The Last Song Opens to Cheers and Tears

Miley Cyrus' coming-of-age film The Last Song opened in theaters last night.

Despite negative reviews from critics, Miley Cyrus and The Last Song did what they needed to do. Miley Cyrus was just what she needed to be, a pouty melodramatic teenager while The Last Song did what every Nicholas Sparks story is supposed to do, provide an outlet of emotional catharsis for teenage girls and their dates.

I would actually argue that the scathing negative reviews are actually a sign that Miley Cyrus did her job. True to the Nicholas Sparks story, Miley Cyrus was huffy, pouty, melodramatic, everything an angst-filled teenager should be.

And judging from the reaction in the theater, Miley Cyrus and The Last Song were able to evoke strong reactions and keep the viewers engaged in every moment. (Granted the theater was full of 14-to-16-year-old girls and their boyfriends, but if a movie can please its targeted demographic, then I could consider it a success).

The Last Song: In Defense of Miley Cyrus' Performance

Critics have slammed Miley Cyrus' performance as pouty, melodramatic, robotic, and one-dimensional. The New York Post went as far to suggest that she displayed "approximately 1 1/2 expressions."

However, I would argue that Miley did what she was supposed to do--play a teenager. Many teenagers are pouty and melodramatic. Teenage years are all about balancing angst, hormones, and melodrama with lack of life experience.

Sure, Cyrus' huffy storm-offs and pouty faces were a bit over-the-top, but that's to be expected from a Nicholas Sparks characters. To an extent the characters are supposed to be typecasts. In vintage Nicholas Sparks fashion, Miley Cyrus is the angst-filled teenager while Liam Hemsworth is the golden boy. Miley Cyrus' performance on The Last Song isn't anything you wouldn't find on One Tree Hill or 90210.

The Last Song: Reactions in the Theater

I was actually surprised to see such a negative reaction from the critics. (Then again, film critics are presumable over the age of 20).

While critics jeered, teens cheered. When Miley's character called the Mean Girl the B-word, audience members applauded, shouting "you go girl!" When Liam Hemsworth kissed her at the beach during their argument, teenage girls and even their boyfriends yelled, "wooooh!!'

During the poignant moments (sickness, Miley crying on Greg Kinnear's shoulder), girls were literally sobbing. By the time credits rolled, the audience alternated between clapping and reaching for tissues. As for their dates, they may not have wanted to sit through a Nicholas Sparks chick-flick, but they were probably glad to have the girls leaning all over them.

All's well that ends well--for all the angst and restlessness that encapsulates teenagers, isn't it better for them to let it out in the theater than to be running wild in the streets? We can thank Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Greg Kinnear, Nicholas Sparks, and The Last Song for providing teens that much-need tear-jerking catharsis.

Source:

Tear-jerker misses by a Miley, New York Post