'Safe Haven' is a sudsy-scary weepfest
'Safe Haven,' starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, is more of a Gothic chick flick than anything.
Julianne Hough (r.) and Josh Duhamel (l.) star in 'Safe Haven.'
James Bridges/Relativity Media/AP
The latest Nicholas Sparks-derived weepfest, 鈥淪afe Haven,鈥� is being marketed as a Valentine鈥檚 Day special, but the plot line is closer to a stalker thriller. It鈥檚 sudsy-scary. It鈥檚 also not very good, although this may not matter to its core audience. Its director, Lasse Hallstr枚m, has objected to the term 鈥渃hick flick,鈥� but if the shoe fits...
He鈥檚 right to think of the term as limiting, though. No one would seriously call a Jane Austen novel 鈥渃hick lit.鈥� 鈥淪afe Haven鈥� is a species of Gothic chick flick: Running-from-danger heroine (Julianne Hough) finds friendly anonymity 鈥� and a hunky widower (Josh Duhamel) with two cute kids 鈥� in a sleepy North Carolina town. In pursuit is a rabid policeman (David Lyons) who practically froths at the mouth. At least he doesn鈥檛 turn into a werewolf or a vampire. Grade: C+ (Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving threatening behavior, and for violence and sexuality.)