No compensation was received for this post.
After months of anticipating the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ epic love story, The Best of Me will open in theaters this Friday, October 17th. The film follows the story of Dawson and Amanda, a couple who fall in love in high school but are forced apart by society and class. Twenty years later, the two of them are reunited by the death of a mutual friend and it quickly becomes evident that the love they shared endures. During my visit on-set, Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden talked about what drew each of them to the project, why audiences will be drawn to the story and their thoughts on the challenges of a project where two younger actors play their characters.
Monaghan has starred in a number of different genres of film including action, drama, and romantic comedies, but has surprisingly never [taken on] an epic love story. Having been a fan of Nicholas Sparks, she read the script for The Best of Me, “which struck a chord” with her because it was so powerful. “As an older woman now, I’ve lived life a little bit and I could relate to it in some respects.” Marsden recalls reading the script and appreciating how simple his character was. “[Dawson] is a man of his word, but he’s not a talky kind of guy. His actions speak for themselves [and] how he treats somebody else is what defines his character and I liked that about him.”
The Best of Me is about love, loss and second chances, and Monaghan recalls being drawn to the story because of its relatability. Like Nicholas Sparks, Monaghan recalls her 20s and 30s as a time of self-discovery. “You’re figuring out what you want to do with your life, and when you hit your mid to late 30s and 40s, it’s about self-reflection and taking stock of our lives. I think we start to ask ourselves how we want to live the next 40 years of our lives.” Marsden was familiar with Sparks’ work, having starred as Lon Hammond, Jr. in The Notebook and appreciated how he “effortlessly taps into the very human need to feel loved and desired and to desire somebody else.” With an easy script to read through and a story Marsden found himself easily lost in, there wasn’t much research needed to authentically play the role of Dawson.
While both Marsden and Monaghan had their own challenges to face when playing older versions of Dawson and Amanda, each spoke highly of Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. And rather than being carbon copies of each actor, they spoke of their similarities in mannerisms and perspective. The hope is that through these similarities, the audience will buy into the logic and feel like each character is the same as their younger counterpart.
Later this week I’ll share interviews with Bracey and Liberato, who star as young Dawson and Amanda. The Best of Me is now open in theaters nationwide. You can keep up to date with the film by visiting on their respective social media channels:
- 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