As far as Nicholas Sparks movies go, this one is not run of the mill. Its different enough from all the others I have seen. The acting was good and the story while formulaic like all of the Nicholas Sparks movies was somewhat predictable but different enough to take you by surprise in certain areas of the film.
The ending was emotional and it was not easy to get through.
I do recommend this movie.
A Screenwriters Perspective: Current and Past Movies. 