Alex (Josh Duhamel) and Lexi (Mimi Kirkland) get to know Katie (Julianne Hough) in "Safe Haven". Photo by James Bridges.

It’s based on a book by the same guy who wrote The Notebook and Dear John. It’s release date is Valentine’s Day. It stars Julianne Hough in her first non-dancing/singing  film role, and Josh Duhamel. So, of course, all signs point to sappy chick flick centered around a touching love story.

Technically that is the case with Safe Haven. After all, romance is at the heart of this tale of a big city girl from up North who relocates to a small coastal Carolina town. But not many people seek out such a town, which is the first indication that Katie (Hough) has something to hide. And when she comes into the general store that Alex (Duhamel) runs, he’s intrigued. First it’s just because she’s easy on the eyes, but then he becomes curious about the mysterious past that has caused their paths to cross.

Mutual mysteries bring Katie (Julianne Hough) and Alex (Josh Duhamel) closer in "Safe Haven". Photo courtesy Safe Haven Productions.

In much the same way he has done with previous films such as Chocolat, Dear John and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (read my review here), director Lasse Hallström takes what might otherwise appear to be a simple love story and creates something that is just as much about something other than love. In this case, Safe Haven is as much a mystery as it is a love story. And as details about Katie’s past lead the viewer in one direction, things take a swerve in an entirely different direction once we find out what she is truly running from.

After a climactic moment of both tragedy and triumph, Katie and Alex are left with a clean slate that allows the couple to truly let each other in. But before they reach the proverbial safe place they’ve both been searching for, Hallström unveils one last surprise that was really there all along for those paying close enough attention.