Safe Haven

I guess I'd call this a PG-13 romance with an edge. We have attractive leads, mysterious pasts and dark secrets..... The book on which this is based is by Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook") so it MUST be romantic, right? And there has to be an idyllic boat ride on a bayou...and two lovers caught in the rain. The movie is directed by Lasse Hallström ("Salmon Fishing in the Yemen") so it will feel like real people in a real situation, with humorous bits tossed in just for fun. As you can tell, this was actually pretty good because we had plenty of people to root for.

We watched:

• Josh Duhamel ("Transformers," "New Year's Eve" and lots of TV) as Alex, a widower of two years, helping his two youngsters cope with their loss and helping his uncle run a little grocery store/gas station/tackle shop in a North Carolina fishing village. BTW, this actor is really good with children!
• Noah Lomax (Lots of TV) is Josh, his older child who remembers, and still misses, his mom.
• Mimi Kirkland in her first movie role, is Lexie, the younger child who only remembers the idea of her mother. She's a precocious, loyal little busybody.
• Julianne Hough ("Rock of Ages" and "Footloose") is Katie, fleeing for her life from Boston and trying to find a safe haven beyond the reach of her pursuer.
• Cobie Smulders ("The Avengers") is Jo, the lovely neighbor who befriends our heroine.
• David Lyons (Lots of TV) is either a cop, an abandoned husband, or both.

There are plenty of other characters, but time does not permit... I could have done without some of the bucolic photography, but it was only 115 minutes. Suffice it to say, this had no profanity and some chaste love making, but had a real nail-biter of a climax and a totally unexpected twist...plus Duhamel is VERY easy on the eye!

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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2406786073/
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