The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)

The best part of this movie was the incredible chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as the young lovers Allie and Noah. Their story was told by an elderly couple in a nursing home. James Garner and Gena Rowlands were outstanding as the devoted "Duke" and the woman with irreversible dementia. As Duke recounted the story of Allie and Noah from the notebook he carried with him, the lady's memory began to come back and she could remember.

The movie always changes the book but the one major change (the ending) which had the audience letting out a collective gasp and reaching for the nearest tissue was, in my opinion, really good even if it was pure Hollywood melodrama.

Why does a movie like THE NOTEBOOK appeal to so many? Is it that every woman longs for a man who loves as deeply as Noah? Is it that every one wants a love that transcends all problems---those of class, education, family objection----and lasts forever? Or just maybe in a world of high-tech gizmos and high security alerts, it's nice to get back to basics with a really good love story....and this is definitely that.


Sweet, Sappy, Romantic, Beautiful   June 14, 2004
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I got to see the sneak preview of this movie this past Saturday (6/12/04) and I absolutely loved it. I've seen Ryan Gosling on television before (Breaker High), but I hadn't seen Rachel McAdams until now. Their characters were so real and so believable. Even though the end may be predictable, this film lacks the typical structure of most romantic movies I've seen. It was interesting to see how the characters evolved and came together.

The film begins with James Garner reading pages out of a notebook to alzheimer(?) patient Gena Rowlands. As the story unfolds, we meet Allie and Noah. Allie comes from a wealthy Southern family. Noah works in the lumber yard. We see their joys as well as their struggles. Though they seem like complete opposites, they fall in love only to be torn apart when Noah leaves for World War 2 and Allie becomes engaged to another man.

I won't spoil the ending, but the two lovers reunite and Allie is faced with the decision of whether to keep her promise to her fiance or to go back to the man she left behind.


Normally, I wouldn't be sucked in to these kinds of movies..   July 22, 2004
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

but...

Having said that, I couldn't stop crying!!! This is not an exaggeration! When I first found the book, I gave it away because it was "not my type of book." Now, I'm sorry I did, because I saw the movie tonight, and it was amazing!

Of course it was sappy and romantic. Of course Hollywood got a hold of it. But, the important thing is that it made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. Made me believe it.

Noah and Allie meet when they are 17, and she doesn't like him at first, but he takes her out anyway. He is from the "wrong side of the tracks," and she is just in the South for the summer. Her parents have a lot of money and he is more the down to earth type who works in a lumberyard and wants to build his own house someday.

Time passes and (of course) they fall in love. But, as star crossed as Romeo and Juliet, her parents don't agree, and they take her away from him and her mom keeps his letters a secret. Every day for a year. Will she choose the privileged life where everything is decided for her, or will she make her own with Noah and break all of the rules?

The story is being told by Duke, to a woman who is suffering from Dementia. He comes by every day in the hospital and reads to her.

This is one of the most touching and beautiful movies I have ever seen. I have never cried so much watching a movie as I did tonight. The acting was amazing as well. Gena Rowlands and James Garner were great. The two that played Allie and Noah had so much beautiful chemistry, that I believed them! I also read that this story is loosely based on Nicolas Sparks (author) grandparents.

See it, you won't be disappointed.


Breathtaking   October 15, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Everyone has different reasons for watching movies. There are ones with violence, ones with romance, ones with mystery, and ones with deep meaning. You sometimes pay for a movie not knowing what you will get to see. I didn't know anything about The Notebook prior to walking into the movie theatre. All I knew is I wanted something nice.
I sat in a mostly full theatre watching this movie. Watching these actors that have been on screen many times before, watching them tell a story. Nothing struck me more than just how this was life. There was a story, one about love, but real love. The kind I watched my grandparents share and when I said my wedding vows I knew I wanted for myself. The colors in this movie, the sentiments, the feeling swept through me like I was there. I finished watching this movie with tears falling down my cheeks. Embarrassed, I looked around for a way to duck out before anybody thought I was a foolish woman for crying. But everyone else in the theatre was crying too. Even the men were wiping tears from their eyes. Husbands held their wives and girlfriends nodded in understanding. I knew then I was not alone. I haven't been so moved since watching Bridges of Madison County. I told my husband later I wish he had been there to see it. I said, everything I ever wanted out of my life with him was there, the good and the bad.
I anxiously awaited for this movie to come out on DVD and it seems now it's been postponed until February of 2005. I will have to wait longer to buy a copy of this movie...a movie I fell in love with one summer day.



-*the most romantic love story since TITANIC*-   July 1, 2004
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

THE NOTEBOOK truly has to be one of the most romantic love stories ever told. It reminds you that true love is everlasting, is enduring, can come from the strangest places & can make you do crazy things, but most importantly, when you share the kind of love that Noah & Alli did, love can do anything you want it to - even create miracles.

I loved all the characters, but Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams had the best on-screen chemistry I have seen in a long time. They look awesome together, & they are both AmAzInG actors. Ryan Gosling usually plays dark, intense characters in films such as MURDER BY NUMBERS & THE BELIEVER, and we've seen Rachel McAdams play snobby, prissy roles in films such as MEAN GIRLS & THE HOT CHICK. Though both new to the "romantic" role, they were perfect for their parts. The setting was perfect as well. It was so beautiful, & s0o0o romantic! Also, James Garner & Gena Rowlands portray the sick, aging old couple that is still madly in love wonderfully.

This movie is one of the best I have ever seen, & I plan to see it again & buy the DVD when it is released. It will make you both laugh & cry (bring LoTs of kleenex!). Knowing that this story came from the story of Spark's wife's grandparents' love story, it makes you realize that a lot of fiction comes from real experiences, and that true, enduring love is very real. The film's message was so deep & genuine that you can't help but feel as though you're a part of the story. I highly recommend it, as well as the book (I must add that Noah Calhoun is the BeSt character Nicholas Sparks has ever created, & he has created some pretty great characters!). Both are well worth every penny that you spend! :-)