The Notebook (2004)

Love story in the 1940s near the coast of South Carolina An aged man at a nursing home (James Garner) reads a romantic tale of two young lovers around the WW2 years (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) to a woman with dementia (Gena Rowlands). Sam Shepard plays the young man’s father while James Marsden is on hand as his competitor. "The Notebook” (2004) comes in the tradition of romantic dramas like “Message in a Bottle,” “A River Runs through It” and “Legends of the Fall.” It may not be as good as “River,” but it’s not as contrived as “Message” and…

Touching! Despite evidently not watching this until today, I've always heard about the sad tag that many associate with 'The Notebook' - and I can see why. Given I didn't know anything other than that, I was not anticipating how the film portrays its story - which is effective and rather heartbreaking. I'm not one to get properly emotional to movies, though hit the feels this one does still certainly do. The film features impressive performances from Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, as well as James Garner and Gena Rowlands. In smaller roles, Joan…

My wife and I, being of a certain age, find this film to be one of the most poignant and heartwarming love stories ever read, heard, or seen ( Doctor Zhivago notwithstanding). Yes, it's quite predictable, but that doesn't influence the score. If you are younger, all I can say is, may you be blessed with such a love.