I’ve never been a huge fan of romance novels or films for that matter, but I always find it to be the simplest and most effective way to spend quality time with my other half. She adores romance films and if given the opportunity will have me sit and watch them with her everytime. Last night was her turn to choose a movie and she jumped at the chance to share The Notebook with me.
To my surprise I found myself completely absorbed in the film, and although it was filled with a ton of romantic clichés it still managed to tear at my heart. I can honestly tell you that the last time I felt this emotional was after screening Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson.
Personally, The Notebook’s appeal had very little to do with its storyline which I thought was completely overused and worn-out. Much of the allure of this movie came by way of its amazing cast. Rachel McAdams completely took my breath away in her role as Allie Hamilton. Her overall beauty mixed with a sense of innocence made her appear strong yet vulnerable and I found myself constantly cheering for “Allie” to do the right thing by following her heart. Ryan Gosling also performed well as Noah Calhoun and although there were several parts where I thought his character was a bit unbelievable emotional wise, he performed well enough relying on his natural charisma and charm to do the work for him.
Overall, I found The Notebook to be an enjoyable feature. It definitely ranks right up there with the many other tearjerkers in its category.
Synopsis:
Directed by Nick Cassavetes, this adaptation of author Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel revolves around Noah Calhoun’s (James Garner) regular visits to a female patron (Gena Rowlands) of an area nursing home. Rather than bore her with the inanities of everyday life, Calhoun reads from an old, faded notebook containing the sweeping account of a young couple (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) whose love affair was tragically put to a halt after their separation in the midst of World War II. Seven years later, the couple was reunited, and, despite having taken radically different paths, they found themselves unable to resist the call of a second chance. The Notebook also features Joan Allen, Sam Shepard, and Kevin Connolly. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
I’m glad Im not the only one who actually sat through this film. My girlfriend and I went to watch this in theaters and I was the one who ended up crying. lol
@Brandon – You know it caught me by complete surprise when I felt a tear come down my face. My wife loves it when I get sentimental. I just dont do it in front of the guys! haha…
This sounds like something I might need to check out. Thanks for the review.
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@Danny Thornton – Its something to check out with the wife for sure. Just dont do it with the guys. Stick to Monday Night Football for that! ;)
I love “The Notebook”. I watch it again once every 3 or 4 months.
good flic. go get em sparks.
Ok, so this will be expected but I absolutely LOVED this film. For all the reasons you said, and more. Not only did they do well in all the ways that you said, but I could also feel the love between their characters (yes, I realise this is fictional love but I still felt it). I’m upset I didn’t see this in the theatre but I love owning the DVD and have watched it several times :)
@fragileheart – Reggie, I agree. Both McAdams and Gosling had chemistry in the film and it worked very well.
@Nicholas – Every 3 or 4 months? haha. I’d be better off with once a year.
When this movie came out, my girlfriend was persistent and kept on asking me to watch it with her. I resisted but I finally decided to check it out. For what it is, it was a pretty well made movie. I agree, the chemistry held it all together.
I read the book before seeing the film. I thought the film was okay but nothing special. Million Dollar Baby was 20 times more emotional than this film.
Trench, if you want an emotional read, get A Walk to Remember. It will grab your heart. Bypass the Mandy Moore theatrical adaption. It’s garbage.
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@Film – To late, I watched the movie A walk to remember. lol. I heard the books are good but Im far more into fantasy fiction than romance type novels. thanks for the recommendation however.
If you are into fantasy fiction, I suggest you pick up a copy of Dune.
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@Film – Watched and Read Dune already… ;)
Pick up a copy of Forever War then.
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@Film – Forever War? Thanks. Who is the author?
Joe Haldeman.
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Yeah, I’m definitely a fan of The Notebook and both actors played their parts very well. It was a very touching story though.