Day 19 - The Notebook
First Impressions:
Set in the Southern US during the 1940s, "The Notebook" is more of a rom-dram than rom-com with a touch of "Romeo and Juliet". The acting saves some horribly over-written lines.
"The Notebook" lays the foundation for "La La Land". Obviously casting Ryan Gosling is the biggest parallel. Then there is the old Hollywood aesthetic of "La La Land" which recalls fashions and settings of the 1940s. In "The Notebook" Noah shares Seb's affinity for jazz. Noah also pushes Allie to go to Sarah Lawrence in New York to pursue higher education much like how Seb pushes Mia to pursue her one-woman-show.
The main difference is that "The Notebook" has our protagonists die together while in "La La Land" they go their separate ways. I suppose "La La Land" could be interpreted as an alternate universe thread to "The Notebook"; if Allie had decided to marry Lon instead she would have become Mia.
For me, suspension of disbelief momentarily falls when Allie invites Noah's lover in for breakfast and his now ex-lover leaves inspired by the love between Noah and Allie. Personally, I would be kind of pissed off. She is an ideal character for "Left Sole(s)". Lon Hammond too.
Personal Reflections:
"...But in spite their differences, they had one important thing in common, they were crazy about each other."
"The Notebook" explores "meant to be" versus "should be", and firmly takes the side of "meant to be". The road of "meant to be" is filled with arguments. Noah wisely says that their life together will be hard. I was reminded of one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs, Tangled up in Blue - "Her folks they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough." Noah acknowledges this and adds that he wants to work at it everyday because he wants to be with Allie. So from "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Notebook", arguments are normal. You may never agree with the person you're with but you are willing to work together.
"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day"
I always assumed couples should be 80-90% in agreement. Having this assumption challenged I can see that in dissent other or better options arise from having a panoramic view of the issue. If you both agree on almost everything then there is little opportunity to improve and grow. So then what is more important is mutual admiration and respect.
Stalker or committed suitor? This seems to be a fine line and a topic often discussed vis a vis "Twilight". In comparison, "The Notebook" is stalker-lite. Noah basically stalks Allie during their courtship, following her to the ferris wheel and threatening to let go if she won't agree to a date, following her while she walks about town, and later following her to her new place and watching her through a window. There is a subtlety to reading the signs: they both feel something and know the other has felt it. But how would you know if you are not in a rom-com/dram if the other person feels the same? Because the real difference between being a stalker and a committed suitor is mutual interest.
"That's my sweetheart in there. Wherever she is, that's where my home is."
Faith. Noah writes 365 letters to Allie, which one might say is a point in the stalker column. He builds his dream house, keeping the piano which bore witness to their initial tryst. Then he builds a notebook compiling their time together. Noah's faith that Allie will return is why I love "The Notebook". I know I am being emotionally manipulated but I can't help falling for it. Allie is first physically absent from his life and then mentally; throughout it all, Noah never leaves her. They even die together *swoon*
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Omniscient narrator.
2. Rain scene. I now realize why so many K-Pop videos feature rain scenes; the rain is a cleansing. Pretenses of their hypothetical lives fall away leaving only the true love they have for each other.
3. Opposites attract.
Soundtrack:
Nothing of note.
Set in the Southern US during the 1940s, "The Notebook" is more of a rom-dram than rom-com with a touch of "Romeo and Juliet". The acting saves some horribly over-written lines.
"The Notebook" lays the foundation for "La La Land". Obviously casting Ryan Gosling is the biggest parallel. Then there is the old Hollywood aesthetic of "La La Land" which recalls fashions and settings of the 1940s. In "The Notebook" Noah shares Seb's affinity for jazz. Noah also pushes Allie to go to Sarah Lawrence in New York to pursue higher education much like how Seb pushes Mia to pursue her one-woman-show.
The main difference is that "The Notebook" has our protagonists die together while in "La La Land" they go their separate ways. I suppose "La La Land" could be interpreted as an alternate universe thread to "The Notebook"; if Allie had decided to marry Lon instead she would have become Mia.
For me, suspension of disbelief momentarily falls when Allie invites Noah's lover in for breakfast and his now ex-lover leaves inspired by the love between Noah and Allie. Personally, I would be kind of pissed off. She is an ideal character for "Left Sole(s)". Lon Hammond too.
Personal Reflections:
"...But in spite their differences, they had one important thing in common, they were crazy about each other."
"The Notebook" explores "meant to be" versus "should be", and firmly takes the side of "meant to be". The road of "meant to be" is filled with arguments. Noah wisely says that their life together will be hard. I was reminded of one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs, Tangled up in Blue - "Her folks they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough." Noah acknowledges this and adds that he wants to work at it everyday because he wants to be with Allie. So from "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Notebook", arguments are normal. You may never agree with the person you're with but you are willing to work together.
"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day"
I always assumed couples should be 80-90% in agreement. Having this assumption challenged I can see that in dissent other or better options arise from having a panoramic view of the issue. If you both agree on almost everything then there is little opportunity to improve and grow. So then what is more important is mutual admiration and respect.
Stalker or committed suitor? This seems to be a fine line and a topic often discussed vis a vis "Twilight". In comparison, "The Notebook" is stalker-lite. Noah basically stalks Allie during their courtship, following her to the ferris wheel and threatening to let go if she won't agree to a date, following her while she walks about town, and later following her to her new place and watching her through a window. There is a subtlety to reading the signs: they both feel something and know the other has felt it. But how would you know if you are not in a rom-com/dram if the other person feels the same? Because the real difference between being a stalker and a committed suitor is mutual interest.
"That's my sweetheart in there. Wherever she is, that's where my home is."
Faith. Noah writes 365 letters to Allie, which one might say is a point in the stalker column. He builds his dream house, keeping the piano which bore witness to their initial tryst. Then he builds a notebook compiling their time together. Noah's faith that Allie will return is why I love "The Notebook". I know I am being emotionally manipulated but I can't help falling for it. Allie is first physically absent from his life and then mentally; throughout it all, Noah never leaves her. They even die together *swoon*
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Omniscient narrator.
2. Rain scene. I now realize why so many K-Pop videos feature rain scenes; the rain is a cleansing. Pretenses of their hypothetical lives fall away leaving only the true love they have for each other.
3. Opposites attract.
Soundtrack:
Nothing of note.
Comments
Post a Comment