The Notebook: Love versus Money

         This week I watched The Notebook, directed by Nick Cassavetes. The Notebook, one of my favorite movies, was released in 2004. This romantic novel caught my attention with its characters and basic storyline. Perhaps one reason I enjoyed this film as much as I did was that I love romantic novels. The two main characters in the film are Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams). The two characters are in love and are separated because of financial differences and Allie’s parents’ viewpoint on money and the happiness it brings to individuals lives. Allie’s parents have money and want a young man that is going to be able to take care of her. Noah is a hard-working young man who works and struggles to make ends meet. The story is enjoyable by most viewers because individuals can relate to the emotions, financial difficulties, and everyday problems that the young characters face.

         The emotion throughout the novel is intense, and the director keeps the audience’s attention with the two characters as they grow older and move on in different directions of life. As the film progresses, the love that Noah has for Allie grows; and he finally meets up with Allie after several years of not speaking to her. When the two characters meet, they initially feel the same love for one another as they had in the beginning of the novel. Perhaps most individuals can relate to this film because everyone experiences love, heartache, and financial troubles, and this film portrays these emotions throughout film.

         The Notebook is reasonably more popular among women than men because of its strong emotion with love and heartache. The film is well-known and loved by the majority of its mainly female viewers. The film is your typical Romance novel with a more modern twist to it. I enjoyed this film and thought the director of The Notebook did a wonderful job capturing the viewers’ attention and making it a movie that viewers, such as myself, enjoy seeing more than once. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even males, capable of viewing it, no matter his or age because the film includes instances of life from each age group and aspect of life.

Ashley Henderson

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