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<\/a><\/p>\nLuke Collins is a champion bull rider.\u00a0 (All you \u201cCowtown Rodeo\u201d fans start rejoicing now as the bull riding footage throughout is explosive!)\u00a0 Wanting to reach the pinnacle of success and surpass the legend of his father in order to earn enough winnings and endorsements to keep the family ranch, Luke is the salt of the earth. . .and mighty fine to look at, too.\u00a0 We first meet him when he is thrown from the most vicious bull on the rodeo circuit, Rango, and quickly jump ahead in time to him trying to re-ignite his career.\u00a0 His journey back from the life threatening accident plays out during the course of the film.<\/p>\n
And yes, the fact that it is Scott Eastwood who looks like the spittin\u2019 image of his own father Clint in his \u201cRawhide\u201d days, not only with his look, but his mannerisms, sly smile, and even vocal inflections with certain phrases playing Luke Collins, only serves the character and the film on multiple levels.\u00a0 Then put Eastwood on a bull or a horse and you\u2019d swear you\u2019re in a time machine looking at Clint, putting the visual imagery hand-in-hand with the parallel generational storylines at play in THE LONGEST RIDE.<\/p>\n
Now while you\u2019re doing double takes at the young Mr. Eastwood, we\u2019re also meeting art history academic from local Wake Forest College, Sophia Danko.\u00a0 One of those girls with her head in a book and career path meticulously mapped out, Sophia is reluctantly dragged by her sorority sisters to the local rodeo to check out \u201cthe hottest guys around\u201d – the cowboys.\u00a0 Needless to say, a flip of his Stetson onto the ground in front of Sophia is all it takes for her head to spin Luke\u2019s way.\u00a0 And of course, he does more than a double take when he sees her.<\/p>\n As old-fashioned romance ensues – Luke brings flowers to Sophia on their first date, he does the asking instead of her, he takes her on an afternoon turned moonlit evening lakeside picnic – but not without some trouble.\u00a0 Given that Sophia is leaving for New York in two months for an internship, and given their very different backgrounds (she\u2019s a first generation Polish immigrant, he\u2019s from a lineage of ranchers), she doesn\u2019t want to \u201cget involved\u201d with the handsome wrangler; especially since he won\u2019t give up his 8 second dream of bull riding and move to New York should they \u201chit it off\u201d and she won\u2019t give up her dreams in the art world.<\/p>\n But as luck, and Nicholas Sparks, would have it, as the skies open to a raging thunderstorm and their date comes to an end, ever the gentleman hero, on their way back to Sophia\u2019s sorority house Luke sees a car that has careened off the road and is on fire.\u00a0\u00a0 Rushing to aid any victims, they find one, an elderly man who Luke pulls from the car while Sophia rescues \u201ca box\u201d the man whispers he needs.<\/p>\n Sophia determines to stay at the hospital with the man while Luke takes off.\u00a0 The man they saved is Ira Levinson.\u00a0 The box they saved contains a lifetime of letters from Ira to the love of his life, Ruth, starting with their meeting in pre-war 1940 North Carolina.\u00a0 It is through these letters and a precious friendship that develops between Ira and Sophia that we see the love and history of Ira and Ruth repeat itself through Luke and Sophia.\u00a0 With each letter we are visually transported back in time and watch the love, and heartaches, of Ira and Ruth unfold.\u00a0 Sacrifices made, acceptance of certain elements of life, but en eternal love, we see Ira embrace Ruth\u2019s passion for art and in lieu of children, works of art become their children.\u00a0 And it\u2019s Ira\u2019s sage counsel that helps guide Sophia; not to mention Luke suffering another life-threatening throw from a bull.<\/p>\n But is the love of Sophia and Luke strong enough to bring them together the way that of Ira and Ruth?<\/p>\n When it comes to performances, all are rock solid, starting with Scott Eastwood.\u00a0 Going beyond his DNA connection and those crows feet squintless eye creases to the sly smile or scowl to certain phrases and vocal inflection, and repeatedly telling yourself this is Scott Eastwood, not Clint, Scott Eastwood solidifies himself as one of Hollywood\u2019s new leading men.\u00a0 And after seeing him make his mark in that capacity with last fall\u2019s indie gem, \u201cThe Perfect Wave\u201d and with the diversity and number of films on his upcoming plate, Eastwood more than proves that he is the real deal.\u00a0 With a casual ease, he commands the screen with few words.\u00a0 He sits a horse or a bull with easy confidence.\u00a0 His charismatic masculinity infused with a gentility melts the heart while his blue eyes will make every woman go weak in the knees.\u00a0 But it\u2019s that quiet command that steers the character and by its virtue, the story and film as a whole.<\/p>\n Brit Robertson is more than a match for Eastwood, but beyond Eastwood, she delights when playing opposite Alan Alda.\u00a0 Bringing a determined freshness to Sophia, she lights up the screen and is particularly effective when placed in freeing exterior settings.\u00a0 And when with Alda, the chemistry is tender, poignant and very familial.<\/p>\n And what about Alan Alda as the 79-year old plays a 91 year old widower?\u00a0 In a word.\u00a0 Perfection.\u00a0 Alda grounds the film with heart and wisdom.\u00a0 He slows Ira\u2019s speech and is more deliberate in enunciation (than he normally is!), speaking tonally lower, resulting in that \u201cpay attention\u201d feeling we have all experienced when a grandparent or sage mentor is imparting life lessons to us.\u00a0 And here\u2019s where you need the boxes of tissues.\u00a0 Lots of them.\u00a0 Kleenex can thank Alan Alda and Nicholas Sparks when stock prices rise.<\/p>\n Joyous are the performances of Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin.\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 From \u201cthose\u201d Hustons and \u201cthat\u201d Chaplin.\u00a0 Jack, grandson of John and great-grandson of Walter, and Oona, granddaughter of Charlie and Oona (for whom she was named), are luminous as the 1940’s Ira and Ruth.\u00a0 Not just lensed beautifully by cinematographer David Tattersall and costumed in period clothing, Huston and Chaplin are luminous.\u00a0 They embody these roles with the ease and comfort of \u201cknowing\u201d the people they are playing, knowing the era in which they are transported.\u00a0 They are radiant with emotion, particularly Huston who manages a wide-eyed glow that comes from the heart.\u00a0 Watching Huston and Chaplin feels as if time has stood still.<\/p>\n Not to be overlooked is a nice turn by Lolita Davidovich who also provides parental moments of thought and reflection as Luke\u2019s mother Kate.<\/p>\n Notable is that despite his best efforts to sneak onto some bulls, Scott Eastwood\u2019s thunder was pulled out from under and professional PBR (Professional Bull Rider Association) riders were brought in as his stunt riding doubles, in particular Brant Atwood who was Eastwood\u2019s primary double and who rode \u201cRango.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 With the PBR serving as technical advisors on the film,\u00a0 PBR fans should easily pick out champions Kody Lostroh and Billy Robinson who play themselves in the film.<\/p>\n Directed by George Tillman, Jr. from script by Craig Bolotin (who penned the hilarious \u201cStraight Talk\u201d for Dolly Parton some 23 years ago) adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, THE LONGEST RIDE is further proof that producers Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen\u00a0 are the best producers for Sparks adaptations as they allow for the script and direction of the project to expand beyond the printed pages of the book.\u00a0 What we see unfold is essentially three complete stories from three different worlds that seamlessly meld – the 1940’s and the story of Ruth and Ira, the 21st century and the story of Luke and Sophia, and then the bull riding and rodeo world with the art world making its stand with bull riding and art serving as the connective metaphoric tissue for love and relationships.\u00a0 With Tillman at the directorial helm, time is both distinct and timeless as past meets present while standing on its own and vice versa.\u00a0 The parallels between the generational love stories is poignant perfection fueled by passion and truth, creating tonal energies that resonate on every level.\u00a0 Key is that nothing feels forced or contrived.\u00a0 The flow of the parallel love story does just that – flows with a natural languidity.<\/p>\n David Tattersall’s cinematography is lush with natural lighting.\u00a0 Nuanced changes in framing and light hues fuel the temporal changes with a slightly golden patina caressing the vintage love story.\u00a0\u00a0 Bull riding scenes are phenomenal not only with camera work, but with editing.\u00a0 Challenging for both Tillman and Tattersall, however, was lensing the bulls and particularly Rango, on whom they had five cameras trained in the hope of capturing the all important 8-second ride.\u00a0\u00a0 Having been to PBR and other rodeo and bull riding events myself, the lensing and editing of the bull riding sequences are as intense as if being there\u00a0 in person.\u00a0 Significant in the editing of THE LONGEST RIDE is not only for its part in the telling of Luke\u2019s emotional journey, but for the metaphor of love and \u201cthe toughest sport on dirt\u201d juxtapositioned with the beauty of art and the parallels in the lives of Luke and Sophia and Ira and Ruth.<\/p>\n Applause goes to production designer Mark Garner who, together with the location team, found the beautiful Victorian stylings of Ruth and Ira\u2019s world in both Wilmington, North Carolina and Wallace, North Carolina.\u00a0 Both towns are so authentic to the era of Ira\u2019s youth and that of Ruth and Ira as a growing married couple, that the effect is transformative and immersive for the audience.\u00a0 It\u2019s as if time – and their love – stood still.\u00a0 Wonderful metaphoric storytelling tool.<\/p>\n As\u00a0Sandy Powell did in \u201cCinderella\u201d to capture the beautiful blue eyes of Richard Madden, so does costumer Mary Claire Hannan with clothing for Eastwood\u2019s Luke as she dresses him a blue shirt, the same style blue shirt, in every scene.\u00a0 It not only brings out his eyes, but makes him readily identifiable.\u00a0 Also notable is the attention to detail with the leatherwork of not only Eastwood\u2019s attire but the other bullriders and cowboys, from chaps to belts along with those impressive silver champion belt buckles riders wear. As in real life, cowboys, riders and competitors in rodeos and the PBR circuit (Professional Bull Riders) have all custom made and break them in over their competitive lifetimes.\u00a0 Beautiful hand tooling work.\u00a0 Standout is Hannan\u2019s work with Ruth\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 In addition to Ruth being an art lover and artist, she was very fashion conscious and fashion forward.\u00a0 Hannan embraced the era and celebrated fashion and personality with color blocking, soutache braiding, buttons and patterned embroidery of the day.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n