RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Notebook
The Notebook

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Notebook (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
52 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:146

Fresh:76

Rotten:70

Average Rating:5.6/10

Consensus: Despite some touching performances, The Notebook is still a syrupy tearjerker.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some sexuality

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:25-06-2004

Synopsis: A young woman comes to the coastal town of Seabrook, North Carolina in the 1940's to spend the summer with her family. Still in her teens, Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) meets local boy Noah... A young woman comes to the coastal town of Seabrook, North Carolina in the 1940's to spend the summer with her family. Still in her teens, Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) meets local boy Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) at a Carnival. On the spot, Noah senses that he and Allie are meant to be together. Though she is a wealthy debutante and he a mill worker, over the course of one passionate and carefree summer in the South, the two fall deeply in love. Circumstances - and the sudden outbreak of World War II - drive them apart, but both continue to be haunted by memories of each other. When Noah returns home from the war years later, Allie is irrevocably gone from his life, but not from his heart. Though Noah doesn't yet know it, Allie has come back to Seabrook, where they first fell in love. But now Allie is engaged to marry Lon (James Marsden), a wealthy soldier she met while volunteering in a GI hospital. Decades later, a man (James Garner) reads from a faded notebook to a woman (Gena Rowlands) he regularly visits at her nursing home. Though her memory has faded, she becomes caught up in the fiery story of Allie and Noah - and for a few moments, she is able to relive the passionate, turbulent time when they swore they'd be together always. New Line Cinema presents The Notebook, a story of lost chances, growing up and the power of enduring love. A Gran Via Production, the film is directed by Nick Cassavetes from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven, adaptation by Jan Sardi, based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. Academy Award winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man) and Lynn Harris are the producers. The executive producers are Toby Emmerich and Avram Butch Kaplan. The film stars Ryan Gosling (The Believer), Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls), Academy Award nominees James Garner (Murphy's Romance, TV's "Eight Simple Rules") and Gena Rowlands (Gloria, A Woman Under the Influence), James Marsden (X-Men series) and Kevin Connolly (John Q.), with Academy Award nominees Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff, Black Hawk Down) and Joan Allen (The Contender, Nixon). The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Robert Fraisse AFC (Enemy at the Gates, Vatel), editor Alan Heim A.C.E. (American History X, All That Jazz), production designer Sarah Knowles and costume designer Karyn Wagner (The Lone Ranger, The Salton Sea, The Majestic). Aaron Zigman (John Q., Fighting For Care) composed the score. Casting is by Matthew Barry, C.S.A. and Nancy Green-Keyes, C.S.A. New Line Cinema will release The Notebook (rated PG-13 by the M.P.A.A. for "some sexuality") nationwide on June 25th, 2004. [More]

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Sam Shepard, Joan Allen, James Marsden

Director: Nick Cassavetes

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Screenwriter: Jeremy Leven, Jan Sardi
Producer: Mark Johnson, Lynn Harris
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • The Notebook Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Notebook

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Cassavetes isn't much of a director and he never settles on a mood, which he seems intent on ruining with hiccups of goofiness. But there's an underlying humanity to his scenes, a sense that movies are made by people for other people.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/24/04
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

McAdam has an infective on-screen presence

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
06/24/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

who knew the skinhead of The Believer would have such romantic chemistry with the lead Mean Girl?

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
06/24/04
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Sweet and sentimental with a feel for the period in which the romance takes place.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
06/24/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

You can't write off The Notebook as just another tearjerker because the characters are brought to life in such elegant fashion.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
06/24/04
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Against your better judgment, you root for the pair to beat the odds against them.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
06/24/04
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you found The Bridges of Madison County too demanding, if you like your romance with an extra helping of syrup, then your movie has arrived.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
06/24/04
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

Sentimental hogwash, but it's hogwash with an insidious power.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
06/24/04
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

If there is a more cringe-inducing, badly made and excruciating movie released this year, it would have to not only star the Olsen twins, but be written and directed by them as well.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment 2 Comments
06/24/04
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

Garner is especially moving in his tender devotion to this hopeless case, and McAdams gives the kind of vivid, unfettered performance that marks the ascendance of a star.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
06/24/04
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Garner has a supporting role in The Notebook, but he's such a pleasure to watch that he elevates the quality of the entire film.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
06/24/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

It's a familiar theme, the young, hormone-crazed, star-crossed lovers, and it wouldn't be nearly so entertaining were it not for the considerable appeal of Gosling and McAdams, who forge a palpable chemistry.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
06/24/04
Phoebe Flowers
Phoebe Flowers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

If its performers do not always triumph over their material, it's a struggle that they make worth watching.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
06/24/04
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News

If it were a sandwich, it would be two slices of bread without filling. If it were a bridge, it would be two anchorages without a suspension in between. Nice anchorages, though.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
06/24/04
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

A very soggy movie.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
06/24/04
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

It will have many viewers bucketing tears until they are as dehydrated as Egyptian mummies.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
06/24/04
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Cassavetes's directing style is slow and stilted ... indicating yet again that his notion of moviemaking is the opposite of everything his father, the great John Cassavetes, stood for.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
06/24/04
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

This film vaults past our defenses. We can see the characters falling and staying in love, feel the reasons.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
06/24/04
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

Succeeds well enough on its own terms.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
06/24/04
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cassavettes wants this to be a love letter to Rowlands, his mother. She is luminous, and we believe she could inspire great love. Too bad it's not in a great movie.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
06/24/04
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Notebook

January 23, 2008: Ryan Gosling Starring in Jack Ryan Franchise Reboot?
Romantics swooned over him in The Notebook, and critics loved his turn as the doll-toting lead character in last year's Lars and the Real Girl -- and if the latest rumors are... More...

January 02, 2008: First Shots of Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler's Wife
The first stills from Robert Schwentke's adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife have surfaced online! More...

October 25, 2007: Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning Teaming Up for My Sister's Keeper
They aren't even in high school yet, but the Fanning sisters are already grizzled Hollywood veterans -- and now they're teaming up onscreen for the first time. More...

June 28, 2007: Ryan Gosling Signs On to Peter Jackson's "Lovely Bones"
The 27-year-old actor will be playing the husband to 36-year-old Rachel Weisz. They'll be playing the parents of a (dead) 14-year-old girl in the Peter Jackson pic. More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
156
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
63
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
39
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
25
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
21
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
21
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
13
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Notebook at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Notebook at IGN
  • The Notebook at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.