The Lucky One
age 14+
Sweet but formulaic love story OK for teen romantics.
- Rated: PG-13
- Genre: Romance
- Release Year: 2012
- Running Time: 101 minutes
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, like other romances based on Nicholas Sparks novels -- including The Last Song, Dear John, and The Notebook -- The Lucky One is filled with swoony, sentimental moments involving a pair of star-crossed lovers kept apart by their life challenges and personal struggles. Expect some gauzy love scenes (mostly kissing and early stage undressing -- no private parts are seen, though the top of a male backside is visible); infrequent swearing ("s--t," etc.), some drinking by adults, some tense scenes of peril and confrontation, and jarring-but-not-graphic wartime scenes in which grenades explode and soldiers are shot dead. Although the movie means well overall, it does suggest that women need the love of a good man to be able to love themselves.
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Kids say
What's the story?
Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns from his third tour of duty shell-shocked, having survived not one but a handful of close calls. The biggest one was a face-off with the enemy that left many dead. But somehow, Logan was spared when he stopped to pick up a picture on the ground -- the good-luck charm of an unknown soldier. The photo is that of a beautiful woman, whose soothing face Logan thinks somehow protects him from harm. When he goes home, Logan makes it his mission to find the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling). While winning her heart isn't hard, keeping it is.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
As Nicholas Sparks romances go, THE LUCKY ONE is one of the better ones -- quite a feat, considering it doesn't star Ryan Gosling. Efron and Schilling share an easy chemistry, which is key, of course. But as a romantic story on its own, The Lucky One doesn't hold a candle to the classics of the genre -- The English Patient if we're to get lofty, or even An Officer and a Gentleman.
Those movies boast a complexity that evokes the complications of life on two battlefield fronts: love and war. The Lucky One isn't so lucky (or, rather, well crafted). It's bogged down by hokey dialogue and stilted acting. Efron, who actually has shown some talent, appears to think "wooden" passes for "mysterious" here. Only Blythe Danner, as Beth's grandmother, is unscathed. She's witty and breezy and soulful in all the right moments, and we're lucky for that.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about why romantic movies often seem to have female characters who can't seem to find their strength and center without first falling in love. What's the message here?
How does The Lucky One depict romance and relationships? Do you think it's realistic/accurate?
What is the movie saying about the toll that war takes on soldiers?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | April 20, 2012 |
| DVD/Streaming release date: | August 28, 2012 |
| Cast: | Blythe Danner, Taylor Schilling, Zac Efron |
| Director: | Scott Hicks |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Genre: | Romance |
| Topics: | Book characters |
| Run time: | 101 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | some sexuality and violence |
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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14 and up.
The Lucky One is a great romance movie about love and family bond stars with zac efron from high school musical but parents this movie The Lucky One has some intense war violence in the beginning of the film and there are some sex scenes shown but no nudity shown also some mild language used and a little bit of drinking the message in this movie is about that the ideas that struggles don't have to define you and that you must learn to stand up for yourself. Also, that love heals, that family bonds are very powerful, and that loyalty matters But it also perpetuates the notion that women, no matter how capable, need the love of a good man to be able to love themselves and the role models are that Logan is kind, earnest, and principled, and despite some nightmares and sadness appears generally intact after the war. Beth is a caring mother and daughter Together, they're a beacon of niceness.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Zac Efron transforms into an okay adult.
I read this book when I was 15. I know I am mature enough and I hope I can watch it. It was a great and romantic read. Logan Thibault just wanted to find his place in the world with his dog, haha. I hope Zac Efron plays out the role well. I am 16 now. If you have a teenager, let them watch it if they are 14 and over. And make sure they know what sex is and blah blah. I'm fine, I'm not pregnant young, so there are actually mature teenagers. Teach your kids right, and give them the opportunity to experience life and feelings.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Lucky One
I loved it it was so good.They did make out but no private things were shown
What other families should know
Great role models
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