Courtesy of Lionsgate
Confession: We're still fantasizing about the dilapidated tear-down that Noah remodeled in an effort to win back his love, Allie, in the 2004 film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook... That wraparound porch! Those blue shutters!
Continuing the theme of love stories that revolve around charming real estate in the Carolinas, Nicholas Sparks' latest tearjerker, The Choice, follows Gabby Holland, a medical student who moves in next door to local ladies' man, Travis Shaw. Despite their differences, the newly minted neighbors fall in love (of course), leading to marriage, a family, and—inevitably—a difficult choice (hence, the title). But while we're sure the storyline is full of romance, drama and all that good stuff, what we're really interested in is Gabby's charming waterfront bungalow.
Courtesy of Lionsgate
Like all of Sparks' novels, The Choice is set in North Carolina. "When I first moved to North Carolina in 1992, I was immediately struck by how varied and vast the landscape was. North Carolina is a rare state that has gentle mountains, expansive farm land, slow-moving rivers, and an incredible coastline—I knew when I started writing The Notebook that North Carolina (where I then lived) would be the setting," he says. "Since then, every book has been set in North Carolina. Setting is a major aspect of my work, both in terms of natural and cultural environments and atmosphere. I love the community, the pace of life, the languid summers and the beautiful small towns that offer memorable backdrops to my stories."
Courtesy of Lionsgate
For The Choice, Sparks tapped production designer Mark Garner, who also worked on the set design of The Notebook as well as several other film adaptions of Sparks' novels. "When I produced The Choice, I knew that he would be my first call," says Sparks. "He understands what it takes to bring my vision of North Carolina to life, and he did so perfectly in The Choice."
Garner actually designed and built Gabby's small bungalow, which sits right on the water, from scratch. In addition to the quirky and eclectic design of the interiors (see that cozy country kitchen above), the home features what just might be the world's most perfect porch—we can just picture ourselves there on a hot summer day, sipping a glass of sweet tea. "There are few things more traditionally Southern than a wide, sweeping, covered porch," says Sparks. "The weather is almost always beautiful, so most nights, you can sit outside comfortably. Except for the mosquitoes, of course, which is why the porch is screened!"
But if you were hoping that perhaps this home is up for sale now that filming has ended, we have some bad news: "It had to be bulldozed for a scene involving a hurricane… a heartbreaking moment for us all," says Sparks. Now that's the real tearjerker!
Courtesy of Lionsgate
The Choice is in theaters February 5.
Lauren (she/her) is the digital content director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, where she oversees online content and strategy for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and other Hearst titles, including SEO, video, social media and e-commerce efforts. She has almost 20 years of experience writing and editing beauty, lifestyle, home, health, entertainment and product review content. She graduated from NYU with a degree in journalism and history.
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