The Notebook

Adapted from a novel by Nicholas Sparks--who never met a romantic cliché, dramatic contrivance, transparent plot point, or insipid line of dialogue he didn't love--this self-serious soap opera is clogged with melodramatic treacle. Summer, 1940: when a beautiful, privileged Southern debutante falls in love with an earthy young mill worker, her high-and-mighty parents object. He writes every day, but her mother intercepts the letters, and the heartbroken girl doesn't find out until seven years later--when she's about to marry a generically-handsome war-hero Mr. Wonderful--that the heartbroken boy never stopped thinking about her, etc. However, even though The Notebook boasts not one single millisecond of originality, the beguiling, apple-cheeked Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls) and fervent, philosophical Ryan Gosling (The Believer) bring so much depth and emotional gravitas to their roles that it's hard not to become invested in their affair (James Garner and Gena Rowlands are also splendid in a contemporary wrap-around involving the latter's bout with Alzheimer's disease). A trite film, but also a shining example of how great acting can overcome even the worst script, The Notebook is a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentaries (one by director Nick Cassavetes, the other by author Nicholas Sparks), 12 deleted/alternate scenes with optional commentary by editor Alan Heim (28 min.), the featurettes “All in the Family: Nick Cassavetes” (12 min.), “Southern Exposure: Locating The Notebook” (12 min.), “Nicholas Sparks: A Simple Story, Well Told” (7 min.), and “Casting Ryan & Rachel” (4 min.), a four-minute screen test for costar Rachel McAdams, a soundtrack spot, a trailer, and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a better-than-expected film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Jan. 20, 2009—New Line, 124 min., PG-13, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's The Notebook (Limited Edition) sports a great transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to the previous DVD release, including audio commentaries (one by director Nick Cassavetes, the other by author Nicholas Sparks), 12 deleted/alternate scenes with optional commentary by editor Alan Heim (28 min.), the featurettes “All in the Family: Nick Cassavetes” (12 min.), “Southern Exposure” on location (12 min.), “Nicholas Sparks: A Simple Story, Well Told” (7 min.), and “Casting Ryan & Rachel” (4 min.), a four-minute screen test for costar Rachel McAdams, and trailers. Also being released on standard DVD, the “limited edition” giftset includes—in addition—a 46-page photo and scrapbook album, stickers and photo corners to add to your own photos, two themed bookmarks, and a set of 16 notecards and envelopes. Bottom line: the one-user goodies of the “giftset” make this so-so love story a poor choice for library collections, especially since the Blu-ray disc itself is buried in the photo album.]