The Longest Ride

Are you a Nicholas Sparks fan? Does the film version of his novel, "The Notebook," make you weepy? Did you swoon over Channing Tatum in "Dear John?" Have you seen "The Lucky One?" If the answers to those questions are 'yes,' you will probably want to pick up "The Longest Ride," on Blu-ray (or at least stream it).

Personally, I can answer a slight yes to all of the above but say that, while I enjoyed elements of "The Longest Ride," it was too schmaltzy, clich�-ridden and clingy for my taste.

And speaking of taste, the sight of yummy Scott Eastwood shirtless and flashing his butt (well, the upper half of his butt, anyway) isn't even enough for this gay man to recommend the LONG sit (clocking in at over 2 hours).

Directed with a heavy-hand by George Tillman, Jr., the plot involves two couples during two different eras (sound familiar?) in, yes, North Carolina.

Couple number one: Sophia (Britt Robertson), an ambitious college art student meets Luke (Eastwood), a competitive bull rider with no ambition beyond staying on the angry creature for the required eight seconds (and, consequently, falling on his ass a lot).

Couple number two: Ira (hunky Jack Huston, bringing gravitas to the film), a WWII vet falls in love with Ruth (Oona Chaplin, proving her pedigree is palpable), a modern art lover who longs for a child.

These two couples converge thanks to a crazy twist of fate (don't they always) involving an older Ira (Alan Alda, powerfully understated and underrated as always) being saved by our two young 'uns.

The movie features pretty vistas and ocean views (beautifully photographed by David Tattersall), an overdone dramatic score (by Mark Isham) telling us how and when to feel as well as some of the most mundane and predictable dialogue and story machinations to come out of a Hollywood film since, well, "The Best of Me." (The mediocre script is courtesy of screenwriter Craig Bolotin, who adapted the novella.)

The city gal must compromise for the country boy (isn't that always the pathetic case) in the modern scenes while different concessions are made in the post-war sequences. But lessons are learned and a happy ending is assured.

Eastwood is a dead ringer for papa Clint when he starred in the TV show "Rawhide" in the early '60s. And while he's no Clint in the acting department, he does show some raw potential. It's a pity his character is mired in the maddeningly tired notions that all Southern boys eschew education, revile art and would rather spend time with farm animals.

The film looks exquisite on Blu-ray and the audio presentation rocks as well, when that pesky score isn't swelling.

There are a bunch of Extras, none of which are very substantial, although the Deleted and Extended Scenes show a hint of a more layered and textured film somewhere in an earlier cut before predictable heads prevailed. Also, of note, is an audio commentary by Tillman and Chaplin as well as a spoof doc, "A Day in the Life of Nicholas Sparks," that has more of a sense of humor than anything found in the actual feature.

"The Longest Ride"
Blu-ray & Digital HD
$19.96
http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-longest-ride