The Notebook (2004)

A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences.

Director:

Nick Cassavetes

Writers:

Jeremy Leven (screenplay), Jan Sardi (adaptation),

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Ryan Gosling

11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Ivey	...	Rower
Gena Rowlands	...	Allie Calhoun
Starletta DuPois	...	Nurse Esther
James Garner	...	Duke
Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas	...	Nurse Keith
Ed Grady	...	Harry
Renée Amber	...	Nurse at Counter
Jennifer Echols	...	Nurse Selma
Geoffrey Knight	...	Barker
Kevin Connolly	...	Fin
Ryan Gosling	...	Noah
Heather Wahlquist	...	Sara Tuffington
Rachel McAdams	...	Allie
Andrew Schaff	...	Matthew Jamison III
Matt Shelly	...	Seabrook Boy

Storyline

The movie focuses on an old man reading a story to an old woman in a nursing home. The story he reads follows two young lovers named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun, who meet one evening at a carnival. But they are separated by Allie's parents who dissaprove of Noah's unwealthy family, and move Allie away. After waiting for Noah to write her for several years, Allie meets and gets engaged to a handsome young soldier named Lon. Allie, then, with her love for Noah still alive, stops by Noah's 200-year-old home that he restored for her, "to see if he's okay". It is evident that they still have feelings for each other, and Allie has to choose between her fiancé and her first love.

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Plot Keywords:

love | carnival | nursing home | old man | old woman | 

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Taglines:

Behind every great love is a great story.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diario de una pasión

Filming Locations:

Boone Hall Plantation - 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$367,073 (Japan) (4 February 2005)

Gross:

$2,934,613 (Japan) (25 February 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Gran Via, Avery Pix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ryan Gosling prepared for his role by living in Charleston, South Carolina before filming began. For two months, he rowed the Ashley River in the morning and built furniture during the day.

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Goofs

When Noah takes Allie to the plantation for the first time she is instructed to stay outside. When she looks at the river into the moonlight her silhouette reveals flowing curls, and when she turns around her hair is slightly curled at the ends, but not nearly as much as 2 seconds earlier.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nurse Selma: Excuse me. Come on, honey, let's get you ready for bed

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.97 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"I'll Be Seeing You"
(1937)
Music by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Irving Kahal
Performed by Jimmy Durante
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

SImple but wonderful

This movie seems to be postcard perfect, a lesson straight out of the director's guide to romantic movies. Boy meets girl at a carnival, love from the other side of the tracks, a date by the water, etc. And yet the wonderful thing about this movie is that it takes what seems like a story you've heard already (at least in bits and pieces) and still moves you deeply. It really speaks about love in a way that most romantic movies miss by speaking in cliché or over shoot by adding in numerous complications to dramatize things. There have been other great movies to comment on love in recent years (Eternal Sunshine, Lost In Translation jump to mind) but this movie fills a need that those other movies miss: the need for a straight, sweep you off your feet romance. Too bad there can't be movies like this every year...