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by Jim Pappas Published: June 13, 2004
 Allie (Rachel McAdams) is about to be shown something wonderful by Noah (Ryan Gosling) in "The Notebook." Although "The Notebook" borrows all of the plot devices that are common to classic love stories, there is one thing that sets it apart, and above, most of them: At it's core is something honest. Driven by a great screenplay (Jeremy Leven with adaptation of Nicholas Sparks's novel by Jan Sardi) and by wonderful acting and direction (Nick Cassavetes), this film is going to catch a lot of people by surprise and I predict it will be the sleeper hit of this summer movie season. Starring two talented young actors, the charming Rachel McAdams as young Allison "Allie" Hamilton, and Ryan Gosling as the young Noah Calhoun (the older versions are played by Gena Rowlands and James Garner, respectively), the movie tells us that there is such a thing as "true love" and that love does, indeed, conquer all. Most of the film takes place in the fictional small town of Seabrook, North Carolina, during the 1940's, and we are told the story (in a series of extended flashbacks) of how Noah Calhoun, a poor boy who labors in a lumberyard, woos and then wins the heart of the rich and beautiful Allie Hamilton. The older Calhoun is shown reading the story from an old notebook to his wife Allie who, in her later years, suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is confined to a nursing home. Young Calhoun is instantly smitten by Ms. Hamilton the moment he sees her at an amusement park, and he goes to outrageous lengths to convince her to go on a date with him. He finally succeeds and they spend the summer blissfully unaware that the season must eventually end, and that reality must, ultimately, be addressed. That reality is that Allie is from a moneyed family, and her parents (Joan Allen as her mother and David Thornton as her father) aren't entirely approving of the relationship. Allie must go off to college in New York, and Noah isn't going to be able to be with her once she leaves. The two are at first separated by distance, and finally by time as World War II takes Noah off to Europe and Allie continues her studies. In her third year of college she volunteers as a nurse and meets a wounded soldier (James Marsden as Lon) with whom she falls in love. Lon and Allie become engaged, and are preparing to be married when Allie happens upon an article about Noah in a local newspaper. The picture of Noah attached to the newspaper story stirs something in Allie and she must go back to Seabrook to see him, at least one last time. What elevates this particular film above most is that it deals with the subjects of youth and old age honestly. The dialogue between the characters rings true, and those of us who have experienced falling in love will be able to identify directly with many of the aspects of the relationship between Allie and Noah, and will be able to understand and relate to how each feels. We will also be able to appreciate both the despair and hope experienced by the older Noah as he tries to lead his stricken wife back to her memories. This film will, undoubtedly, be compared to 1970's "Love Story," and those comparisons will be mostly fair, but the two films are different and I hope "The Notebook" isn't dismissed as fluff. There is something noble and good about a film like "The Notebook," something that says there is hope for all of us. Bring plenty of tissues to this film if you go see it. You will need them. Overall Rating: A- More on "The Notebook": Cinema Spider: The Notebook |
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