A future classic with a very powerful message

Rating: 9/10 (10 August 2004)

This movie caught my eye before it's release since I am a big fan of Ryan Gosling and Sam Shepard. I figured it would be the common "girlie relationship movie", since I have not read the book and I only saw the movie poster. Sure, this movie is somewhat of a "girlie relationship movie", but I think that the story is very unique and powerful, and can really make you think about what you really want and care about. I really don't want to get into a summary of the plot and that sort of thing, so if you really want to know what the movie is about, please go see it, or read the novel it is based on. All I can tell you is this movie really can grab you if you allow it to. I really enjoyed watching Gosling and Shepard in this movie, but unfortunately someone else stole the show. Rachel McAdams as Allie. Wow. The idea of this character made me lose my mind. Sure, she did the whole "play hard to get" thing in the beginning, but WOW, when she lets her defenses down, the person she turns into was absolutely amazing. You could tell she was head over heels in love, and not with herself. She was completely memorized by another human being that complemented her perfectly, and she did not care how different they were in society's eyes. She loved another with all of her heart, and the one she loved felt the exact same way she did. 3 scenes from this movie really stand out in my mind, and so that I am not ruining the movie for those that have not seen it yet, I will abbreviate: 1. Piano-floor in old house, 2. Wedding dress-newspaper-bathtub scene, and 3. James Garner explaining to his family scene. These 3 scenes are what love should be all about, and nothing less. In conclusion, I don't care if you are a guy or girl, go see this if you haven't yet. It may teach you something in answering this question: Do you follow your heart?