Miley Cyrus reinvents herself in new film, The Last Song
Posted by The Skyliner on April 7th, 2010Jordan Ecarma
Copy Editor
The Last Song marks the beginning of a new chapter in Miley Cyrus’s career. Cyrus rose to fame as the title character on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. What started out a simple sitcom became a national phenomenon, resulting in Cyrus’s visage being plastered on everything from pillowcases to lip gloss.
The Miley Cyrus franchise is now worth $1 billion. As always, celebrity is a double-edged sword. Cyrus’s career has not been perpetual smooth sailing. She has gone from being America’s sweetheart to being the target of much negative media buzz.
So where does Cyrus stand as an actress? The Last Song was written especially for her by Nicholas Sparks. Sparks even wrote the screenplay side by side with the novel. But fortunately Cyrus carries the film well enough that it comes across as something more than a mere vehicle.
The Last Song is a love story, but not only in the romantic sense of the phrase. Its ultimate emphasis is on the importance of family. Ronnie (Cyrus) reluctantly comes to Georgia to spend the summer with her father Steve (Greg Kinnear) and younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman). She is a rebellious teen, seemingly determined on throwing her life away. Her anger and bitterness stem from her parents’ divorce the previous year.
It is here that Cyrus marks a major departure from the character she is known for. As Ronnie in the beginning of the film, she is intent on self-destruction, a supposed bad girl running with a worse crowd. She barely cracks a smile for the first half-hour of the movie.
The turning point for Ronnie comes when she meets a boy named Will (Liam Hensworth). While it is not love at first sight, he is won over by the determined, caring personality she has but tries to hide. She in turn is pulled in by his infectious love of life. They begin a summer romance that, for the most part, brings out the best in both of them
Cyrus and Hensworth started their own romance while making this film and their chemistry as a couple is evident. They seem perfectly at ease around one another in these scenes, and the trusting, solid relationship built by their characters Ronnie and Will never feels too far-fetched.
Because this is a Sparks film, there must be some tragic twist of fate to come between lovers. The Last Song’s tragedy comes in the form of terminal illness, reminiscent of A Walk to Remember. The difference in this particular Sparks’ novel is that the love story portrayed is not just that between a boy and a girl. It is also shown between a girl and her family members, especially her father.
Underneath Ronnie’s initial tough, acerbic front is a girl who cares deeply. Cyrus lends a lovely fragility to this character. While tender and poignant, the film itself maintains a joy that keeps it from becoming overly weepy. Unlike Sparks’ last onscreen attempt, the rather dour Dear John, all the pieces fit together. The Last Song is a movie that knows its limits. It is neither epic in scope nor groundbreaking in formula, but it manages to be stirring in its own fashion.
The main focus of The Last Song is the importance of living life to the fullest in the short span of days that we have. It shows through one family’s story how vital it is to make the most of time.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 10
I don’t know if I want to see this movie now. Didn’t realize she was in it.