Ladies, please explain "the notebook" movie to me

[Tink888]

I've dated a few women over the years who have all fallen in love with this movie, though I never watched it myself.

There is a new girl I'm interested in and since she's also a big fan, I decided to watch it (she's in another country right now, so we couldn't watch it together)

Anyway, I watched it and....I just don't get it...really I don't.

Sappy? yes, Love Story? yes.

Plot development? no. Surprises? not even close.

I really apologize to those who like this movie, but...



(Spoilers ahead)

Why does the guy take her to a creepy, abandoned mansion for their "first time"?

Like another poster said, he's sharing one of his dreams with her. Also it's kind of central to the plot, because it's seeing the picture of Noah in the paper with the restored house that eventually leads Allie back to him.

Why does the girl leave a pretty good, decent fiancee to this first guy who never called her, though she has a phone, wrote letters and never once thought her parents, who she obviously lived with, weren't removing her mail after making it very clear that they (at least the mother) hated him?

She never stopped loving Noah.

She tells her fiancee there's nothing to worry about, so she goes and does *ahem* everything with the other guy, and we're supposed to feel all good about it? I mean I could understand if the fiancee was really a bad person and she discovered it later on, but I never got that impression.

Like others have said, I like that her finance wasn't a bad guy. There was no villain here, Noah and Allie never stopped loving each other, and people can't help who they love. People didn't feel bad for the fiance because the half of the movie wasn't spent building up the love story of him and Allie. The movie was about the love story of Noah & Allie.

Why would her mother keep all of the letters in a safe place if she didn't like the idea for 7 years, then say she was in love with that other guy in the rock quarry? It didn't make sense.

She wanted Allie to understand that she knew what it was to love someone from the wrong side of the tracks so to speak.

Also, the letters are apparently not even really seen until the end of the movie, like the last 2 minutes, and that's when they're inside a notebook...is that the supposed story that he's reading to her via the letters? How? why would he write 365 letters re-hashing every day of their lives until that point?

The letters actually have nothing to do with the notebook that (old) Noah reads to (old) Allie. The Notebook that he reads to her in the nursing home was actually written by Allie. There's a scene in the movie where they show a close up of the notebook. It says "The Story of Us, By Allie Hamilton Calhoun, Read this to me and I'll come back to you". This leads the viewed to believe that the notebook was written by Allie once she became sick because she knew that eventually she wouldn't remember anything and that when she couldn't remember Noah any more, could read her that story and she'd remember.
(End spoilers)

Please tell me what I'm missing. I realize I'm NOT the target market, but I don't get it.

For me, I love everything about the movie, the story, the characters, the time period, the clothes.

It's romantic to believe that a love is so strong that not only did it survive 7 years apart in the beginning, but it lasted a lifetime and even on to eternity (since they both died in each other's arms at the end).

I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks, but this is the one book that I haven't read, the reason being that quite of few of his books differ from the movie version and I just love the movie so much.

Happygirl - I have read The Wedding and liked it. From that book, I know that The Notebook (novel) must have a different ending.

 

[happygirl]

For me, I love everything about the movie, the story, the characters, the time period, the clothes.

It's romantic to believe that a love is so strong that not only did it survive 7 years apart in the beginning, but it lasted a lifetime and even on to eternity (since they both died in each other's arms at the end).

I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks, but this is the one book that I haven't read, the reason being that quite of few of his books differ from the movie version and I just love the movie so much.

Happygirl - I have read The Wedding and liked it. From that book, I know that The Notebook (novel) must have a different ending.

Thanks, I wanna read it. I haven't read the The Notebook, Kinda of really curious now lol

 

[NikitaZee]

I think it's funny that people are getting offended that you don't get the movie and are picking out some of the things you don't like. People tend to have blinders on when it comes to things they love.

I thought the same thing. I have a friend who loves the movie PS I Love You so much she got into a very heated debate with a friend who didn't like it. She just came across looking silly.

 

[Tink888]

I think it's great the OP is at least attempting to understand why his ladyfriend like something. That's great and shows he is a thoughtful person.

The funny thing about the Notebook is actually my DS26 is the one that rented the movie and brought to me to watch. He is a real movie buff and will watch ANY movie. He loved it and knew I would too.

He said that he liked that Noah was a regular guy and that the whole movie was just about ordinary things and events, but what he liked the most about it was the theme of the GREAT LOVE story that ran all through the movie. That it is possible that the "love that conquers all" actually exists.

I LOVED (and cry every time) that even at the end, when Allie was ill, Noah never left her side and loved her enough that he even died with her so she would never be alone. I can not express enough that I wish with all my heart, that when it is mine and my DH's time, we go together.

And the notebook was Allie's journal she wrote, when she realized she was starting to forget. They are not Noah's letters.

The Notebook is actually the only sappy chickflick that my DH and sons will sit through and the reasons you mentioned above are why.

Nicholas Sparks is kind of a formula writer as another poster mentioned, but one of the things that I really love about his books is that they are all about ordinary people, things and events. It's the believability of them that is the draw for me.

 

[Feralpeg]

Can't help you. I've never understood what people see in this movie. I think it is one of the most boring films ever made.

 

[Buckalew11]

I loved that movie. so here's my take.

1) the mansion was symbolic of his "dreams". My dh took me to the Atlantic city airport on one date. He had a love of traveling and his goal was to visit every continent, so whenever real life stressed him out he would go there at night and watch the stars and the planes. So by inviting me he was essentially getting closer to me by sharing his hopes and dreams with me. Uber, uber romantic.

2)Very simple. she did not really love the second guy. Her heart always belonged to Noah.

3) fiancee was not a bad guy. I do think she meant to go see Noah and possibly just get some unresolved issues finished.

I took the notebook to be some thing that the older Noah wrote himself, not as a rehashing of the letters. Mom told daughter about the rock quarry guy to let daughter know that she knew how she was feeling. that she too had a summer romance with some one from the wrong side of the tracks. Remember this story took place in the early 40's when class distinctions were very, very important. I grew up in the early 60's and heck even back then I remember being told "don't get too serious with that boy".

My first serious boyfriend "George" lived in my building with me. I have all his love letters that he sent me. When I was a young girl of course no one had cell phones and calling cross country was expensive. I spent my summers in knoxville Tenns with my maternal grandmother and George stayed in NYC, so we wrote each other almost daily. LOL.

I also agree with #1-3.

Chris,

The movie isn't as far fetched as you make it out to be. My parents' story is not the same but has some similarities.

My mother, whether she ever answered is never really covered by her, has a boyfriend who proposed to her. She has always told me he was a nice man.

My father had seen her - met her - missed streetcars to get on hers. And really was an absolute stalker if I'm to be honest.

He hung out in trees while the above two were on dates. Who knows what his purpose was to be - jump on the guy? Figure out how much my mom loved this guy? Get more time viewing my mom? Laughing. Can you imagine?

My mom left this other man for my father at some point in this story.

-------- Right about here many would be saying "for the creepy stalker?"

And the sad and beautiful part is they have been married for 57 years this year. And my mother is in the later stages of dementia. And you know what my father says to me ALL THE TIME.

I look at her and everything that's going on and she's still so beautiful. She's still so beautiful.

Sighing. He still sees *that redhead* of his youth. He is still a man in love.

_________________________

As for the movie - I just happened to catch it again last week:

Parts I loved. The actors. Both. Both were practically unknowns at the time. And both, in my opinion, light up a screen. Being both Canadian of course.

To me Rachel McAdams just LIGHTS UP a screen.

(as are Gena Rowlands/Allie and James Garner/Noah)

Allie's mom is beyond an exceptional actress and the movie wouldn't have been the same without her.

Their love seemed like a lot of fun in their youth. The "get in the water! scene still cracks me up!

Some of your questions:

Allie was a really strong girl - I'm sure Noah thought she would get her mail by any means. (Plus, it's a work of fiction)

And I would think a lot of men, including Noah, don't have the confidence to make sure someone hasn't moved on with their lives.

And my father would have done anything to *get* my mother including, I'm guessing, writing 365 letters about his love and probably his daily life.

The mother was trying to block her own loss by stopping her daughter's love in this manner. And then seeing how Allie was fighting so strongly for this life - she exhaled and shared her secret love. In the end, she probably respected her daughter's resolve. People are always triggered by others' choices that they don't have the courage to make themselves.

One of the BEST parts of the movie, for me, was that Allie's fiance was a great man and that they didn't make him a villain and that was the agony of her choice. I love stories that don't play the obvious.

One line that always gets me is Allie saying almost to herself, when she is with Noah again: "It really WAS real, wasn't it?".

There are a lot of people, men and women, that have early loves that never had the chance to go somewhere because of life, age, university, distance and some people tend to think early love is not as valid. When in many ways it's the most pure.

And the times of the film. So nostalgic and fun to watch. Maybe a lot of woman long to be courted in such a manner these days. And like my father - be with someone who thinks we are the greatest thing on earth - even when we are obviously not a lot of the times!!! Laughing.

I agree with 1-3.

The notebook has an inscription in the front for Noah to read it to Allie and she will come back to him, so I always believed that it was Allies handwritten story of their lives together. Noah would read it to her in those last years as her memory faded as a way to "jog her memory" .....

You have to be a hopeless romantic, "Love will conquer all" type of person to really enjoy the movie....

Because all women want to be loved like Noah loves Allie. He moves into the nursing home so he can be with her. He reads their story to her every day in hopes that she will come back to him and remember him and their love.

A little off topic, Has anyone read the "The Wedding"

Thanks, I wanna read it. I haven't read the The Notebook, Kinda of really curious now lol

I have. Read it. It is short and sweet and a good read.





I loved the Notebook. Had a male client tell me to watch it, actually. DH has never seen it. I love the movie. I can relate to it and I think sometimes people can in many different ways. I, like Allie's mom, married the *right* guy.
I thought that was an important part of the movie.

I think it is sweet of you to watch the movie because your friend loves it so much. I do not think you necessarily have to relate to it to enjoy it and I think if my DH watched it, he'd feel the same as you. People take different things from the movie. Others take nothing. Often it is the type of love you have experienced in your own life that makes something mean something to you. Over time, I think people often choose the *right* person over the other person. While Noah wasn't the "bad boy" type that many are drawn to but do not choose in the end, he wasn't the *right* type either. My choice wasn't between "bad boy" and "good guy", mine was more of *right* guy versus "good guy". It is a terrible place to be, I hope my daughter's love life is much simpler than mine.

 

[scoutie]

I think Nicholas Sparks is an awful writer. His novels are schmaltzy and cheesy. One of my students once referred to him as "The Boones Farm of writers." Pick up a copy of The Fault in our Stars by John Green to read a truly beautiful love story.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Never seen it and after reading this thread, I never will

 

[Robbi]

OP, the message is true love transcends everything. The end
Don't talk, just watch, and hug her when she cries.

 

[lizabu]

I loved that movie. so here's my take.

1) the mansion was symbolic of his "dreams". My dh took me to the Atlantic city airport on one date. He had a love of traveling and his goal was to visit every continent, so whenever real life stressed him out he would go there at night and watch the stars and the planes. So by inviting me he was essentially getting closer to me by sharing his hopes and dreams with me. Uber, uber romantic.

2)Very simple. she did not really love the second guy. Her heart always belonged to Noah.

3) fiancee was not a bad guy. I do think she meant to go see Noah and possibly just get some unresolved issues finished.

I took the notebook to be some thing that the older Noah wrote himself, not as a rehashing of the letters. Mom told daughter about the rock quarry guy to let daughter know that she knew how she was feeling. that she too had a summer romance with some one from the wrong side of the tracks. Remember this story took place in the early 40's when class distinctions were very, very important. I grew up in the early 60's and heck even back then I remember being told "don't get too serious with that boy".

My first serious boyfriend "George" lived in my building with me. I have all his love letters that he sent me. When I was a young girl of course no one had cell phones and calling cross country was expensive. I spent my summers in knoxville Tenns with my maternal grandmother and George stayed in NYC, so we wrote each other almost daily. LOL.

Yes. Exactly. Her fiancée might have been the nicest guy in the world but the heart wants what the heart wants.

 

[eliza61]

Oh, I'm not worried about that, she didn't even ask me to watch it, I just wanted to, then I just didn't get what all of the fuss was about.

I like romance movies, but something that has more substance. My favorite romance movie is probably "Atonement" which is in a completely different league IMO.

I think we all have a movie we just don't "get". over 50 years and I cannot for the life of me understand our fascination with Gone with the wind.

Let's sum up scarlett in a nutshell.
1) movie opens up and we see a self centered, self absorbed bimbo
2) spends entire movie trying to basically get into the pants of her best friend or cousins husband. We'd call her some thing totally different nowadays.
3) marries a guy she doesn't even look at when he proposes and then when he gets killed, the only thing she's mad at is that she has to wear black.
4) screws her sisters fiancé to keep her house.
5) marry's a man she doesn't love because he's loaded
6) Man leaves her and her big concern is what "will happen to me".

So basically she's a civil war version of the "housewives of Atlanta"

And people swear she's some kind of heroine.

I've watched it a bunch of times trying to figure out exactly what about her was so heroic?

 

[GaBelle]

I think we all have a movie we just don't "get". over 50 years and I cannot for the life of me understand our fascination with Gone with the wind.

Let's sum up scarlett in a nutshell.
1) movie opens up and we see a self centered, self absorbed bimbo
2) spends entire movie trying to basically get into the pants of her best friend or cousins husband. We'd call her some thing totally different nowadays.
3) marries a guy she doesn't even look at when he proposes and then when he gets killed, the only thing she's mad at is that she has to wear black.
4) screws her sisters fiancé to keep her house.
5) marry's a man she doesn't love because he's loaded
6) Man leaves her and her big concern is what "will happen to me".

So basically she's a civil war version of the "housewives of Atlanta"

And people swear she's some kind of heroine.

I've watched it a bunch of times trying to figure out exactly what about her was so heroic?

I'm gonna pretend I didn't read that.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I think we all have a movie we just don't "get". over 50 years and I cannot for the life of me understand our fascination with Gone with the wind.

Let's sum up scarlett in a nutshell.
1) movie opens up and we see a self centered, self absorbed bimbo
2) spends entire movie trying to basically get into the pants of her best friend or cousins husband. We'd call her some thing totally different nowadays.
3) marries a guy she doesn't even look at when he proposes and then when he gets killed, the only thing she's mad at is that she has to wear black.
4) screws her sisters fiancé to keep her house.
5) marry's a man she doesn't love because he's loaded
6) Man leaves her and her big concern is what "will happen to me".

So basically she's a civil war version of the "housewives of Atlanta"

And people swear she's some kind of heroine.

I've watched it a bunch of times trying to figure out exactly what about her was so heroic?

That. Is. AWESOME!

 

[Robbi]

I think we all have a movie we just don't "get". over 50 years and I cannot for the life of me understand our fascination with Gone with the wind.

Let's sum up scarlett in a nutshell.
1) movie opens up and we see a self centered, self absorbed bimbo
2) spends entire movie trying to basically get into the pants of her best friend or cousins husband. We'd call her some thing totally different nowadays.
3) marries a guy she doesn't even look at when he proposes and then when he gets killed, the only thing she's mad at is that she has to wear black.
4) screws her sisters fiancé to keep her house.
5) marry's a man she doesn't love because he's loaded
6) Man leaves her and her big concern is what "will happen to me".

So basically she's a civil war version of the "housewives of Atlanta"

And people swear she's some kind of heroine.

I've watched it a bunch of times trying to figure out exactly what about her was so heroic?

The lesson for me is Scarlet is a selfish woman who gets her way most of the time. In the end, she realizes that what she really wants she won't get. She is a strong woman who won't prevent losing the love of her life from picking herself up and moving on.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

After reading this thread, I re-watched the movie with my DD15 last night. Both of us had tears streaming down our faces by the end, lol. She had watched it with me before, but it didn't mean much to her then and I don't think she shed a tear. Now that she's involved with her "first love", she "gets it" more.

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. A couple of lines (paraphrased) that got to me:

(When kids ask him to come home with them, i.e. leave the nursing home), "My sweetheart's in there".

After their steamy lovemaking session upon reuniting, (Allie) "So that's what I've been missing all this time!"



Allie also said when she came to see Noah before her wedding, "I wasn't finished with the relationship" and Noah said, "Neither was I". Unfortunately, neither knew it at the time due to circumstances beyond their control. Also, Allie went away to college, she wasn't at home, so it could have been even more difficult to get in touch with her. (I don't know what the telephone situation was in women's dormitories back in 1941.)

We don't know if Allie and her fiance had a sexual relationship, but whether she was "cheating" on him that way, I think, is debatable, because ultimately she'd made her decision to be with Noah and never went back to him. DD and I, though, wished she'd taken her engagement ring off. (No flames, please. It's just a thought and no, I don't advocate cheating in a relationship.)

Now my take on it. Allie, like her mother, had to choose between love and wealth, or love and simplicity. Her mom chose wealth, and possibly love, although we remember Allie telling her mother, "You don't look at Daddy the way I look at Noah", so the question is raised whether there was much love there. We know for sure she gave up the love with the man from the rock quarry, and the contrast was stark as they were sitting in their fancy car all dolled up, while he was overweight, in jeans, dirty, balding, etc. Mom obviously assumed Allie would do the same, at least early on.

But Allie liked the similicity of nighttime "breakfasts" with Noah and his dad, impromptu country dances, and even dances in the street, and her mom underestimated that. Later on, Allie mentions, wondrously, "I don't paint anymore". Granted, she appears to have a fun, active lifestyle. But it's different than the one she enjoyed with Noah, and she contemplates which she prefers.

Personally, I think it was the lovemaking that made the decision for her, when all else was a toss up. Oh, that and the art room.

But ultimately, Allie chose the simple life of a man who loved her wholeheartedly, built a home for her, seemingly structured his life for her, knew and appreciated what SHE loved, and made it happen. I think she knew that a lifestyle of wealth wouldn't necessarily bring true happiness; at least not more happiness than she could have with Noah.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Oh, and since we were on a roll, we decided to then watch Message In A Bottle, too, which has always been one of my favorites. Curiously, neither of us cried at the end. (When I know I have before.) Maybe seeing it after The Notebook made it dim in comparison, I don't know.

DD texted me that she's still thinking about the movies today. Yup, gottal love those chick flicks!

 

[palmtreegirl]

I think we all have a movie we just don't "get". over 50 years and I cannot for the life of me understand our fascination with Gone with the wind.

Let's sum up scarlett in a nutshell.
1) movie opens up and we see a self centered, self absorbed bimbo
2) spends entire movie trying to basically get into the pants of her best friend or cousins husband. We'd call her some thing totally different nowadays.
3) marries a guy she doesn't even look at when he proposes and then when he gets killed, the only thing she's mad at is that she has to wear black.
4) screws her sisters fiancé to keep her house.
5) marry's a man she doesn't love because he's loaded
6) Man leaves her and her big concern is what "will happen to me".

So basically she's a civil war version of the "housewives of Atlanta"

And people swear she's some kind of heroine.

I've watched it a bunch of times trying to figure out exactly what about her was so heroic?

LOL I've only seen it once and that was enough for me.

 

[threeboysmom]

Because all women want to be loved like Noah loves Allie. He moves into the nursing home so he can be with her. He reads their story to her every day in hopes that she will come back to him and remember him and their love.

THIS!!

Every woman wants to believe that there really is such a thing as true love (despite the alarming divorce rates) and that she someday will find it for herself.

Just thinking about this movie again makes me want to cry, lol.

 

[windycitymom]

The Notebook was sweet, but for me, the most romantic movie of all time is Titanic!

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I didn't read the whole thread, so I am sure I am repeating other posters here, but OP, read the book. The Notebook is told by Noah now, of a love story that happened long ago. Nicholas Sparks writes stories so romantic and wonderful, but most did not translate with as much passion to the screen- and the essence and deep romance got watered out.
Noah and Allie were such a great love story, and Nicholas loved them so much, that Noah appears in another novel too - The Wedding.