The Choice - D

Rated PG-13, 111 minutes

Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker

Nicholas Sparks has made it bad for both couples (at least for guys) and moviegoers, having to suffer through an annual attempt to imitate his greatest hit, "The Notebook," which feels like ages ago now. The latest icky eye-rolling love fest is the by-the-numbers and stale adaptation of his novel, "The Choice," an effort so contrived and calculated it makes previous dreadful attempts "The Last Song" and "Safe Haven" look like masterpieces. Veterinarian Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker) is a ladies' man who thinks a serious relationship would cramp his easygoing lifestyle. Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) is a feisty medical student who's preparing to settle down with her long-term boyfriend. Fate brings the two together as Gabby moves next door to Travis, sparking an irresistible attraction that upends both of their lives through good times and bad. Note to Nicholas Sparks: we don't care about your latest bland couple going through the usual romantic notions just to make a buck or two, you've become the Stephen King of romance films, churning out films annually regardless of quality. The sluggish, silly and badly executed "The Choice" will please only his most die-hard of fans, who'll turn out to shed a tear or two at this dreck about what happens to pretty people. It has all the usual Sparks elements: set in the South, near water, with two people who initially hate each, fall in love, only to have tragedy or some sort of challenge befall our lovely pairing. This time it's the handsome Walker and Palmer, both decent actors who should know better what they're getting into, and I had a hard time believing any part of it: Travis is a tool, while Gabby is a nagger, it's a miracle the two fall in love at all without killing each other (which would've made things far more interesting), though in Sparks' universe, one or both will undergo some sort of difficulty that becomes the arc of the movie. I hated the fact that a great actor like Oscar-nominee Tom Wilkinson is wasted in such lightweight material, and I also didn't understand why he makes no attempt a Southern accent, while Walker's is so distinct. The last act is as dreadful and painful as they come, with a predictably sweet ending that'll make you long for something much better. Everything about it rings false, fake and so dumb I just couldn't buy it, but that's typical Nicholas Sparks. "The Choice" is all about making the right choices, and the best choice you can make is not to see it.