Somewhere along the way Nicholas Sparks went from being just a bestselling author of preachy schmaltz to a full-on franchise (he produces the movies of his books). And he's got his hooks deep into director Lasse Hallström (My Life as a Dog and The Cider House Rules), who's on board here for a second tour of duty (after Dear John). One might overlook the low production values, endless platitudes, and tired clichés because Sparks does know how to jerk the tears, in a Hallmark kind of way. But after the mysterious Katie (Dancing with the Stars's Julianne Hough) lands in coastal North Carolina (Sparks's breadbasket) and falls for single dad Alex (Josh Duhamel), and the details of her dicey past slowly (and manipulatively) come to light (involving a cop from Boston and a possible murder), the groan-worthy denouement washes Haven out into a sudsy sea of shameless melodrama.
