Everyone would agree: adapting a novel into film is hard. There are the legions of loyal fans with their impossible expectations, and the painstaking decision of what to include from the book and what to cut (it’s impossible to keep everything!). And then there’s taking an often green, inexperienced actor/actress and placing him/her in the middle of a highly emotional, dramatic story, as is the case with most adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels. Sometimes it works, as with Rachel McAdams, who was still relatively new to the game when she appeared in The Notebook. But then there are these performers, who many consider to have given less satisfactory performances:
Miley Cyrus, The Last Song
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Miley is like the polar opposite to fellow bad girl Lindsay Lohan: LiLo has tried to make a mark as a singer with no real luck, but has arguably left a lasting impression as an actress. Miley, on the other hand, has proven herself as a talented musician in spite of scandal, but is still a far cry from holding her own as an actress.
Julianne Hough, Safe Haven
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While it’s clear that Julianne can sing, as seen in Rock of Ages, it’s not entirely clear how talented of an actress she is (…as seen in Rock of Ages). In Safe Haven, about a woman with a troubled past ‘learning to love again’, the jury is still out – she was unable to pull this film away from its considerable flaws (the film scored a whopping %12 on Rotten Tomatoes).
Taylor Schilling, The Lucky One
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While everyone is crazy for Taylor as Piper on Orange is the New Black, she failed to move audiences in this fairly old-fashioned and maybe even slightly sexist film about a war vet (some guy by the name of Zac Efron) searching for the fair maiden who was his good luck charm while he was off at war.
Channing Tatum, Dear John
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Let’s face the facts people: Channing Tatum is cute. But is that it? Aside from being able to successfully make fun of himself (probably the best cameo in the excellent This Is The End), this actor seems to have majorly banked on his looks to get cast in things. And GI Joe: Retaliation was delayed for months and months after it was ready, to “boost interest in international markets,” (according to wiki). Surely not a good sign.