The Nicholas Sparks Romance Flop Defying Odds And Killing It On Netflix
If the whole secret to life is making the right choices, then Nicholas Sparks should be very grateful that Netflix chose to home his flop of a romantic comedy. That might sound a bit aggressive but it's true (we even ranked it pretty low in Sparks' catalog). In 2016, Lionsgate released "The Choice," a cinematic adaptation of Sparks' novel of the same name.
Starring Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Alexandra Daddario, and Tom Welling, the film barely made double its budget of $10 million. For context, a picture needs to make approximately three times its budget to be considered profitable. But it wasn't even the meager box office that sunk "The Choice," that particular honor lies with the public's response. Critics hated it, and audiences tolerated it. As part of Rotten Tomatoes' Critic Consensus blurb, the review aggregate site states, "Even for those who loved its predecessors, this gauzy melodrama may feel painfully formulaic."
Despite "The Choice" suffering every possible mishap in terms of its theatrical run, Sparks' brainchild is gaining new traction on Netflix. As of this writing, the romantic comedy is No. 5 on the streaming site's Top 10 movies in the U.S. list.
While Netflix is often reluctant to share its internal media performance data, its current methodology for populating its Top 10 lists is based on weekly hours viewed, which means that the American public spent the final stretch of May craving a little extra love.
Iffy choices are made in Nicholas Sparks' The Choice
Contains spoilers for "The Choice"
"The Choice" is a story about two deeply indecisive souls who stumble into each other's lives -– Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker), a veterinarian, and Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer), a medical student. From the moment they first meet, the pair bicker like an old married couple desperate for a messy divorce or a peaceful grave, whichever one arrives more quickly.
As is the way in romantic comedies, that tension grows and changes form. Travis accepts his feelings before Gabby does, but it doesn't matter because they're both sort of in relationships. Travis has an on-and-off-again girlfriend (Alexandra Daddario) while Gabby is in a long-distance relationship with a doctor (Tom Welling) who's ready to propose. And with that, all the primary pieces are set for dramatic shenanigans.
After the dust settles and the parents get involved, Travis and Gabby get married. The couple spend many happy years together ... but it wouldn't be a Nicholas Sparks story if it ended there. Gabby falls into a coma after a tragic car accident. And Travis is forced to decide whether or not to keep his wife on life support. Just as soon as Travis involves the parents again, Gabby miraculously recovers. The end.
As the critics noted, "The Choice" is a paint-by-numbers romantic comedy without a single surprising element. That said, it's easily digestible. And since Netflix probably won't be releasing anything new for a while, what with the Writers Guild of America strike currently in play, viewers could do worse than take a familiar trip through Sparks' world.