The Notebook (2004)

Description

When you consider that old-fashioned
tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook
can be embraced without apology. Yes, it’s syrupy sweet and clogged with
clichés, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a
weeper that his late father John–whose own films were devoid of saccharine
sentiment–would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and
great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to
recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams)
and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director’s
mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and
present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the
rest; decades later, he’s unabashedly devoted, and she’s drifting into the
memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved
in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The
movie’s open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine.
Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels,
suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. –Jeff
Shannon P.when(‘A’).execute(function(A) {
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lovely surprise. Ripe with feeling and lush with physical beauty, it’s a love
story that swings confidently between age and youth… –Wall Street Journal,
Joe Morgenstern Set Contains: The Platinum Series DVD includes a generous
selection of bonus features including four making-of featurettes and Rachel
McAdams’ original screen test. The 11-1/2 minute “All in the Family”
featurette examines director Nick Cassavetes’ directing style and edgy
sensibility and features commentary by Nick Cassavetes as well as lots of
interview footage from a host of cast members including Sam Shepard, Ryan
Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, and Gena Rowlands. “Nicholas Sparks: A
Simple Story, Well Told” is a 6-1/2 minute look at the unassuming author and
his literary success and “Southern Exposure” details the processes of locating
The Notebook in Southern Carolina and re-creating a bygone era. “Casting Ryan
and Rachel” marvels at the instant chemistry present between Ryan Gosling and
McAdams. Twelve deleted and alternate scenes (totaling 28-1/2 minutes) are
offered with great optional commentary by editor Alan Heim about the
collaborative and sometimes difficult process of editing as well as the
reasoning behind specific cuts. Nick Cassavetes’ director commentary offers
insight into his commitment to creating a realistic world in which idealistic
love flourishes as well as his down-to-earth attitude as a director. Novelist
Nicholas Sparks’ commentary offers a wealth of information about the writing
of the book, the spirit of the story, and the openness to change resulting
from his perception of movies and novels as distinct art forms.. –Tami
Horiuchi See more

Features:

Product Details:

• Brand: Warner Home Video
• Theme: Book
• Sheet Size: 5-x-8-inch inches
• Special Feature: Soft cover
• Number of Items: 1
• Binding: DVD
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 0.8 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 7497
• Director ‏ : ‎ Nick Cassavetes
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Subtitled, AC-3, Color, Multiple Formats, Dolby
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 4 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 8, 2008
• Actors ‏ : ‎ James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas