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After reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, I could not wait to see the book transform onto the big screen. Although I was slightly concerned that the movie would fail to live up to my expectations, after seeing the movie, I fell in love with the romantic love story even more.

The Last Song follows the story of a girl named Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) who is forced to go live with her father (Greg Kinner) for the summer. Although they had not been in extremely close contact for a while, the estranged pair gained a great appreciation for each other through their mutual love of music, as the initially pessimistic Ronnie found happiness in her summer after all. The movie follows Ronnie through a summer of teenage drama that is sure to captivate any audience.

Although this is not a typical role for Cyrus, most would consider this performance to be her best. Miley showed her diversity as an actress as she took the audience through moments of laughter and moments of despair. This movie can be considered a turning point in her career, as she transforms from a young Disney star to an accomplished actress. She took her role in many directions as she portrayed the qualities of a moody teenager, found herself happily in love, and suffered through a tremendous heartbreak. Ronnie was a very relatable character to most teens, as she suffered through the classics: first love, first heartbreak, and first decisions. Although Miley’s performance was generally a success, she oftentimes was a bit overly dramatic and unoriginal.

Newcomer Liam Hemsworth, played by Will Blakelee, Ronnie’s love interest in the movie, also won over the audience, as he successfully transformed his character from the book onto the big screen. Another crowd favorite was Bobby Coleman, a young, new actor who played Ronnie’s younger brother, Jonah.

Having read the book before the movie, a few noticeable differences between the two versions did stand out; however, most were very minor details. The only extremely big change that upset me was that the movie was filmed in Georgia, whereas the book took place in North Carolina. Of course Georgia was very beautiful, but many dedicated fans of the book may be upset by this minute difference.

The Last Song was an extremely well done movie, with relatable, well-cast characters and a touching plot. I would highly recommend for anyone to see this movie. However, be sure to bring a box of tissues with you, because the end is a tear-jerker!