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Arts & Entertainment

'The Lucky One' Has Plenty of Heart

Teen heartthrob Zac Efron breaks out in his first real adult role as a war veteran who has come home looking for love in a romantic melodrama that is worth the price of admission.

Zac Efron plays Logan, an Afghanistan war veteran on his third tour, who comes across a picture of a woman who inspires him to search for her, stateside, in The Lucky One.

His search lands him at a kennel in Louisiana owned by Beth (Taylor Schilling) and her grandmother, Ellie (Blythe Danner). He gets a job there and, over a period of time, settles in, still not telling anyone his real reason for being there. As you might imagine, sparks start to fly.

The Lucky One is a Nicholas Sparks movie. He's good at this kind of thing, writing books turned into movies like Message in a Bottle, Nights in Rodanthe and The Notebook. This film, in my opinion, is one of his better stories. And, with an attractive young cast, it should be very appealing to audiences.

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The notion that a chance event – finding a photo in the middle of nowhere – could change not only one man's life but the lives of everyone he comes into contact with… is interesting. A decent storyline and the on-screen chemistry between Efron and Shilling make this one worth seeing if you are into this kind of film. The Flick-o-meter gives The Lucky One three out of five. Zac Efron is a possible leading man (not teen heartthrob) in future films. I mean, he bulked up to be in a movie where he plays a war vet who has come home to find love in a dog kennel.

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DINNER SELECTION

. We've never been there, and we've never spoken with anyone who said they have. But we're curious to know if it's a good place. And this site has yet to recommend a Caribbean joint. After that, head over to for the movie. Check showtimes here.

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