Nicholas Sparks is famous for tugging on the heartstrings of readers and audiences across the world, with many of his novels being adapted on screen. The New York Times bestselling author has sold over 115 million copies of his romantic works, with 11 of his emotionally-driven stories given the silver screen treatment so far. While there is no denying his writing style and genre of choice is not for everyone, those who can’t get enough of Sparks’ books flock to theaters whenever a new one makes its debut, often yielding impressive box office results. Fans of romance and Sparks know they’re in for a tear-jerking ride when they read or watch his work, with many finding a king of comfort in the captivating tales.

Some of Hollywood’s most dazzling stars have headlined a Sparks adaptation, with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling starring in his romance that skyrocketed them to superstardom, the beloved 2004 romantic drama The Notebook. Audiences everywhere wept when Shane West’s character Landon tenderly compared his love with Mandy Moore’s Jamie to the wind by saying he can’t see it, but he can feel it in the 2002 hit A Walk to Remember. This is a ranking of every Nicholas Spark movie adaptation.

11 The Choice

Palmer and Walker in The Choice
Lionsgate 

The 2016 romantic drama The Choice chronicles the budding romance between two vastly different individuals after they move in next door to one another in Wilmington, North Carolina; ultimate ladies man and veterinarian Travis Shaw finds himself completely enamored with beautiful medical student Gabby Holland, causing both their lives to be upended. Starring Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer as the mismatched couple, the melodrama earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences but was negatively received by critics, who called it formulaic and uninspiring.

10 The Best of Me

The Best of Me
Relativity Media

After being separated for 20 years, high school sweethearts Dawson Cole (James Marsden) and Amanda Collier-Reynolds (Michelle Monaghan) find themselves reunited in their hometown after the shocking death of a beloved close friend. The two are subsequently forced to face the circumstances that caused them to part ways two decades ago in 2014's The Best of Me. Depicting the once-carefree couple in both modern day and flashbacks from 1992, the emotionally-driven picture relies heavily on the outstanding chemistry between leads Marsden and Monaghan, both of whom are the bright spot in a fairly weak Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

9 The Longest Ride

Eastwood and Robertson in The Longest Ride
20th Century Fox

The 2015 neo-western romantic drama The Longest Ride follows the endearing relationship between professional bull rider Luke Collins and art student Sophia Danko as they find themselves at a crossroads with their romance, with Luke wanting to focus on his comeback in the rodeo and Sophia preparing to take her coveted job in New York. The ambitious couple cross paths with an elderly man whose stirring and enduring romance with his cherished wife make them reflect on what truly matters most. Featuring outstanding performances by Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson and Alan Alda, The Longest Ride was the first Sparks adaptation to receive an A CinemaScore since 2004’s The Notebook and does a pretty good job of shaking up the typical Sparks formula in a very different setting.

8 The Lucky One

The Lucky One
Warner Bros. Pictures

After discovering a photograph of a stunning blonde woman while serving his third tour of duty in Iraq, US Marine Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) keeps the snapshot and believes her to be his “guardian angel,” later setting out to track down the mysterious lady when he returns home.

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Struggling with both survivor's guilt and PTSD from the war, Logan heads to Louisiana where he finally meets the woman in the photo Beth Green (Taylor Schilling); though she is cautious by Logan’s arrival, Beth can’t fight the attraction growing between the duo. Despite lackluster reviews from critics and being one of the more unrealistic Sparks stories, The Lucky One was a box office hit and grossed over $99 million, earning Efron a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor and beginning the actor's march toward more serious dramatic roles.

7 The Last Song

The Last Song
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth famously fell in love when they headlined the 2010 coming-of-age romantic drama The Last Song, in which the musician/actress portrays rebellious teenager Veronica “Ronnie” Miller, a girl who is sent to live with her estranged father in Georgia and finds an unlikely romance with the charming local Will Blakelee. The film was meant to help Cyrus break away from her pop persona and introduce her to more mature audiences, and she once expressed how she had “always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks” and looked forward to a more sophisticated role. The Last Song was a hit with moviegoers and helped establish Cyrus and Hemsworth as dynamic performers, serving as a stepping stone in each of their careers.

6 Safe Haven

Safe Haven
Relativity Media

The 2013 romantic fantasy thriller Safe Haven centers on the efforts of a mysterious young woman who flees her abusive husband and finds herself in a warm and inviting North Carolina coastal town, where she hopes to start a new life. Julianna Hough appears as Katie Feldman, who finds herself captivated by the charming residents of Southport and by widower and father Alex Wheatley (Josh Duhamel). As sparks fly between the two kindred spirits, Katie begins to realize escaping her past and terrifying husband might not be such an easy feat. Variety declared in their review that Safe Haven “offers an uninspiring but not unsatisfying tour through recognizable Sparkville terrain,” with the film being nominated for Choice Movie Romance at the Teen Choice Awards.

5 Dear John

Dear John
Sony Pictures Releasing

The charming Amanda Seyfried and former model Channing Tatum offer compelling performances in the 2010 romantic war drama Dear John, in which they portray soldier John and the bright college student Savannah. The two fall in love while he is on leave in Charleston, South Carolina, with the young lovers staying connected over the next few years through a passionate correspondence of letters.

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The stirring picture tackles some heavy topics including the Iraq War, the September 11 attacks, and lymphoma, all of which are dissected through the couple’s enduring letters. Both Seyfried and Tatum earned appreciation for their portrayals, with Digital Spy writing, “The more the barriers between John and Savannah build up, becoming seemingly unmovable, the more you want to see them get back together - that's what keeps Dear John engaging until the credits roll.” Even though they are often separated, the magnetic leads create a heavily investing story of unrequited love.

4 Nights in Rodanthe

Nights in Rodanthe
Warner Bros. Pictures

In the 2008 romantic drama Nights in Rodanthe, seasoned stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane shared the screen for the third time when they appeared as a struggling divorcee and guilt-ridden surgeon who find comfort and passion together while staying in a Rodanthe bed-and-breakfast for a weekend retreat. The forlorn pair embark on a life-altering romance during their desperately needed getaway, together facing their emotionally troubled pasts and an impending storm in the process. The superb chemistry of Gere and Lane help truly elevate the tear-jerking film, and for their performances the actors were nominated for the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards for Best Grownup Love Story. It's the rare Sparks story that tackles finding love in old age, and is a refreshing change of pace.

3 Message in a Bottle

Costner and Wright in Message in a Bottle
Warner Bros. Pictures

Starring Hollywood greats Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, and Paul Newman, the 1999 romantic drama Message in a Bottle follows researcher and former reporter Theresa Osborne as she discovers a heartrending anonymous love letter in a bottle on a Cape Cod beach. Theresa sets out to discover the author of the tragic note after the local newspaper publishes it, leading the woman to weary widower and reclusive writer Garrett Blake, whom she finds herself falling madly in love with.

Paul Newman stole the show as Garrett’s protective father Dodge, and while the script and ending were criticized, the picture’s outstanding cast helped bring the Nicholas Sparks bestseller to life and resonated with fans of the touching novel. This was the first cinematic adaptation of a Sparks novel and remains the most successful one, grossing $120 million.

2 A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember
Warner Bros.

Dedicated to Nicholas Sparks’ sister Danielle, whose cancer diagnosis inspired the novel, the 2002 coming-of-age romantic drama A Walk to Remember helped establish leads Mandy Moore and Shane West as certified superstars, telling the moving story of North Caroline teens Jamie Sullivan and Landon Carter as they develop a surprising yet deeply inspirational relationship. The tear-jerking drama centers on the rebellious Landon and kind-hearted Jamie as they slowly fall madly in love despite conflicting backgrounds; the endearing couple find their romance tested when it is revealed Jamie has been hiding a difficult leukemia battle.

A Walk to Remember was a big success with audiences and the general public (as was its soundtrack, which went platinum in America, selling over a million copies and actually making more money than the actual budget of the film). Moore and West were lauded for their superb chemistry, and the film kickstarted a whole subgenre of 'dying lover' (also known by its gender-specific phrase, 'sick girl') movies.

1 The Notebook

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook
New Line Cinema

Undeniably Nicholas Sparks' most acclaimed and celebrated silver screen adaptation, the 2004 romantic drama The Notebook depicts the enduring love story between heiress Allie Hamilton and mill worker Noah Calhoun, two teenagers who experience a passionate and life-altering romance during the summer of 1940 in a southern coastal town. The poignant picture is told both in the past and present, with two separate tales unfolding; in a nursing home, an elderly man reads to a fellow patient about Noah and Allie’s odds-defying love affair.

The Notebook is without-a-doubt a triumph of the romance genre and was a sleeper hit upon its release, grossing over $117 million and developing a strong cult following. The film also helped launch the careers of its then up-and-coming leads leads Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, with their steamy kiss in the rain becoming one of the greatest movie kisses of all time.