The Notebook

The Notebook [2004] is one great picture. It follows Duke [James Garner] reading what appears to be a book to Allie [Gina Rowlands], while the screen shifts back and forth to the action of the “book.” The story has been accused of being smaltzy, but who cares. If Hollywood burned good smaltz movies, the town would fit in a desert garage.

The mystery of the book becoming just a notebook about Duke and Allie earlier in life is only hinted at until it slowly begins to become an obvious fact. Duke appears as a friendly guy just reading to an elderly women at the start, but it turns into something more at just the right pace. The roles are well acted, and the movie as a whole is very touching. .In our normal at home DVD-watching mode, we are doing something else part of the time. With The Notebook, we put those things down and watched.

Check its website at: The Notebook