Nicholas Sparks Movies: Seven Films Based on his Bestselling Romance Novels

Are you looking for a romantic movie to watch with your spouse or date? Something special for Valentine's Day or a Friday night at home?

You really can't go wrong with a Nicholas Sparks movie. All of his films are emotionally moving dramas that women love and men (secretly) enjoy.

Nicholas Sparks is an acclaimed American novelist and screenwriter. As of this writing, he has penned eighteen bestselling novels. Hollywood has adapted seven of them for the big screen. Two more are said to be in the works.

Sparks lives in North Carolina, where most of his novels and movies are set. His stories explore common themes: love, loss, family and faith. Despite a few altered endings, the films remain faithful to his stories and themes.

Sparks weaves believable stories that his readers and viewers can relate to. "None of my characters are rich or famous, and the situations they find themselves in could happen to anyone," he said.

For a memorable movie experience, here are seven romantic Nicholas Sparks films to watch with your sweetheart. Visit your library or movie rental store to pick up a copy today.

Be sure to follow this hub to the end for an interview with Nicholas Sparks by Jon Barns of the Indianapolis Public Library.

What is your favorite Nicholas Sparks movie? Cast your vote in the poll that follows this article, then tell us more in the comments section below.

Message in a Bottle (1999) is a bittersweet tale based on a 1998 novel. The story is set in contemporary Chicago and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

A Chicago newspaper researcher finds a tragic letter in a bottle on a Cape Cod beach. Intrigued by her discovery, she travels to North Carolina to track down the author.

As their attraction blossoms into romance, the man (a widowed shipbuilder) struggles to put the past behind him and move on.

Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Costner, and Paul Newman star in this award-nominated film that explores love, loss and grief. The movie is rated PG-13 for a scene of sexuality.

--------------------------------------------------

If some lives form a perfect circle, others take shape in ways we cannot predict or always understand.

-- Theresa Osborne

A Walk to Remember (2002) centers on two teenagers who fall deeply in love despite their dissimilar ambitions and personalities. The film is based on a 1999 novel.

Unlike the book's 1950s setting, the movie has a contemporary setting. It depicts the growing relationship between a popular, rebellious boy and a bookish preacher's daughter.

Mandy Moore, Shane West, and Peter Coyote star in this award-winning film that explores teen love, faith and grief. The movie is rated PG for mild language and some sensuality.

--------------------------------------------------

Jamie has faith in me. She makes me want to be different, better.

-- Landon Carter

The Notebook (2004) is an endearing film based on a 1996 novel. The real-life story of his wife's grandparents inspired this fictional work by Sparks.

The story centers on two young lovers, a poor boy and a rich girl, in 1940s North Carolina. He teaches her about passion and freedom, but their social differences keep them apart.

Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands star in this award-winning film about love, the social classes and the heartbreaking realities of Alzheimer's disease. The movie is rated PG-13 for scenes of sexuality.

--------------------------------------------------

I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.

-- Noah Calhoun

Nights in Rodanthe (2008) was inspired by a 2002 novel. The story is based, in part, on Spark's personal experiences, particularly his courtship of the woman he married.

On a stormy weekend in the 1980s, a successful surgeon meets an unhappily married woman at a North Carolina inn. Turning to each other for comfort, they begin a life-changing romance. Years later, the woman tells her daughter about her special love story.

Diane Lane, Richard Gere and Christopher Meloni star in the film, which is rated PG-13 for sensuality.

--------------------------------------------------

There's another kind of love, Amanda. One that gives you the courage to be better than you are, not less than you are. One that makes you feel that anything is possible.

-- Adrienne Willis

Dear John (2010) is a based on a 2006 novel. Despite early negative reviews, the film was successful at the box office.

The story follows an army sergeant who falls in love with a college girl while home on leave. When he re-enlists after the 9/11 attacks, the two keep their love alive through letters.

Their relationship takes an unexpected turn when he receives her "Dear John" letter. The movie and the book have different endings.

Exploring themes of love, loss, war and illness, this award-winning drama stars Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, and Richard Jenkins. It is rated PG-13 for scenes of sensuality and some violence.

--------------------------------------------------

The saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all.

-- Savannah Curtis

The Last Song was also released in 2010. It centers on a troubled teenage girl who reconnects with her father through their mutual love of music.

The producers developed the film alongside the book. Sparks wrote the screenplay as well as the 2009 novel, making The Last Song his first script to be optioned for film.

Although the book is set in North Carolina, the movie changed the setting to Georgia after the state campaigned for months to host production.

The film stars Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), Liam Hemsworth and Greg Kinnear. It is rated PG for mild language, sensuality and some violence.

--------------------------------------------------

Sometimes you have to be apart from the people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes it makes you love them more.

-- Steve Miller

The Lucky One (2012) is a new Nicholas Sparks movie based on a 2008 novel.

The story follows a Marine who returns home after three tours in Iraq, to search for the woman who was his good luck charm during the war.

The film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner. It is rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence.

--------------------------------------------------

You should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute.

-- Logan Thibault

• Dimond, Anna. (2010, April 1). "Ten Life Lessons Learned from Nicholas Sparks Movies." AOL Moviefone. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
• IMDb contributors. (2011). "[Various movie titles]." The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
• Sparks, Nicholas. (n.d.) "The Movies." Nicholas Sparks: The Official Website. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
• ThinkExist contributors. "Nicholas Sparks Quotes." ThinkExist.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
• Wikipedia contributors. (2011). "[Various movie titles]." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 23, 2011.

Copyright © 2011. Annette R. Smith. All rights reserved.

Published: February 23, 2011 / Modified: March 8, 2012