When it comes to romantic movies, "The Notebook" is arguably the blueprint. Based on the acclaimed bestselling novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, the film follows a captivating love story that withstands trials and hardships across many years.
In the present day, an elderly man named Duke (James Garner) agrees to read a love story to a woman in their nursing home. Meanwhile, back in 1940, Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) meets 17-year-old Allie Hamilton at a carnival and falls for her right away. Noah comes from a humble background and works as a mill worker while Allie comes from a rich family. The two spend their summer together and fall in love, against the wishes of Allie's family, whose protestations ultimately break them up. The movie follows how Allie and Noah reconnect years later as they try to rekindle their love story, and by the end, a mind-blowing connection between the 1940s couple and Duke is revealed.
