The Notebook

 Films based on novels are commonly met with harsh criticism and though The Notebook (2004) has mixed reactions, there is no denying that the film was a success in many aspects. Though it was released in 2004 the plot is set in the 1940’s. 

The film is based on the first published novel by famous writer Nicholas Sparks. Sparks has had at least eleven of his novels adapted to the big screen, the most recent one was released in 2016 (The Choice).

The plot of The Notebook centers around the lives of two individuals at two points in their lives as they navigate the territory of young and everlasting romance and tackle Alzheimer’s disease (which eventually presents itself as the plot twist within the story). The main character’s Allison (Allie) and Noah are portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The storyline begins when Allie and Noah meet and fall hopelessly in love, much to the disapproval of Allie’s parents. The film is narrated by an elderly Noah as he tells the story of their lives to a fellow resident at the nursing home he lives in with a dying Allie.

The film ranked at number four at the box office and grossed $13, 464, 745 its opening weekend.  Worldwide, the film brought in a total of $115, 603, 229. It is ranked as the 15^th highest-grossing romantic drama of all time. Anyone who has seen and enjoyed The Notebook will associate Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams with it for a long time to come.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 52% rating and the site’s general conclusion states that “"It's hard not to admire its unabashed sentimentality, but The Notebook is too clumsily manipulative to rise above its melodramatic clichés." On the contrary, a critic from The Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert) gave the film three and a half stars out of four and praised the photography in the film. The film has been critiqued and praised based on the plot as well as the success of the actor/actress leads.

 Instead of detailing and comparing the various critiques of the film, I believe it is important to recognize that romantic films will always receive criticism regarding its cliché plot and characters. However, regardless of whether it is cliché or not, The Notebook has been and may remain for a while a household name when conversing about romantic movies.