The Last Song
Short description
Ronnie Miller is a seventeen-year-old still angry at her father, Steve, for leaving the family three years earlier. She would rather stay in New York, but circumstances send her to spend the summer with him in a small coastal town in the American South, where he lives quietly and works on a piece of music intended for the local church. Father and daughter remain at odds, and the one thing they still share is a love of music, which Steve uses in an attempt to reach her. Over the same summer, Ronnie also forms a relationship with a local boy named Will.
The film is a drama directed by Julie Anne Robinson, who made it as her first feature, ahead of One for the Money two years later. Nicholas Sparks and Jeff Van Wie wrote the screenplay, and the cast includes Miley Cyrus as Ronnie, Greg Kinnear as Steve, Kelly Preston as Kim, Bobby Coleman as Jonah, Liam Hemsworth as Will and Hallock Beals as Scott.
Made for about 20 million dollars, the film took roughly 89 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 6 out of 10 from around 96,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 7.2 out of 10 from a much smaller group of voters. Film critics were considerably less positive, giving it 4.2 out of 10 across 120 reviews, so audiences have been far warmer toward it than reviewers.
What's left behind the scenes
- The first draft of the film's screenplay was completed by Nicholas Sparks in December 2008, even before he finished working on the novel.
- The film's premiere was initially scheduled for January 8, 2010, but the studio then decided to postpone it to March 31.
- Two American states, North Carolina and Georgia, long competed for the right to host the film's production. Initially, the preference was given to the former, as the events of Nicholas Sparks' novel unfold there, but Georgia offered more favorable financial terms. Estimates suggest this brought the state 500 jobs and over $25 million in additional revenue for local businesses.
- The film marked the first Hollywood project for Australian actor Liam Hemsworth and the first film role beyond Hannah Montana and related cameos for Miley Cyrus.
- Miley Cyrus chose the name of the main character in honor of her grandfather, Ron Cyrus, who passed away in 2006.
- The film studio's initial choice for the role of Will Blakelee was British actor Rafi Gavron.
- The church set was built from scratch on a small vacant lot. The total cost was approximately $300,000, and after the film was completed, the structure was gifted to the island's residents.
- Nicholas Sparks wrote the screenplay specifically for Miley Cyrus.
- "The Last Song" was the first adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel entrusted to the author himself for the big screen.
- "The Last Song" is the first film to be shot on the small coastal island of Tybee Island, Georgia.
- When Roni and Will are driving in the car, the Maroon 5 song “She Will Be Loved” is playing on the radio. Kelly Preston, who plays Roni’s mother, appeared in the music video for this song.
- Filming took place from June 15 to August 17, 2009.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
