Cyrus Gives Breakthrough Performance in 'Last Song' | Entertainment/The Scribe

Seventeen-year-old Miley Cyrus has proven that she is much more than Disney Channel’s ‘Hannah Montana’. In her first adult role via ‘The Last Song’- a movie based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, both written with her in mind- Cyrus plays Ronnie Miller, a troubled teen and ex-concert pianist who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear) at his beach house in North Carolina.
The two share a rocky relationship, something that becomes evident early on in the film as Ronnie ignores him, makes rude remarks and shows little care for the man who left her and younger brother, Jonah, after the divorce from their mother. While Ronnie shows no love toward her father, she goes on to show that deep down she’s just a soft-hearted teen who craves love and the protection of baby sea turtles; More on that later.

Enter Will, a popular and good-looking volleyball player portrayed by Australian actor, Liam Hemsworth. It’s the typical ‘opposites attract’ story, where the jock falls for the misfit and goes against all odds to make their love last. Hemsworth plays the role well- minus a few slips of his accent- and just about any girl will leave the theater longing for their very own Will Blakelee.

Their love story is one for the ages, though it does start off a bit cheesy. Ronnie wants to save baby sea turtle eggs from the raccoons and Will just so happens to conveniently volunteer at the local aquarium. After he spends the night helping her watch and protect the eggs, Ronnie’s tough persona begins to fade and she’s able to let her guard down. Of course there are a few bumps in the road, like Marcus, a bad boy who causes trouble for the two lovers by engaging in a fist fight with Will at his sister’s wedding, and a major secret that Will has been keeping from Ronnie, but ultimately, love perseveres.

The love becomes so strong, in fact, that it allows Ronnie to open her heart to her father, and play the piano once again. But when Ronnie’s father drops the bomb that he’s been living with a serious medical condition, the film takes a dramatic turn. Cue the waterworks- and I don’t just mean for the actors. Anyone watching the film is likely to shed some tears at the final heartbreaking scenes in the movie.

It’s a beautiful story, not only about love, but about rebuilding relationships that were once gone. It was a breakthrough performance for Cyrus, indefinitely having come a long way from the 11-year-old girl living the best of both worlds. She is now older, more mature and ready to take on the world.

This film has carved the path to her future success- her acting noteworthy, considering she admitted to not having known the majority of the script until she stepped foot on set. Though some critics beg to differ, it’s clear that the Cyrus spotlight won’t be fading anytime soon.

This family flick will tug at your heartstrings and perhaps inspire you to reconnect with someone who you have left behind.