By Ridglea Willard
“The Longest Ride,” based on the novel written by renowned romance author Nicholas Sparks, hits theaters April 10. It is the tenth of Sparks’ novels to be made into a film, which is an impressive testament to his writing.
In the movie, Scott Eastwood plays Luke, an injured bull-riding champion who is determined to get back in the game. Britt Robertson plays Sophia, an art lover who is about to graduate college and begin the career of her dreams. This pair encounters a man named Ira, played by Alan Alda, whose long relationship with his deceased wife inspires Luke and Sophia.
In a recent interview with Nicholas Sparks, he said that one of the best parts of working on “The Longest Ride” was seeing the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) combine their knowledge and expertise with Hollywood’s ability to capture their world accurately on film. This teamwork sets “The Longest Ride” apart from other movies of its kinda because it provides an insight into bull riding that has never been seen before.
Sparks, who is known for his romantic novels, also talked about how “The Longest Ride” differs from his past books. According to Sparks, the tale of Luke and Sophia takes a fresh angle on the classic love story, as their relationship is contrasted with the love between Ira and his love interest, Ruth. Because the story contains two couples, Sparks also talked about the necessity of making distinctions between the relationships. Sparks said that while the couples are different, the emotion present in “The Longest Ride” is the same. The common thread that holds the plot together is love, one of the few universal feelings.
The crossroads at which Luke and Sophia find themselves in the movie is one of the film’s most relatable parts. As Sparks believes, “the only certainty in life is change.” These transitions between seasons of life, however, often lead to crossroads in which a decision must be made.
Robertson said she constantly faces crossroads in her career, from choosing which projects to work on and deciding between roles, which helped her connect with the storyline. Eastwood then chimed in and said that he related to the crossroad faced by Luke and Sophia because he knows that, in the future, he will have to make choices between his career and the family he hopes to have.
