Love can sometimes achieve the impossible – Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
As a little girl, you’d often find me immersed in the latest tween novel sensation (I might have read the ENTIRE Sweet Valley High book series at least twice over the course of my childhood). My mother used to tease me about my need to read a book anywhere and everywhere…at the grocery store, in the car, etc. and my passion for books was only matched by my love for writing. High School allowed me the opportunity to begin exploring the creative writer within me, but it wasn’t until I started college that I realized how much I truly enjoyed it. My mother often told me that she hoped I would write a book someday, and I hope to be inspired this year to begin.
Romantic novels were always my favorite reads, so when I discovered author Nicholas Sparks, I immediately found myself drawn into the stories..relating to the characters he dreams up. There is a familiarity to his books and films that draws readers in, yet each is unique and different.
Perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day comes a story about “second chances.” This week, Relativity Media will release Safe Haven, which details the story of a mysterious young woman (Julianne Hough) who arrives in Southport, North Carolina to find respite from her dark, elusive past. When she meets and begins to form a relationship with Alex (Josh Duhamel), her past threatens to uproot the love that develops between them. I had an opportunity to sit down with the acclaimed author to discuss the inspiration behind the story, the challenges of writing a Romantic Thriller, and why the small towns in North Carolina which serve as the backdrop are integral to his stories.
“If you want to know what Safe Haven is really about, it’s about starting over…it’s about [whether] it is possible for me to ever be happy…it’s about finding a way to make it through these potholed streets of life” (Sparks). Described by Sparks as a romantic thriller, he first thought up the idea for the story after writing a novel called The Guardian which had an element of danger. Given the fact that his previous works have largely fallen into the category of romantic fiction, he realized if he was going to broach a more suspenseful story idea, it had to be different. Sparks often writes with the forethought that the story could eventually be made into a film, however, “this is an area that has been covered in film.” Through the writing process, his persistent challenge was ensuring that the thrilling moments in the story did not overwhelm the film and take over the love story at its core.
Beginning with the idea of a woman who wants to escape from her husband, he went forward with the story’s development, always keeping in mind how he would make it feel fresh and original. Unlike Sleeping With the Enemy or The Burning Bed, at the core of Safe Haven is a love story.
Having watched a majority of Sparks’ films onscreen, I’m always captivated by the beauty and tranquility of the small towns in North Carolina that are integral to his stories. Sparks writes in this region near the coast which abounds with small towns for a variety of reasons including the fact that it “keeps some threads of familiarity in your work so that people will know a little bit about what is coming.” Additionally, the slower pace of life “gives you real time to enjoy a day that seems longer and to have more conversations with your neighbors…it’s a place where everybody knows each other and they know what’s going on” (Sparks).
Inevitably, whenever I watch a film with a love story, I think about my husband, particularly if he isn’t with me. I think about whether or not he would enjoy it…whether or not it’s a film we could talk about and relate to. With all of it’s familiarity, there is still something uniquely different about Safe Haven. It has often been said that Sparks writes for women, however, he stated that he “writes for anyone who likes a good story with really strong characters.” The story has enough elements of suspense to keep men and women engaged in the story.
Much like his previous films, I found myself going through the range of emotions as Katie and Alex’s story unfolds. And that is the brilliance of novelist Nicholas Sparks…his ability “to write stories that evoke genuine emotion.”
Safe Haven debuts in theaters nationwide on February 14th, 2013. For more information visit the film’s social media channels:
Like Safe Haven on Facebook
Follow Safe Haven on Twitter using the hashtag #SafeHaven
Find photos and inspiration from Safe Haven on Instagram/Pinterest
Watch the trailer and clips from Safe Haven on YouTube
No compensation was received for this post. I was invited to a press junket for the film which facilitated the writing of this post.
Photos: Relativity Media unless otherwise noted.
- Discover Luxury at Sonesta Irvine: Your Ideal Staycation - August 8, 2024
- CHOC Walk Returns to the Disneyland Resort – Special Events and Ways to Support - June 28, 2023
- Beastly Ball Returns to the Los Angeles Zoo - May 8, 2023
Leave a Reply