The Notebook

{{Short description|2004 American romantic drama film by Nick Cassavetes}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Notebook

| image = Posternotebook.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Nick Cassavetes

| producer = {{plainlist|

Mark Johnson
Lynn Harris

}}

| screenplay = Jeremy Leven

{{Infobox|decat=yes|child=yes|label1=Adaptation by|data1=Jan Sardi}}

| based_on = {{Based on|The Notebook|Nicholas Sparks}}

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| music = Aaron Zigman

| cinematography = Robert Fraisse

| editing = Alan Heim

| studio = Gran Via

| distributor = New Line Cinema

| released = {{Film date|2004|05|20|Seattle|2004|06|25|United States}}

| runtime = 124 minutes{{cite web |title=THE NOTEBOOK (12A) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/notebook-2004-0 |publisher=British Board of Film Classification |date=2004-05-25 |access-date=2013-02-26}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $29 million

| gross = $118.3 million

}}

The Notebook is a 2004 American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love in the 1940s. Their story is read from a notebook in the present day by an elderly man, telling the tale to a fellow nursing home resident.

The Notebook had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 20, 2004, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 25, 2004. Despite generally mixed reviews from critics, Gosling and McAdams were singled out for praise for their performances. The film was a sleeper hit at the box office, grossing $117 million against its $29 million budget, and has become a cult classic in the years since its release.{{Cite magazine |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=March 19, 2007 |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/news/sparks-adaptation-is-dear-to-tatum-1117961437/ |title=Sparks Adaptation Is 'Dear' to Tatum |magazine=Variety |access-date=October 10, 2014}}{{cite news| url=http://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/movies-tv/a32718/the-notebook-facts/| title=4 Ways 'The Notebook' Rewrote the Weepie and Changed Hollywood| publisher=Yahoo! Movies | date=June 25, 2014| first=Oliver| last=Lyttelton| access-date=October 10, 2014}}{{cite magazine| url=https://time.com/2919207/best-notebook-quotes-anniversary/| title=9 Best Quotes from The Notebook| date=June 25, 2014| first=Joan E.| last=Greve| magazine=Time| access-date=July 26, 2014}}{{cite web| url=https://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/the-notebook-director-claims-ryan-gosling-tried-to/342856| title='The Notebook' director claims Ryan Gosling tried to have Rachel McAdams removed from film. There is also an encore from Jake Gyllenhaal where he appears as the bus driver at 53:04.| date=July 3, 2014| work=NME| access-date=July 26, 2014}} On November 11, 2012, an extended version premiered on ABC Family with deleted scenes added back into the original storyline.{{cite web| url=https://nicholassparks.com/news/2012/the-notebook-special-edition-premieres-on-abc-family-this-sunday/| title=The Notebook Special Edition on ABC Family This Sunday| publisher=Nicholas Sparks| date=November 8, 2012| access-date=2022-10-22}}

The film earned several accolades, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss for Gosling and McAdams at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. At the 11th Screen Actors Guild Awards, James Garner was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and Gena Rowlands won Best Supporting Actress – Drama at the 9th Golden Satellite Awards.

==Plot==

At a modern-day nursing home, the elderly Duke reads a romantic story from a notebook to a female patient:

In 1940, at a carnival in Seabrook Island, South Carolina, lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun sees 17-year-old heiress Allison "Allie" Hamilton, there for the summer. He pursues her, coerces her into dating him, and they begin a romance.

When Allie and Noah return to her parents' mansion, Allie's mother Anne makes it clear they are against the relationship and forbid her from seeing him. Noah leaves and Allie follows, they go back and forth about Allie staying or Noah moving to New York. However, Noah suggests they wait out the summer and see if they will work out. Allie assumes Noah wants to break it off and they begin to argue, and Allie says she wants to break it off, but then instantly regrets it the moment Noah drives away.{{Cite web |last=McCormick |first=Colin |last2=Shaw |first2=Angel |date=2023-09-08 |title=The Notebook Ending Explained: Alternate Streaming Version, Noah & Ally's Fate |url=https://screenrant.com/the-notebook-ending-explained/#:~:text=They%20had%20drastically%20different%20backgrounds,stayed%20devoted%20to%20one%20another. |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}

The next morning, Anne announces they will be returning to Charleston immediately. Allie seeks Noah to apologize but is unsuccessful, so she asks Fin to tell him she loves him. Noah rushes to Allie's when he hears but is too late.

Noah writes Allie every day for a year, but Allie's mother intercepts the letters. When all 365 go unanswered, he stops writing to move on. He and Fin enlist and fight in the Battle of the Bulge where Fin is killed. Allie nurses wounded soldiers in a hospital, meeting Captain Lon Hammond Jr., a young lawyer who comes from old Southern money. After a few years, they become engaged, to Allie's parents' delight.

Noah returns from the war and finds his father has sold their home so Noah can buy The Windsor Plantation. He believes that if he restores it, Allie will return to him. Once it's completed, Noah resists selling it. As Allie tries on her wedding dress, she sees a newspaper photo of Noah in front of the renovated house and faints.

Allie's feelings for Noah come rushing back, so she asks Lon to take a solo trip before the wedding. Returning to Seabrook, she finds Noah living in their dream house. They rekindle and consummate their relationship. Noah tells Allie about the 365 letters and they realize her mother kept them from her.

Days later, Anne appears to warn Allie that Lon has come to Seabrook. She also reveals that she once loved a lower-class man in town and still wonders what their lives would have been like if she had chosen differently. She gives Allie Noah's letters, suggesting she choose wisely.

Noah and Allie argue and he tells her to decide what she wants, not what everyone else does. She drives back to her hotel, sobbing and confused, and confesses her infidelity to Lon. He still wants her back, but she follows her heart and returns to Noah.

In the present, the elderly woman is revealed to be Allie, now suffering from dementia. Duke is actually Noah, who uses a pseudonym to not startle her in her disoriented state. The book he reads to her is her journal, detailing their romance and life together so he could help her come back to him. Noah has kept the promise to read it to her almost daily.

Almost at the end of the journal in the notebook, Allie asks Noah what happened at the end of the story and Noah prompts her that she knows. She briefly recognizes him and remembers. Allie asks how long they have before she forgets again and Duke tells her possibly five minutes. They dance to their song, "I'll Be Seeing You", and she asks about their kids.

However, Allie's dementia quickly relapses and she panics to see a stranger touching her, so is sedated. Duke has a heart attack and is treated in the nursing home while Allie is taken to the dementia ward. Upon recovering and despite not being permitted, Noah sneaks into Allie's room in the night. She instantly recognizes him and they kiss. The next morning, their bodies are found together, holding hands.

Cast

Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun (young)
James Garner as Duke / Noah (old)
Rachel McAdams as Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Hamilton), Noah's wife
Gena Rowlands as old Allie
Sam Shepard as Frank Calhoun, Noah's father
Joan Allen as Anne Hamilton, Allie's mother
James Marsden as Lon Hammond Jr.
Kevin Connolly as Fin
David Thornton as John Hamilton, Allie's father
Jamie Brown as Martha Shaw
Heather Wahlquist as Sara Tuffington
Ed Grady as Harry
Obba Babatunde as Bandleader
Starletta DuPois as Nurse Esther
Paul Johansson as Anne Hamilton's ex-boyfriend (uncredited)
Chubbs as Abner, a domesticated pig{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/just-noticed-one-tree-hill-001550833.html|title=We just noticed that this "One Tree Hill" star is also in "The Notebook"|work=Yahoo! News|date=September 12, 2016|access-date=March 14, 2020}}

Production

The film rights to Nicholas Sparks' novel were acquired by New Line Cinema in 1996, represented by producer Mark Johnson.{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/jacobson-goes-to-london-by-the-book-1117433560/| title=Jacobson goes to London by the book| magazine=Variety| date=January 13, 1997| access-date=April 2, 2015}} Jeremy Leven was hired to write the script, which caught the attention of director Steven Spielberg in 1998,{{cite news| first=Michael| last=Fleming| url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/spielberg-scans-notebook-1117469500/| title=Spielberg scans 'Notebook'| magazine=Variety| date=April 6, 1998| access-date=April 2, 2015}} who wished to film it with Tom Cruise as Noah Calhoun.{{cite news| first=Michael| last=Fleming| url=https://variety.com/2001/film/features/zorro-marks-sequel-1117795799/| title='Zorro' marks sequel| magazine=Variety| date=March 22, 2001| access-date=April 1, 2015}} Spielberg's commitment to other projects led to Jim Sheridan becoming attached to direct the following year. Filming was to start in 1999 but pushed back over rewrites.{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/1999/voices/columns/sheridan-may-open-sparks-notebook-1117492169/| title=Sheridan may open Sparks' 'Notebook'| magazine=Variety| date=March 10, 1999| access-date=April 1, 2015}} Sheridan eventually backed out by October 2000 to work on In America.{{cite news| first=Michael| last=Fleming| url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/inside-moves-190-1117781891/| title=Inside Moves| magazine=Variety| date=May 19, 2000| access-date= April 1, 2015}} Martin Campbell entered negotiations to direct in March 2001, before he was replaced by Nick Cassavetes a year later.{{cite news| first=Dana| last=Harris| url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/cassavetes-opens-notebook-1117861947/| title=Cassavetes opens 'Notebook'| magazine=Variety| date=March 6, 2002 |access-date= April 2, 2015}} Early in development George Clooney was going to play Noah, and Paul Newman the older Noah, but after Clooney watched some Paul Newman movies he went up to Newman and said he did not look like him.{{cite magazine| url=https://ew.com/movies/george-clooney-the-notebook-noah/| title=Yes, George Clooney almost played Ryan Gosling's Noah in 'The Notebook'| first=Samantha| last=Highfill| date=October 18, 2020| magazine=Entertainment Weekly| access-date=2022-10-22}}

=Casting=

Cassavetes wanted someone unknown and "not handsome" to portray Noah; he chose Ryan Gosling for the role.{{cite magazine| last=Ravitz| first=Justin| title=Ryan Gosling: Notebook Director Told Me I Wasn't "Handsome" or "Cool"| url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ryan-gosling-notebook-director-told-me-i-wasnt-handsome-or-cool-20111212| magazine=Us Weekly| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=December 12, 2011}} Hayden Christensen was originally considered for the role.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-25 |title=All of the Stars Who Were Almost Cast in The Notebook |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1283099/all-of-the-stars-who-were-almost-cast-in-the-notebook |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=E! Online}} Gosling was initially surprised by this: "I read [the script] and I thought, 'He's crazy. I couldn't be more wrong for this movie.'"{{cite web| last=Pickle| first=Betsy| title='Notebook' Love Scenes were 'Embarrassing', says Actor| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PG&p_theme=pg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=103755E605C48AC4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=June 25, 2004}} "It gave me an opportunity to play a character over a period of time – from 1940 to 1946 – that was quite profound and formative."{{cite web| url=http://bahcecikdevekusu.com/movies/movievault/notebook.htm| title=The Notebook Production Notes| website=Movie Central| access-date=October 23, 2012| url-status=usurped| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712061532/http://bahcecikdevekusu.com/movies/movievault/notebook.htm| archive-date=July 12, 2012}} To prepare for the part, Gosling temporarily moved to Charleston, South Carolina, prior to filming. During two months, he rowed the Ashley River and made furniture.{{cite web| title=The Notebook Trivia| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SVo1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1746,26040639&dq=the+notebook+filming&hl=en| newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer| location=Manila| page=A17| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=August 26, 2004}} When James Garner was approached for the role of the older Noah, he asked his agent if the script was for a television film, until he read it again and realized it had a universal appeal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.darkhorizons.com/james-garner-for-the-notebook/|title=James Garner for "The Notebook"|first=Paul|last=Fischer|date=June 23, 2004}} A nationwide search was conducted to find the right actress to play Allie. Actresses who auditioned or considered for the role included Jessica Biel,{{cite news| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/jessica-biel-the-notebook_n_1072283.html| title=Jessica Biel: 'The Notebook' Is The Film That Got Away| work=The Huffington Post| date=November 2, 2011| access-date=November 1, 2014}} Britney Spears,{{cite magazine| url=https://www.etonline.com/movies/130506_The_Notebook_Junket_with_Ryan_Gosling_Rachel_McAdams| title=Valentine's Flashback: 'The Notebook'| website=Entertainment Tonight| language=en-US| access-date=2019-09-19}} Jaime King, Jane McGregor, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Beckinsale, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Mandy Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Claire Danes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ashley Judd, and Reese Witherspoon,{{cite web| url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-the-notebook/story-e6frfmvr-1226758849078| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114053844/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-the-notebook/story-e6frfmvr-1226758849078| url-status=dead| archive-date=November 14, 2013| title=Ten things you never knew about The Notebook| website=News.com.au| date=November 13, 2013| access-date=November 1, 2014}}{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2023-10-23 |title=Britney Spears Gets Teary-Eyed and Runs Lines With Ryan Gosling in 'Notebook' Audition Tape; Casting Director Shares Video and Calls Her 'Phenomenal' |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/britney-spears-the-notebook-audition-ryan-gosling-1235764935/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} with the choice narrowed down to Britney Spears and Rachel McAdams with McAdams winning the role.{{Cite web |title=Britney Spears Opens Up: Why She 'Finally' Feels 'Free' to Share Her Story in Bombshell Memoir, New Interview — 'No More Lies' (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/britney-spears-woman-in-me-memoir-excerpt-exclusive-8362486 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}} On casting her, Cassavetes said: "When Rachel McAdams came in and read, it was apparent that she was the one. She and Ryan had great chemistry between them." She commented: "I thought it would be a dream to be able to do it. I read the script and went into the audition just two days later. It was a good way to do it because I was very full of the story."{{cite news| last=Wloszczyna| first=Susan| title=Hot off 'The Notebook'| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-06-24-rachel-mcadams_x.htm| newspaper=USA Today| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=June 24, 2004}} Gosling commented that, "I think that it's pretty fair to say that we probably wouldn't have made the film if we hadn't found Rachel... Really, Allie drives the movie. It's her movie and we're in it. It all kind of depended on an actress."{{cite web| url=http://movies.about.com/od/thenotebook/a/notebkrg062004.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051024035350/http://movies.about.com/od/thenotebook/a/notebkrg062004.htm| url-status=dead| archive-date=October 24, 2005| title=Ryan Gosling Talks about "The Notebook"| website=About.Com| date=2004| first=Rebecca| last=Murray| access-date=November 1, 2014}} In comparison to the book, the role was extended.{{cite web| last=Thompson| first=Bill|title='Notebook' pivotal for McAdams| url=https://rachel-mcadams.org/library/2011/12/10/the-post-and-courier-notebook-pivotal-for-mcadams/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026001322/https://rachel-mcadams.org/library/2011/12/10/the-post-and-courier-notebook-pivotal-for-mcadams/| url-status=usurped| archive-date=October 26, 2022| newspaper=The Post and Courier| location=Charleston, SC| access-date=2022-10-22| date=February 19, 2003| via=Rachel McAdams.org}} McAdams spent time in Charleston before filming to familiarize herself with the surroundings,{{cite news| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+gossip's+now+over+Rachel.-a0118313856| title=The gossip's now over Rachel| first=Robon| last=Walker| newspaper=The Journal| location=Newcastle| via=The Free Library| date=June 18, 2004| access-date=2022-10-22}} and took ballet and etiquette classes.{{cite web| last=Deziel| first=Shanda| title=Rachel's all the rage| url=http://www.proactorslab.com/related/macleans050714.htm| magazine=Maclean's| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=July 14, 2005| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426091709/http://www.proactorslab.com/related/macleans050714.htm| archive-date=April 26, 2012}} She had a dialect coach to learn the Southern accent.{{cite web| url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2004/06/23/ign-interviews-rachel-mcadams?page=3 |title=IGN Interviews Rachel McAdams| website=IGN| first=Jeff| last=Otto| date=June 23, 2004| access-date=November 1, 2014 |page=3 }} Bradley Cooper was considered for Lon Hammond, while the studio pushed for Cole Hauser; but James Mardsen was eventually cast.

=Filming=

The Notebook was filmed mostly on location in South Carolina, as well as the wintery battlefield just outside Montreal.{{cite web| url=https://movie-locations.com/movies/n/Notebook.php| title=The Notebook: 2004| website=Movie Locations.com}} Production offices for the film were set up at the old Charleston Naval Shipyard in North Charleston.{{cite web| url=http://www.sciway.net/movies/sc-movie-notebook.html| title=Movies Filmed in South Carolina – The Notebook| website=South Carolina Information Highway| access-date=October 23, 2012}}

Much of the film's plot takes place in and around Seabrook Island, an actual town which is one of the South Carolina "sea island" localities, located {{convert|20|mi|km}} southwest of Charleston. None of the filming took place in the Seabrook area, however, and instead utilized the surrounding areas. Specifically, the house that Noah is seen fixing up is a private residence at Wadmalaw Island,{{cite magazine| last=McGuire| first=Judy| title=Romance, Movie Style – Love on Location – The Notebook| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879389_1879392_1879400,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612034130/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879389_1879392_1879400,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=June 12, 2009| magazine=Time| access-date=January 3, 2013| date=February 28, 2009}} another locality situated {{convert|10|mi|km}} closer to Charleston. The house was not actually in a dilapidated state at the time and instead was made to look that way by special effects. Contrary to the suggestion in the film's dialogue, neither the house nor the Seabrook area was home to South Carolina Revolutionary hero Francis Marion, whose plantation was actually located northwest of Charleston.{{cite web| title=Francis Marion Foils the British| url=http://www.historynet.com/up-from-the-swamp-francis-marion-foils-the-british.htm| website=HistoryNet| date=August 3, 2011| first=Jefferson M.| last=gray| access-date=October 25, 2022}} The Boone Hall Plantation served as Allie's summer house.

Many of the scenes set in Seabrook were filmed in the town of Mt. Pleasant, (a suburb of Charleston). Other locations included: Edisto Island, Cypress Gardens (in Moncks Corner, South Carolina) with trained birds that were brought in from elsewhere.{{cite web| last1=Exton| first1=Emily| title=Ryan Gosling Wanted To Kick Rachel McAdams Off The Notebook Set And More You Didn't Know About The Film| url=https://www.vh1.com/news/e2nsp0/the-notebook-nick-cassavetes| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511195825/https://www.vh1.com/news/e2nsp0/the-notebook-nick-cassavetes| url-status=live| archive-date=May 11, 2022| website=VH1| date=July 1, 2014| access-date=2022-10-25}}

The nursing home scenes were filmed at Rice Hope Plantation,{{cite web| url=http://south-carolina-plantations.com/georgetown/rice-hope-black-river.html| title=Rice Hope Plantation – Oatland – Georgetown County| access-date=May 22, 2012| website=South Carolina Plantations}} located in Georgetown County. The college depicted briefly in the film is identified in the film as Sarah Lawrence College, but the campus that is seen is the College of Charleston.

Music

The soundtrack to The Notebook was released on June 8, 2004.

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Artist

| total_length = 66:53[http://www.theost.com/2004/the_notebook.html "The Notebook Soundtrack"]. TheOST. Retrieved January 7, 2014.

| title1 = Main Title

| length1 = 2:49

| extra1 = Aaron Zigman

| title2 = Overture

| length2 = 6:16

| extra2 = Aaron Zigman

| title3 = I'll Be Seeing You

| length3 = 3:33

| extra3 = Billie Holiday

| title4 = Alabamy Home

| length4 = 3:02

| extra4 = Duke Ellington

| title5 = Allie Returns

| length5 = 5:07

| extra5 = Aaron Zigman

| title6 = House Blues / The Porch Dance / The Proposal / The Carnival

| length6 = 8:04

| extra6 = Aaron Zigman

| title7 = Noah's Journey

| length7 = 6:03

| extra7 = Aaron Zigman

| title8 = Always and Always

| length8 = 3:17

| extra8 = Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

| title9 = A String of Pearls

| length9 = 3:16

| extra9 = Glenn Miller & His Orchestra

| title10 = On the Lake

| length10 = 5:39

| extra10 = Aaron Zigman

| title11 = Diga Diga Doo

| length11 = 4:16

| extra11 = Rex Stewart and the Ellingtonians

| title12 = One O'Clock Jump

| length12 = 3:15

| extra12 = Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

| title13 = I'll Be Seeing You

| length13 = 3:13

| extra13 = Jimmy Durante

| title14 = Noah's Last Letter

| length14 = 4:32

| extra14 = Aaron Zigman

| title15 = Our Love Can Do Miracles

| length15 = 4:31

| extra15 = Aaron Zigman

}}

Reception

=Box office=

The film was released on June 25, 2004, in the United States and Canada and grossed $13.5 million from 2,303 theaters in its opening weekend, ranking number 4 at the box office.{{cite web| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=notebook.htm| title=The Notebook (2004) – Weekend Box Office Results| access-date=February 5, 2008| website=Box Office Mojo}} The film grossed a total of $115.6 million worldwide, $81 million in Canada and the United States and $34.6 million in other countries.{{cite web| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=notebook.htm |title=The Notebook (2004)| website=Box Office Mojo| access-date=June 16, 2010}} It is the 15th highest-grossing romantic drama film of all time.{{cite web| title=Romantic Drama Movies at the Box Office| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=romanticdrama.htm| website=Box Office Mojo| access-date=January 5, 2013}}

=Critical response=

{{multiple image

| align = right

| image1 = Ryan Gosling at SSIFF 2018 (1) (cropped).jpg

| width1 = 144

| alt1 =

| caption1 =

| image2 = Rachel McAdams, TIFF 2012 (bright crop).jpg

| width2 = 160

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| footer = The performances of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, as well as their on-screen chemistry, were particularly praised by most film critics.

}}

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 54% of 182 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "It's hard not to admire its unabashed sentimentality, but The Notebook is too clumsily manipulative to rise above its melodramatic clichés."{{cite web| url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notebook| title=The Notebook (2004)| access-date=January 20, 2025| website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web| url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-notebook| title=The Notebook Reviews| access-date=February 5, 2008| website=Metacritic}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web| url=https://www.cinemascore.com| title=Find CinemaScore| format=Type "Notebook" in the search box| website=CinemaScore| access-date=May 30, 2021}}

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, awarding it three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling the photography "striking in its rich, saturated effects" and stating that the "actors are blessed by good material."{{cite news| date=June 25, 2004| last=Ebert |first=Roger| title=The Notebook| url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-notebook-2004| newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times| via=RogerEbert.com| access-date=24 December 2020}} Peter Lowry of Film Threat gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of five; praising the performances of both Gosling and McAdams, he wrote: "Gosling and especially McAdams give all-star performances, doing just enough to hand the reins over to the pros, who take what's left of the film and finish the audience off with some touching scenes that don't leave a dry eye in the house." About the film itself, he added: "Overall, The Notebook is a surprisingly good film that manages to succeed where many other 'chick flick' like romances fail."{{cite web| author=Lowry, Peter| url=https://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/6201 |title=The Notebook| website=Film Threat| date=June 28, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}}

Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, stating that "the scenes between the young lovers confronting adult authority have the same seething tension and lurking hysteria that the young Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood brought more than 40 years ago to their roles in Splendor in the Grass."{{cite news| author=Holden, Stephen| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/movies/25NOTE.html| title=When Love Is Madness and Life a Straitjacket| newspaper=The New York Times| date=June 25, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}} Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post also gave the film a positive review, she also praised the performances of Gosling and McAdams, stating: "Never mind that McAdams and Gosling don't for a minute call to mind 1940s America; they're both suitably attractive and appealing. Gosling, who delivered a searing and largely unseen screen debut performance in the 2001 drama The Believer, is particularly convincing as a young man who charms his way past a girl's strongest defenses." About the film, she added: "Audiences craving big, gooey over-the-top romance have their must-see summer movie in The Notebook."{{cite news| author=Hornaday, Ann| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4182-2004Jun24.html| title=A Tear-Stained 'Notebook'| newspaper=The Washington Post| date=June 25, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}} William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer praised the performance of McAdams but criticized the performance of Gosling, stating that he "just doesn't have the kind of star power or chemistry with McAdams to anchor this kind of minor-league Gone with the Wind." He also added about the film that it "doesn't completely work on its own terms, mainly because its romantic casting just doesn't spark: It doesn't make us fall in love with its lovers."{{cite news| author=Arnold, William| url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Touching-Notebook-overcomes-flaws-to-satisfy-1147928.php| title=Touching 'Notebook' overcomes flaws to satisfy romance fans in need of a good cry| newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer| date=June 24, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}} Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe gave the film two-and-a-half stars, praising the performances of its cast members, writing about McAdams that "she's soulfully committed to the suds in the story and fiercely attentive to the other actors". He added about Gosling: "Gosling is adept at playing sociopaths and intense brooders, and there's reason to think, early on, that Noah might be similarly off, as when he threatens to drop from a Ferris wheel unless Allie agrees to go on a date with him." About the film, he wrote: "Considering the sunny, relatively pleasurable romantic business that precedes it, the elderly stuff seems dark, morbid, and forced upon us."{{cite news| author=Morris, Wesley| url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2004/06/25/love_shows_its_age_in_notebook| title=Love shows its age in 'Notebook'| newspaper=The Boston Globe| date=June 25, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}}

Jessica Winter of The Village Voice gave the film a mixed review, stating: "Amid the sticky-sweet swamp of Jeremy Leven's script, Rowlands and Garner emerge spotless and beatific, lending a magnanimous credibility to their scenes together. These two old pros slice cleanly through the thicket of sap-weeping dialogue and contrivance, locating the terror and desolation wrought by the cruel betrayals of a failing mind."{{cite news| author=Winter, Jessica| url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2004-06-15/film/old-pros-lend-credibility-to-young-lovebirds-magical-hysteria-tour/1| title=Old Pros Lend Credibility to Young Lovebirds' Magical Hysteria Tour| newspaper=The Village Voice| date=June 15, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}} Robert Koehler of Variety also gave the film a mixed review, he however, praised the performances, writing that "already one of the most intriguing young thesps, Gosling extends his range to pure romance without sacrificing a bit of his naturally subversive qualities, and even seems comfortable looking beautiful in a manly American way. The head-turner is McAdams, doing such a different perf from her top bitch in Mean Girls that it's hard to tell it's the same actor. She skillfully carries much of the film's emotional weight with a free and easy manner."{{cite news| author=Koehler, Robert| url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117923920| title=The Notebook| magazine=Variety| date=May 20, 2004| access-date=November 16, 2012}}

In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly included Allie and Noah in its list of the "100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years."{{cite magazine| title=The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's our full list!| url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/01/100-greatest-characters-of-last-20-years-full-list| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603030900/http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/01/100-greatest-characters-of-last-20-years-full-list/| url-status=dead| archive-date=June 3, 2010| magazine=Entertainment Weekly| access-date=July 7, 2012| first=Adam B.| last=Vary| date=June 1, 2010}} The periodical listed The Notebook in their 25 Sexiest Movies Ever.{{cite magazine| title=25 Sexiest Movies Ever!| url=https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20241796,00.html#20547031| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101152640/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20241796,00.html#20547031| url-status=dead| archive-date=January 1, 2011| magazine=Entertainment Weekly| access-date=January 4, 2013| date=January 2, 2011}} Us Weekly included the film in its list of the 30 Most Romantic Movies of All Time.{{cite magazine| title=30 Most Romantic Movies of All Time – The Notebook| url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/30-most-romantic-movies-of-all-time-2012102/20669| magazine=Us Weekly| date=February 14, 2012| access-date=January 4, 2013}} Boston.com ranked the film the third Top Romantic Movie.{{cite web| title=Top 25 romantic movies| url=https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2013/06/07/top-25-romantic-movies/| newspaper=The Boston Globe| date=June 7, 2013| access-date=2022-10-25}} The Notebook appeared on Moviefone{{'s}} list of the 25 Best Romance Movies of All Time.{{cite web| title=Best Romance Movies of All Time| url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2008/02/05/best-romance-movies/| website=Moviefone| access-date=January 4, 2013| date=February 5, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518075014/http://blog.moviefone.com/2008/02/05/best-romance-movies| archive-date=May 18, 2013| url-status=dead}} Marie Claire also put the film on its list of the 12 Most Romantic Movie Scenes of All Time.{{cite web| title=The 12 Most Romantic Movie Scenes of All Time Read more: The Most Romantic Scene from The Notebook| url=http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/celebrities/romantic-movie-moments-the-notebook#slide-4| magazine=| access-date=January 4, 2013| date=February 1, 2011}} In 2011, The Notebook was named the best chick-flick during ABC News and People{{'s}} television special Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time.{{cite web| last=Cox| first=Carmen| title=Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time| url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/entertainment-news/best-in-film-the-greatest-movies-of-our-time.html| publisher=ABC News Radio| access-date=January 5, 2013| date=March 22, 2011}} The scene where Noah climbs the Ferris Wheel because he wants a date with Allie made the list of Total Film{{'s}} 50 Most Romantic Movie Moments of All Time.{{cite web|last=Kinnear|first=Simon|title=50 Most Romantic Movie Moments Of All Time|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-most-romantic-movie-moments-of-all-time/the-notebook-2004|date=February 13, 2012}} The kiss in the rain was ranked No. 4 in Total Film{{'s}} 50 Best Movie Kisses list.{{cite magazine| url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-best-movie-kisses/the-notebook-2004| title=50 Best Movie Kisses| magazine=Total Film| date=February 14, 2013| first=Simon| last=Kinnear| access-date=October 29, 2014}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Recipients ! Result
rowspan="3" \| 2004 \| Golden Trailer Awards{{cite web\| title=5th Annual Golden Trailer Award Winner and Nominees\| url=http://www.goldentrailer.com/awards.gta5.php\| website=GoldenTrailer\| access-date=June 18, 2012\| year=2004\| url-status=dead\| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155123/http://www.goldentrailer.com/awards.gta5.php\| archive-date=April 13, 2014}} \| Best Romance ! \| {{Nom}}
rowspan="2" \| Teen Choice Awards{{cite web \|title=CA The Notebook.pdf \|url=http://www.hhsdrama.com/documents/CATheNotebook.pdf \|website=Horizon High School Drama \|access-date=June 18, 2012 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106120745/http://www.hhsdrama.com/documents/CATheNotebook.pdf \|archive-date=January 6, 2009 \|url-status=dead }} \| Choice Movie of the Summer ! \| {{Nom}}
Choice Breakout Movie Actress \| Rachel McAdams \| {{Nom}}
rowspan="13" \| 2005 \| Artios Awards{{cite web \|title=Artis Award Winners – 2005 \|url=http://www.castingsociety.com/component/content/article/42-artios-awards/80-previous-artios-awardr-winners#2005 \|website=Casting Society of America \|access-date=June 18, 2012}} \| Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Feature Film, Drama \| Matthew Barry and Nancy Green-Keyes \| {{Nom}}
Golden Satellite Awards \| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture \| Gena Rowlands \| {{Won}}
rowspan="2" \| MTV Movie Awards{{cite web \|url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2005 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423094931/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2005/ \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=April 23, 2008 \|title=2005 MTV Movie Awards \|website=MTV \|access-date=June 18, 2012}} \| Best Female Performance \| Rachel McAdams \| {{Nom}}
Best Kiss \| Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling \| {{Won}}
Screen Actors Guild Awards{{cite web \|title=The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards \|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/11th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards \|website=SAG Awards \|access-date=June 18, 2012}} \| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role \| James Garner \| {{Nom}}
rowspan="8" \| Teen Choice Awards{{cite news \|title='Notebook' Wins Eight Teen Choice Awards \|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/notebook-wins-eight-teen-choice-awards \|agency=Associated Press \|work=Fox News \|access-date=June 18, 2012 \|date=August 15, 2005}} \| Choice Movie Drama ! \| {{Won}}
Choice Date Movie ! \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Actor – Drama \| Ryan Gosling \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Actress – Drama \| Rachel McAdams \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Male \| Ryan Gosling \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Chemistry \| rowspan="3"\|Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Liplock \| {{Won}}
Choice Movie Love Scene \| {{Won}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Recipients

! Result

rowspan="3" | 2004

| Golden Trailer Awards{{cite web| title=5th Annual Golden Trailer Award Winner and Nominees| url=http://www.goldentrailer.com/awards.gta5.php| website=GoldenTrailer| access-date=June 18, 2012| year=2004| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155123/http://www.goldentrailer.com/awards.gta5.php| archive-date=April 13, 2014}}

| Best Romance

| {{Nom}}

rowspan="2" | Teen Choice Awards{{cite web |title=CA The Notebook.pdf |url=http://www.hhsdrama.com/documents/CATheNotebook.pdf |website=Horizon High School Drama |access-date=June 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106120745/http://www.hhsdrama.com/documents/CATheNotebook.pdf |archive-date=January 6, 2009 |url-status=dead }}

| Choice Movie of the Summer

| {{Nom}}

Choice Breakout Movie Actress

| Rachel McAdams

| {{Nom}}

rowspan="13" | 2005

| Artios Awards{{cite web |title=Artis Award Winners – 2005 |url=http://www.castingsociety.com/component/content/article/42-artios-awards/80-previous-artios-awardr-winners#2005 |website=Casting Society of America |access-date=June 18, 2012}}

| Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Feature Film, Drama

| Matthew Barry and Nancy Green-Keyes

| {{Nom}}

Golden Satellite Awards

| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

| Gena Rowlands

| {{Won}}

rowspan="2" | MTV Movie Awards{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423094931/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2005/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2008 |title=2005 MTV Movie Awards |website=MTV |access-date=June 18, 2012}}

| Best Female Performance

| Rachel McAdams

| {{Nom}}

Best Kiss

| Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling

| {{Won}}

Screen Actors Guild Awards{{cite web |title=The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/11th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |website=SAG Awards |access-date=June 18, 2012}}

| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

| James Garner

| {{Nom}}

rowspan="8" | Teen Choice Awards{{cite news |title='Notebook' Wins Eight Teen Choice Awards |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/notebook-wins-eight-teen-choice-awards |agency=Associated Press |work=Fox News |access-date=June 18, 2012 |date=August 15, 2005}}

| Choice Movie Drama

| {{Won}}

Choice Date Movie

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Actor – Drama

| Ryan Gosling

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Actress – Drama

| Rachel McAdams

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Male

| Ryan Gosling

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Chemistry

| rowspan="3"|Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Liplock

| {{Won}}

Choice Movie Love Scene

| {{Won}}

Home media

The Notebook was released on VHS and DVD on February 8, 2005, and Blu-ray on May 4, 2010.{{cite web| title=The Notebook – DVD Sales| url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2004/NOTEB-DVD.php| website=The Numbers| access-date=January 6, 2013}} By February 2010, the film had sold over 11 million copies on DVD.{{cite news| author=Kaufman, Amy| title=Nicholas Sparks is a master of romance| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-feb-04-la-et-sparks4-2010feb04-story.html| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| access-date=January 6, 2013| date=February 4, 2010}}

In February 2019, subscribers to the UK version of Netflix reported that the version of the film on the streaming service had an alternate ending, which substituted a more light-hearted conclusion than the emotional end of the original release. Netflix responded that this alternate version of the film had been supplied to them in error, and soon replaced it with the original version.{{cite news| first1=Michelle| last1=Lou| first2=Saeed| last2=Ahmed| title=Netflix streamers in the UK just wanted to watch 'The Notebook' and sob. Instead, they got a bird scene| url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/28/media/the-notebook-alternate-ending-trnd/index.html| work=CNN| access-date=February 28, 2019| date=February 28, 2019}}

Television series

On August 11, 2015, it was reported that a television series was in development by The CW.{{cite news| author=Goldberg, Lesley| title=The Notebook TV Series In Works At The CW| newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/notebook-tv-series-works-at-814615?facebook_20150807| date=August 11, 2015| access-date=August 12, 2015}} The series was to follow Noah and Allie's courtship following the events of the film, and in a post-WWII world. As of December 2023, no further news has been revealed.

Stage musical

On January 3, 2019, Ingrid Michaelson announced she would be writing the music and lyrics for a musical adaption of The Notebook with a book by Bekah Brunstetter.{{cite news| title='The Notebook' Is About to Become a Musical| url=https://www.etonline.com/the-notebook-is-about-to-become-a-musical-116517| first=Scott| last=Baumgartner| date=January 3, 2019| website=Entertainment Tonight| access-date=2022-10-22}} Sparks will also be involved as a producer alongside Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch.{{cite news| url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/194497/ingrid-michaelson-is-turning-the-notebook-into-a-musical/| title='The Notebook' to Become a Broadway Musical| magazine=Variety| first=Dave| last=McNary| date=January 3, 2019| access-date=2022-10-22}}

The production was initially slated for fall 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Michaelson and Brunstetter used the additional time to hold online previews and tweak their work.{{cite news| title='The Notebook' musical arrives after a delay that added depth| url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/9/6/23333206/notebook-musical-chicago-shakespeare-ingrid-michaelson-bekah-brunstetter| first=Mary| last=Houlihan| newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times| date=September 6, 2022| access-date=2022-10-25}}

The musical opened on September 6, 2022, at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and received generally positive reviews.{{cite news| title=Review: 'The Notebook' musical has gorgeous songs and real romance — see it before it heads to Broadway| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-notebook-musical-chicago-shakespeare-review-20221007-srquwezkwndife2b2j6fvjnjfi-story.html| last=Jones| first=Chris| newspaper=Chicago Tribune| date=October 7, 2022| access-date=2022-10-25| url-access=subscription}}{{cite news| title=Lovely score, impressive performances power Chicago Shakespeare's superb 'Notebook'| url=https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20221009/lovely-score-impressive-performances-power-chicago-shakespeares-superb-notebook| first=Barbara| last=Vitello| date=October 10, 2022| newspaper=The Daily Herald| location=Arlington Heights| access-date=2022-10-25}} Stephen Oxman of the Chicago Sun-Times said, "I simply was not expecting to fall in love with 'The Notebook,'... But I have." Adding, "It’s a significant leap in artistic quality over its sources, which it respects, while also providing a clear, resonant, and unique voice of its own."{{cite news| title=Superb score, writing, cast transform 'The Notebook' into a stage musical for the ages| url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/10/7/23392910/the-notebook-review-chicago-shakespeare-theater-superb-romance| first=Steven| last=Oxman| date=October 7, 2022| newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times| access-date=2022-10-25}} Jonathan Abarbanel of Theater Mania noted what while the musical used the novel for its basis rather than the film, he noted that Michaelson and Brunstetter shifted the time period twenty years to begin in the late 1960s causing Noah to leave for the Vietnam War rather than World War II.{{cite news| title=Review: 'The Notebook' Keeps Its Romantic Heart Intact in New Ingrid Michaelson Musical| url=https://www.theatermania.com/chicago-theater/reviews/review-the-notebook-musical-chicago_94437.html| first=Jonathan| last=Abarbanel| date=October 18, 2022| website=Theater Mania| access-date=2022-10-25}} The production closed on October 30, 2022.

In August 2023, it was announced that the show would open on Broadway in the spring of 2024 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The show opened on March 14, with a cast that included Maryann Plunkett as Older Allie, Dorian Harewood as Older Noah, Joy Woods as Middle Allie, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah, Jordan Tyson as Younger Allie, and John Cardoza as Younger Noah.{{Cite web |last=Glikas |first=Bruce |title=Photos: Inside THE NOTEBOOK Opening Night Party |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photos-Inside-THE-NOTEBOOK-Opening-Night-Party-20240318 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}