The Last Song

Whoever thought that putting Miley Cyrus in the role of the headstrong rebel while still attempting to maintain a family-friendly vibe was a good idea obviously had not taken a second look at the script of “The Last Song.”

Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, the film explores the family drama that ensues when Ronnie (Cyrus) and her brother are sent to spend the summer with their father (Steve Miller). Ronnie clearly resents her father because of her parents’ recent divorce, a resentment that leads her to push aside her brilliant talent as a Julliard-bound pianist in favor of an emotional seclusion from anything that reminds her of him. However, upon meeting the handsome Will Blakelee, played by Liam Hemsworth, Ronnie is able to soften her heart and open it to her family again, bonding with her father through their shared love for music.

The bland dialogue of the opening scenes pretty much sets the tone for what one can expect from the following hour and a half. As her brother makes reference to her recent arrest, Ronnie replies, oh-so-cleverly, “Jonah, I didn’t do it, ok? Just stay out of it!” It is awkward to watch this seemingly edgy character forced to fit into a family role, especially when she has to balance her soft, caring side for her brother with her bitter hatred for her father. This role is also one that should require more foul language or outward disrespect for authority figures than Cyrus is permitted to deliver in this Disney production. Thus, the outward harshness that Ronnie is trying to emit seems wholly at odds with her saccharine actions.

Although this film deals with some very heavy issues and attempts to paint a touching account of family bonding, the film moves far too quickly to be taken seriously. A serious emotional toll is packed into this 107-minute film, not leaving much room to explore these problems very deeply at all. Perhaps the most astounding moment of emotional insincerity—but probably not too surprising after witnessing the many other clichéd moments throughout—is Will’s sudden proclamation of love which occurs very soon after he first meets Ronnie. Obviously over-the-top, this scene makes it clear that this film is meant to be more of a heartthrob fantasy for young girls everywhere rather than a realistic portrayal of love.

The character motivations in the film are also shallower than one would hope for. Discovering that Ronnie’s dark secret is that she was arrested for shoplifting and that her father didn’t actually commit the crime he was accused of feels entirely anticlimactic. It constantly feels like the film takes the easy way out, resolving conflicts by claiming they were never serious to begin with. The film never embraces the darker emotional toll that one would expect of such a supposedly dysfunctional family.

Some slower scenes, such as the time Ronnie spends with her father in the hospital, reveal that Cyrus has the acting chops required for embracing a three-dimensional role. In general, these few moments are all too brief. However, to the film’s credit, Cyrus’ interactions with her on-screen father do become more natural as the film progresses.

While all the relationships of the family fit together naturally, the peripheral presence of Ronnie’s rebel friend Blaze stands at odds with everything else that is occurring in the plot. Introduced as Ronnie’s first female friend, their quick bonding suggests that Blaze will be an ever-present source of camaraderie for the estranged newcomer. However, this character disappears for the entire middle segment of the film, only to reappear at the very end as someone who Ronnie has to rescue from her own emotional crisis. The lack of incorporation of Ronnie’s friend in the primary family drama makes the character of Blaze an awkward tool seemingly placed in the story only as a target for Ronnie’s heroism.

Although this film makes a valiant attempt to depict a moving story of the strength of family bonds, “The Last Song” overshoots the emotional factor by miles. By shying away from the darker tone required of the subject matter, the film is nothing but inert.