The Lucky One (2012), directed by Scott Hicks and based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel of the same name, is a romantic drama that explores the power of love, fate, and second chances. Set against the backdrop of small-town Louisiana, the film stars Zac Efron as Logan Thibault, a U.S. Marine who returns home from Iraq after surviving a near-death experience, believing that a photograph of a woman he found during his tour brought him luck. The story takes viewers on an emotional journey of self-discovery, love, and the search for redemption, as Logan seeks the woman in the photograph and uncovers a deeper connection than he could have ever imagined.

The plot revolves around Logan, who credits the photograph of a woman he does not know as the reason he survived multiple dangerous situations in Iraq. After returning home, he sets out to find her, and his search leads him to Beth Green (Taylor Schilling), a single mother and owner of a local dog kennel. What starts as an unexpected meeting soon turns into a tender love story, as Logan and Beth navigate their individual pasts, the complications of their present lives, and the growing bond between them. However, their relationship is not without its challenges, as Logan carries emotional scars from his time in the military, and Beth is dealing with her own difficult past and protective feelings for her son.