An elderly gentleman reads to a female companion from a notebook.

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2005)

I had read the book and was anxious to see the movie version of this wonderful love story. As it came nearer I found out who was in the film and so with the words from the novel in my head and as I watched this became real for me. James Garner has one of the best narratives that you ever want to hear. I felt I was the recipient of this telling and got involved in it. What was it about teen love? To win the heart of another? Get them together is what and who cares? Even with all of the films now and what you expect is happening in them, this is one that will get to your heart. The different backgrounds, the not so approval from the parents, what do we do kind of thing? And so these young lovers part and have to move on to live their lives. The war is going on and all and then Noah goes to make something of himself. Allie finds out he has restored a plantation and she goes out of curiosity to see him and finds that she still loves him. But she is engaged to be married and he has been dating a young widow. But things have way of working out and due to misunderstanding and parental protection of not getting some letters to her, she has to choose over two men. The present day meshes nicely from the flashbacks and you think that the older Allie isn't remembering her past, but she does and then she realizes the man reading to her is her husband Noah. She is pleased to discover he went with her wishes of reading to her in her state of dementia and for a few minutes she is normal again. But with her illness she is scared and gets panic attacks and doesn't know the man. He is broken up and suffers a mild stroke and is gone for a while, but she looks for the man who befriended her. She is asleep and he comes to her room and tells her he loves her. She remembers him and they are together against the rules but what is love? To have this love forever... and Noah cherishes the times she knows him in the place they are and he isn't leaving her. The promise was to read to her to have her remember. It's sweet and the actors make you feel you know the characters.. it's mushy and it's teary and it's straight forward and it's wonderfully written and directed.