The Notebook–all about choices, all about life

Posted on May 8, 2008
Filed Under LIFE, Parenting and Family, Reviews, That's Entertainment | Viewed 397 times

I found myself again watching The Notebook, this time with daughter Angela and her high school classmates. I have lost count of how many times I have seen it. Young as they are, I must have heard sniffles and seen tears fall down their youthful faces, ooohs and aaaahs in between. They finished the movie to the very end, and perhaps, just like me, they would watch it all over again.

What is interesting is that the movie does not focus too much on the time the couple had with each other, rather, on the time they spent apart from each other. Remember Sleepless in Seattle? Sleepless in Seattle, though, had the couple meeting only toward the end of the movie. This is a different story, and kinda veering away from the topic, let’s keep it at that in the meantime.

The movie showed a lot of issues beleaguering young couples, like parents manipulating the lives of their helpless daughters, giving them no choices, hiding the real facts, even separating them miles and miles apart. Yes, mothers know best, we always say, including saying that in the end, our children wil realize their restless follies, acknowledging that indeed mothers know best. There are lots of mothers who just do not want their daughters, and sons for that matter, to suffer in the hands of guys who are not in the same stature as they are. Some mothers do not want guys who seem not have the qualities they want for their daughters.

The mother in this story has kept the letters that the young guy sent to the girl everyday—day in and day out for many months, until the guy finally gave up, until the girl also finally gave up thinking that the guy has fallen out of love with her, and the guy thinking the same. In fairness to the mother, she gave all the letters to her daughter on the very day that she was about to make the decision that would change her life forever.

The movie depicted intense young love, passion, it also showed how the couples coped with their situation, how they finally seemed to accept their fate and move on, until by twist of fate they would meet again—when the girl was already committed to her own partner, by way of engagement, while the guy was into something with a neighbor, a simple girl, too difficut to hurt.

Meeting each other again of course stirred not only memories of the past, bitterness, too, but also of the love long kept at bay. And being in love as they were, seeing the dreams of the past being fulfilled, like the house the guy strove hard to build from a dilapidated building—all in its beauty and splendor now, the way they dreamt it to be, they had lapses—they forgot that they were already committed.

For a while the girl had an internal struggle—she was already engaged, and tried to keep her commitment. The guy, out of frustration perhaps tried so hard to put “sense” into her, and asked the critical do or die question, “what do you want?” Made her really stop and think, what does she really like out of her life.

The movie is not only about young love, it is also about the love that has matured out of the union, the togetherness, the company, the patience, tender love till their old age, and being together till the very end.

Thumbs up for the movie, especially for the romantics.

By the way, the writer who wrote The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks, is the same author of Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember (thanks, Kyels), see the connection? One of these days, I will not only write blogs—write a book, perhaps.

Comments

9 Responses to “The Notebook–all about choices, all about life”

TONY JOAQUIN on May 9th, 2008 11:20 am

Good for you, Dine. When you do write that book, allow me to help out..in any way I can…especially about LOVE…the most misthought element in life…by so many.

Love,

Tony
Gina on May 9th, 2008 10:21 pm

I’ve become a big fan of Rachel Adams after I’ve watched this movie. The ‘cry baby’ that I am, I did cry through the movie. What A love story!
Kyels on May 10th, 2008 8:01 pm

He wrote A Walk to Remember as well. That is my favorite book and movie; and people think I’m crazy b/c I’ve watched A Walk to Remember for more than 10 times … Seriously! Whenever I watch it I cry a bucketful of tears … I’m a sap. I love the movie b/c it taught me about hope, love, and life. The same as The Notebook.

(:
ghee on May 10th, 2008 11:36 pm

same here..i watch it again and again and will watch again in the future…

i may say that the book moved me a lot more than the movie,I cried a bucket when I was reading it.

happy mothers day,Dine!!

ghee
Princess on May 11th, 2008 1:48 am

Haven’t watched any movie for quite sometime now. Thanks for the info now I will have something to cuddle in with hubby tonite.

Just dropped by to wish a great MOM a Happy Mother’s Day
Have a great day, Dine.

Princess
Rach (Heart of Rachel) on May 11th, 2008 2:03 am

I’ve watched this heartwarming movie many times too. It never fails to make me cry.

A book would be a great project for you Dine.

Happy Mother’s Day my friend.
raqgold on May 11th, 2008 4:18 am

i havent seen that movie. actually, i havent seen any movie for a long time now might watch out for this though. happy mother’s day, sexymom!
annamanila on May 12th, 2008 1:54 am

I an told that it is a six-hankie movie. James Gardner, ha. Will try to catch it on home movie one of these days.
Justice on May 14th, 2008 10:02 pm

am not really a fan of reading but N. Sparks really did spark up that interest

I love the books you mentioned! True Love in it…