HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel, The Last Song is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenage daughter Ronnie (Miley Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.
The Last Song is Sparks’ 15th published book. Though several of his previous titles have been adapted to film, including The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe, The Last Song is the first to make it to the big screen within the first year of publication. It’s also the first for which he has written the screenplay.
Kinnear says Sparks deals with the joy and challenges of maintaining family bonds head on.
"I read the script and I was so touched by it," he says. "Nicholas Sparks has an incredible sensitivity towards families. He’s written an interesting story about people who at the onset seem to have very little chance of connecting. In the end, not everything is tied up in a perfect bow—which is a lot like real life."
"Both the screenplay and the novel were written with Miley very much in mind," Sparks admits. "But I write to write a great story and I had to balance those things. The finished product is definitely not a Hannah Montana movie. It’s an ensemble piece with a talented cast that will appeal to audiences of all ages. Ronnie is a really compelling female character going through things that a lot of teenagers are going through. She’s forced to really grow and mature through the course of the film."
Cyrus was thrilled to tackle her first dramatic role in a film by Nicholas Sparks. She says that A Walk to Remember and The Notebook had a huge impact on her life.
"His work has great, positive messages," notes the young star. "To me, the best thing is that kids love it, but it’s also mature enough to appeal to adults. It’s unusual to find that kind of balance."
Photos: The Last Song Premiere Photos
Videos: The Last Song Cast Interviews
Photo credit: Sam Emerson / Touchstone Pictures
