Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.0

The Choice Blu-ray Movie Review

You mean to tell me we've had a choice all this time?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 29, 2016

Did you or your kids ever play Mad Libs, those silly stories with “fill in the blanks” where you can make things ridiculously silly? The thing about Mad Libs is that there’s obviously a basic template, and that the blanks simply suffice to add a bit of variety to what is otherwise a straight and narrow path. I couldn’t help but think of the phenomenon of Mad Libs as I watched The Choice, since it, like virtually every other Nicholas Sparks based film I’ve previously watched and/or reviewed, sticks resolutely to predetermined plot points while injecting what amount to “fill in the blank” differences in order to supposedly differentiate this entry from its siblings. It’s a losing proposition, as Sparks has obviously found the formula which works, and works repeatedly, for him, and is just as obviously loathe to vary from it much if at all. Therefore, The Choice will no doubt appeal to Sparks lovers who have gobbled up the previous films based on his works (Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, The Lucky One, Safe Haven, The Best of Me , The Longest Ride). (Simply compare the covers of the foregoing films which have had a Blu-ray release to see the similarity with which these outings are marketed.) Those not already in the Sparks camp will probably just as certainly be left pretty cold by a typical Sparksian tale of young love thrown asunder by the vagaries of fate.

So, who are the sun dappled if star-crossed lovers this time? Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) is a serious student intent upon a nascent medical career who moves in next door to Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker), a vet who’s perhaps a little more raucous than Gabby would like. Is it love at first sight or simply love masquerading as hate at first sight? There’s never much of a question in a Sparks outing, and there certainly isn’t here. Most viewers will know going into this enterprise that all sorts of obstacles are going to accrue, but that true love will in fact overcome. In this case, the initial hurdles are other relationships, with Gabby involved with a fellow doctor named Ryan McCarthy (Tom Welling) and Travis attached to a girl named Monica (Alexandra Daddario).

The first of several kind of questionable moral decisions running through The Choice’s none too subtle subtext comes when Gabby and Travis predictably decide to engage in a relationship despite their other commitments. There’s a bit more of a prenuptial labyrinth at play here than in some other Sparks pieces, but the outcome is never seriously in doubt. Despite their manifest differences, and occasional qualms of conscience, Gabby and Travis end up together in matrimonial bliss, ultimately forging a happy family together.

Despite the kind of smarmy emotional tenor that the principal characters’ jettisoning of their former loves engenders, The Choice attempts to make Gabby and Travis another fated romance which will undeniably appeal to Sparks lovers. It’s a pretty shaky premise at best, but then Sparks in typical fashion introduces tragedy into the mix in a plot development which is patently manipulative and even smarmier feeling than what has gone before, if that’s even possible. Without spoiling this completely ridiculous progression of events, suffice it to say that love may conquer all, but only after a lot of histrionics intervene.

The incredibly mawkish third act of the film is nevertheless undeniably moving, and only the coldest heart will not have its strings pulled by a series of events which is designed to loosen the floodgates of the tear ducts. But Sparks so often seems to offer his characters miraculous happy endings that there’s ultimately little real emotion involved. Ironically, it looks like even Sparks fans are starting to avoid the ruts the author seems incapable of avoiding. Filmgoers “chose” elsewhere when The Choice was exhibited theatrically, leading to (by far) the smallest box office of any Sparks related film ever.

The Choice Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Choice is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.41:1. This is another incredibly scenic tour through some evocative North Carolina locations, and director Ross Katz and cinematographer Alar Kivilo make the most of gorgeous scenes of beautiful waterways and tall marshy grasslands waving hypnotically in the breeze. The sun dappled ambience of much of the film supports a naturalistic looking palette and some excellent levels of detail, though that same bright, sunny environment tends to push highlights right to the edge of blooming at times. There are a couple of long dark sequences, including one starting at around the 30 minute mark, that suffer from lackluster shadow detail, but otherwise this is a typically "pretty" Sparks related film.

The Choice Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Choice features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that springs nicely to life when the roots-y score or source cues come into play, or when outdoor scenes (which are numerous) provide the opportunity for abundant and nicely placed ambient environmental effects. The film tends to play out in a generally narrower soundfield, though, due to its reliance on smaller scale dialogue scenes and even occasional narration. Fidelity is fine and there are no problems of any kind to warrant concern.

The Choice Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Director Ross Katz and Actor Benjamin Walker


• Cinematic Choices: Making The Choice (1080p; 19:20) is standard EPK fare.


• Choosing Home: Nicholas Sparks and North Carolina (1080p; 8:53) is an ode to the author's favorite location.


• Nicholas Sparks With. . . (1080p; 32:37) features the author as interviewer of various cast and crew members.


• Molly and Moby: Choice Dogs (1080p; 5:47) profiles two of the more appealing characters.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 2:47)


• Natalia Safran's "Daylight" Music Video (1080p; 4:02)

The Choice Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The cast is relatively game, but the story here is simply so hackneyed that it can't ultimately be overcome even by Master Class level thespians. This is another scenic Sparks romance, but it's virtually interchangeable with all the other scenic Sparks romances. Technical merits are strong for those considering a purchase.