Bring the whole box!

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2004)

For anyone who may remember the Coca-Cola Young Filmmaker trailers that used to run before movies, flash back to the one in which all the women exit the theatre sobbing and wailing, and then the men all go to the men's bathroom and the scene inside is of all the formerly stoic men weeping copiously and comforting each other.
I can't speak for the men's room, but after The Notebook, there were no less than six women in the ladies' room passing each other paper towels and crying.
It's purely amazing, the variety of sounds people make clearing their nasal passages in sad movies.
That said, The Notebook isn't necessarily a great movie; at times it's far too over-invested in either its own cuteness, or worse yet, wallowing in histrionics. (The only person in this whole movie who maintains the ability to cry with dignity is the always amazing, arctic Joan Allen.) It has a few young director flaws (Hey, Mom, look at me!) the most prevalent being the camera stays on the women at the expense of the men; there's a very lovely scene between Ryan Gosling and Rachael McAdams in which poor Ryan Gosling is lit like Dracula and seen only from the side. Unless he couldn't stop laughing, I'd have liked to see his face, too.
The story is simple, and there's only one explosion. It's a gentle, loving movie, and a true oasis in a summer of whizbang special effects. There's more genuine emotion and chemistry between all FOUR of the leads than in any other movie so far this summer- and I include Dunst and Maguire in that list.
It's a good watch, and a good "sad" time. Bring the whole box of tissues. You'll be wanting them. I'll be the one with the Puffs.