The Choice (2016)
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A veterinarian and a medical student find themselves entangled in a complicated romance after a chance meeting between neighbors.
The story
Travis Shaw, a veterinarian in Wilmington, NC, falls in love at first sight with his new neighbor, Gabby Holland, a medical student. Their initial meeting is rocky, occurring during a noisy barbecue Travis is hosting while Gabby is trying to study. Gabby is currently in a relationship with a doctor named Ryan. When Gabby's dog has a complication with her puppies, she seeks Travis's help. Despite the initial friction and Gabby's existing relationship, the two begin to spend more time together, eventually leading to a passionate night together and the start of a new relationship.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Travis Shaw, a veterinarian in Wilmington, NC, falls in love at first sight with his new neighbor, Gabby Holland, a medical student. Their initial meeting is rocky, as Travis is hosting a noisy barbecue while Gabby is trying to study. Gabby is in a relationship with Dr. Ryan McCarthy. When Gabby's dog, Molly, has a complication with her puppies, she seeks Travis's help. Travis takes the dog and puppies to his clinic, and his father notices his interest in Gabby. Travis eventually takes Gabby on a boat excursion, and they spend the night together. They begin a relationship, but Gabby is still involved with Ryan. When Ryan returns, Travis confesses his feelings, but Gabby, unsure, accepts Ryan's marriage proposal. However, after a breakup with Ryan, Gabby eventually agrees to marry Travis. They marry and have two children. Years later, Gabby is involved in a traffic accident and falls into a coma for over 90 days. Travis is asked to sign her DNR order. After a hurricane, Travis hears a chime from Gabby's porch and rushes to the hospital, where she wakes up. They eventually reunite with their family.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ross Katz
- Writers
- Bryan Sipe · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Benjamin Walker · Dr. Travis Shaw; Teresa Palmer · Gabriela "Gabby" Holland; Maggie Grace · Stephanie Shaw; Alexandra Daddario · Monica; Tom Welling · Dr. Ryan McCarthy; Tom Wilkinson · Dr. Shep Shaw
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- Love; Sacrifice; Family
- Tone and mood
- Melodramatic; Romantic
- Setting
- Wilmington, North Carolina, and South Carolina in the modern era.
- Premise and plot tags
- Romance; Drama; Neighbor Romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Nicholas Sparks' 2007 novel The Choice
- Reception
- The film was panned by critics, who described it as 'painfully formulaic' and criticized its pacing and characters. However, it was a box office success, grossing $24.3 million on a $10 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 11% · review count: 83; Metacritic · score: 26 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Production trivia
- The film was the lowest-rated adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, surpassing The Best of Me.; Principal photography began on October 13, 2014, in Wilmington, North Carolina.; Lionsgate acquired the rights to the film on June 10, 2014.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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