Guest Author - Rain Battle

The romantic drama, "The Notebook", is based on the very popular Nicholas Sparks novel, of the same title. This enduring love story takes place during two very different points in time. The modern day tale stars James Garner as Duke, an older man who takes the time to read a love story to an older woman in a nursing home, deftly played by Gena Rowlands. Duke reads the woman a love story that is set nearly fifty years earlier and seems quite familiar to him.

The story is one of a woman torn; young Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) fall in love one heady summer. They have a passionate romance which quickly ends once Allie's wealthy family discovers Noah's humble roots. Allie is forbidden from seeing Noah and her family even goes as far as moving to ensure their demands are obeyed. Noah goes away to war, but not before promising to write Allie and pledging his undying love. Years pass and Allie hears nothing from Noah, so she finally succumbs to the advances of Lon (James Marsden), a man who fits the profile Allie's family prefers.

After seven years, Allie accidentally discovers that Noah is back, alive and well. She meets with him to demand why he never wrote to her as promised. Noah not only claims he kept his promise, but he still loves Allie. Now Allie must decide between true love and what's acceptable. Should she follow her heart or her family's high standards?

The Notebook was a decent book and made a nice transition to film. Ryan Gosling is a real charmer though his chemistry with Rachel McAdams does wane at times. James Marsden does his usual convincing role as the slick, confident jerk - Lon Hammond - and the relationship between James Garner and Gena Rowlands is quite endearing though a bit predictable. Joan Allen does a wonderful job of truly bringing Anne Hamilton (Allie's mother) to life as a semmingly cold, insensitive woman with a secret past.

The cinematography is breathtaking in this film. Shot in North Carolina, the most is made of the lakes, old mansions, wildlife, and natural beauty of the state. The actors for the lead roles were well chosen and the plot is a refreshingly simple tale of following your heart, but the plot is also one we've seen many times before, and not just in Nicholas Sparks' novels.