what made the film great was the depths that we reached about 20 minutes in.
Showed how love needs to be worked at and can overcome troubles, that's what we all hope and want, so good to see it on screen, hate going to the movies to come out depressed or crying, I go to feel better, smile and if I cry I want it to be happy tears.
'THE LONGEST RIDE': Three Stars (Out of Five)Another adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks' romance novel (of the same name), this one stars Scott Eastwood (son of Clint Eastwood) and Britt Robertson.
I enjoyed the film more than I expected to; because I'm not a fan of Nicholas Sparks' movie adaptations.Robertson plays Sophia Danko; a college student with plans to move to New York, to pursue an art career there.
Their love story is entwined with the memories of a relationship of love long ago, told and acted by Alan Alda, who plays Ira, as he reads letters he wrote to his dear wife, RuthYou know what to expect when you go to a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, but I was entertained, Britt Robertson was great I believe there is an Oscar in her future.
The Longest RideAnimal rights activists would have a way better time at bull riding competitions if they would just root for the bull to paralyze the rider.However, the art student in this romantic movie is cheering for the rider's safety.Catching the eye of North Carolina coed Sophia (Britt Robertson) when he is tossed from a bull at a local rodeo, Luke (Scott Eastwood) bestows her with his cowboy hat.The pair later goes on a date.
On their way home, they rescue an old man (Alan Alda) from a burning car who turns out to be an art collector with a troubled love story similar to Sophia and Luke's ill-fated relationship.Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel, The Longest Ride is no departure from the lovelorn author's cinematic schmaltz, thanks to its preposterous ending and ham-fisted acting.
Mostly predictable.Set and filmed in North Carolina, Britt Robertson (of "Under the Dome" TV series) is Sophia, just finishing up her college studies in some Art discipline when her good friend gets her to go along to see some competitive bull-riding, something she wouldn't normally enjoy.As fate would have it Scott Eastwood (Clint's boy) as Luke Collins is one of the competitors, just coming back from a very serious injury falling off a ride.
I normally enjoy reading his books and watching his movies, but The Longest Ride is one I particularly enjoyed as novel and film.Go ahead, call me biased, but I really liked this story.