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"THE NOTEBOOK" (2004) (Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy Mild Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Moderate Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: A senior citizen hopes that his reading of a story about young, star-crossed lovers in the 1940s might rekindle a nursing home resident's faded memories. PLOT: Duke (JAMES GARNER) is a senior citizen who routinely reads stories to a nursing home patient (GENA ROWLANDS) whose senile dementia has robbed her of most of her memories. One such story goes back to 1940 when 17-year-old socialite Allie Hamilton (RACHEL MCADAMS) arrives in town and immediately draws the attention of townies Noah Calhoun (RYAN GOSLING) and his best friend Fin (KEVIN CONNOLLY). Noah goes out of his way to impress her, and after some prodding, the two eventually go out on a date and are soon lovers. That doesn't sit well with Allie's snobbish mother, Anne (JOAN ALLEN), who tries to persuade her millionaire husband John (DAVID THORNTON) that the poor Noah is no good for their daughter. Noah's single, working class father, Frank (SAM SHEPARD), doesn't feel the same way and likes what he sees in Allie. Yet, with her going off far away to attend college, the romance seems doomed. To make sure that's a reality, Allie's mom packs up the family and returns home early, and then keeps Noah's many letters from reaching her. Years pass and when not seeing war widow Martha Shaw (JAMIE ANNE BROWN), Noah has spent most of his time refurbishing an old manor in hopes that it might somehow bring Allie back to him. She meanwhile has met and become engaged to war veteran Lon Hammond (JAMES MARSDEN), who comes from Southern money. Yet, the two haven't forgotten about each other. As Max continues reading the story to his nursing home friend, he hopes that its tale of rekindled love might bring back some of her memories. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or period melodramas/love stories, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some sexuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: RYAN GOSLING plays a young, working class man who finds himself drawn forever to Allie. He ends up sleeping with her (and Martha) and dealing with her long absence from his life. He briefly uses some profanity. RACHEL MCADAMS plays his young, socialite lover who's ripped from her romance with him by her mother, but must later choose between him (with whom she has sex) and her fiancé. JAMES GARNER plays a senior citizen dedicated to reading stories to a nursing home patient in hopes that they'll help her remember who she is. GENA ROWLANDS plays a nursing home resident suffering from senile dementia that's left her with nearly no memories of her past. She briefly uses some profanity. JAMES MARSDEN plays Allie's fiancé, a rich war veteran who must deal with her being drawn back to Noah. KEVIN CONNOLLY plays Noah's best friend who goes off to war with him. JOAN ALLEN plays Allie's snobbish mother who thinks Noah is beneath her daughter socially and does what she can to make sure the romance dies. DAVID THORNTON plays her rich husband who smokes a few times, but isn't quite as uptight about the romance as his wife is. JAMIE ANNE BROWN plays a war widow who's something of Noah's boyfriend (with whom she sleeps), but realizes he longs for someone else. SAM SHEPARD plays Noah's laidback father who briefly uses some profanity and accepts Allie into their home. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of various expletives (no "f" or "s" words), while colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as are several steamy sexual encounters (with disrobing, making out and partially seen sex with movement, sounds and partial nudity). Other scenes show couples making out and other sex is implied, while a brief shot shows various young military men standing completely nude with their hands covering their crotches. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including affairs and a snobbish mother being overbearing toward her teenage daughter. That leads to some tense family moments, while a senior citizen must deal with his wife's senility. A brief scene shows war violence and one soldier is killed (no blood), while a teen hits, slaps and otherwise strikes her boyfriend several times. Various instances of imitative behavior are also present, while some characters drink and/or smoke. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE John makes an off-color joke about what sounded like living with whores, prompting Anne to joke that they should take the liquor decanter from him. Lon, Allie and others have champagne or wine at a dance. Voice over narration states that Noah got rip roaring drunk for ten days after he finished rebuilding his house. We see a beer by Noah. Martha and Noah have drinks or some other beverage on ice in bed. We see Allie sitting in a filled bathtub in a wedding dress, holding what's presumably a drink. Lon has a drink. Noah has a beer. As Allie and Noah have beer, she jokes that she's a cheap drunk. Noah and Allie have wine. BLOOD/GORE We see Lon with various dried cuts and bruises on his face (after apparently being injured in the war). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Allie's mom states that Allie's relationship with Noah must stop and that while the boy is nice, he's trash and thus not appropriate for her. Allie's mom intercepts and keeps the hundreds of letters that Noah has sent her. Allie and Noah end up having sex (thus she cheats on her fiancé and he cheats on his girlfriend). Lon half-jokingly states that one of his options of dealing with Noah (and Allie's attraction to him) is that he can shoot him. FRIGHTENING SCENES Noah lies down on the road in the middle of an intersection of his small town (saying there's no traffic at night). He then persuades Allie to do the same. A car then suddenly appears and they barely get out of the way in time (she then laughs about the experience). Distraught and distracted while driving down the road, Allie drives into the path of an approaching truck and has to swerve out of the way. An older woman panics when her mind goes out again and she doesn't recognize the man with her (she becomes frightened and yells, and staff have to restrain and sedate her). We see an older man being rushed off on a gurney (after hearing he previously had two heart attacks), but we later see him alive. For those sensitive to such matters, several older characters die during the film. GUNS/WEAPONS We see some brief World War II violence with a fighter plane strafing the land and some explosions going off, sending some soldiers flying through the air. We then see that at least one such soldier has apparently died. Noah cocks a shotgun, prompting some would-be buyers to race off his property. Lon half-jokingly states that one of his options of dealing with Noah (and Allie's attraction to him) is that he can shoot him. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Jerk," "You idiot," "You're not so cocky now, are you?" "Jeez," what sounded like "whores," "Gigantic piece of crap," "Go to hell," "Stick it where the sun don't shine," "Tramp," "Your word is shot to hell," "Bastard," "You arrogant son of a bitch," "Pain in the ass" and "Kick the crap out of him." A teen wears a halter-like top that shows cleavage and her midriff. To get Allie's attention, Noah runs and jumps into a car of a Ferris Wheel that's in motion. When told that three people can't be in one car, he climbs out (the wheel is now stationary) and hangs from a rung with both hands and then just one. He does so to get Allie to agree to go out with him. Noah lies down on the road in the middle of an intersection of his small town (saying there's no traffic at night). He then persuades Allie to do the same. A car then suddenly appears and they barely get out of the way in time (she then laughs about the experience). He then persuades Allie to dance with him in the middle of an intersection of his small town. Noah persuades Allie to swing out on a rope and then drop into a lake. Noah opens the door and jumps from a moving bus after he spots Allie. Noah cocks a shotgun, prompting some would-be buyers to race off his property. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 5 damns, 2 asses, 2 craps, 2 hells, 2 S.O.B.s, 3 uses of "G-damn," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY A teen wears a halter-like top that shows cleavage and her midriff. As Noah hangs on a rung in front of a car at the top of a stationary Ferris Wheel (to get Allie to agree to go out with him), she playfully undoes and then pulls down his pants as he hangs there (we see him in his boxers). Fin and his girlfriend kiss outside a movie theater and then make out inside it as the movie plays. Allie runs and jumps onto Noah as he stands, wrapping her legs around his waist (both are clothed) and kisses him. We then see several shots of them kissing. Allie wears a modest, period style bikini top at the beach. We then see her with her legs wrapped around Noah's waist as he stands in the surf and the two kiss. Allie's friend wears a bikini style top. Allie and Noah make out in a truck and he appears to pat or reach out to her clothed butt as she gets out. John makes an off-color joke about what sounded like living with whores, prompting Anne to joke that they should take the liquor decanter from him. Noah and Allie passionately make out while standing against a wall and he puts his hands on her clothed breasts. They then decide to go off to an abandoned estate where he puts a blanket on the floor. They passionately kiss while standing (with some heavy breathing) and she tells him, "Make love to me." Both then stand opposite each other and begin to undress. He gets down to his boxers and she to her bra and slip. We then see the two in just separate head and shoulders shots where we see the movement of her removing her bra and slip and him his boxers. Both then stare at the other's body and we then see an overhead and side view of him on top of her (head and shoulders only). She nervously gets chatty and asks what he's thinking about as we see slight movement on his part as well as partial brief glimpses of the side of her bare breast (most such views are blocked by their arms in the dark and shadows). Her talking eventually distracts him and he gets off her and sits up, as does she (we see her bare back). Fin then bursts in and says that the police are looking for her, and nothing else sexual happens. Anne states that Allie's romance with Noah will result in the teen being either heartbroken or pregnant. We see a very brief shot of various young men standing completely nude with their hands covering their crotches (in a military barracks right after joining or being drafted). As a wounded patient, Lon asks out Allie, joking that his intentions are completely dishonorable. Anne wears a period style, low-cut dress to a dance. We see Martha in bed with Noah (lying side by side and under the covers). She then gets up and we see her bare back as well as a partial glimpse of part of the side of her bare breast as she puts on a robe. A woman tells Allie that Lon won't be able to keep his eyes or hands off Allie when he sees her in her wedding dress. When Allie visits Noah many years later, he comments about the memories of them in his house and she asks if they're in the room where they earlier fooled around. Allie and Noah passionately make out and then go into his house where they do the same up against the wall. She then undoes his pants and he carries her upstairs. We see her bare back as he lays her down as well as close-ups of her legs as he sensuously removes her stockings. There's heavy breathing, more passionate kissing and a head and shoulders shot of him on top of her. There's some movement and we then see a side view of both of them sitting up (her on his lap) with some movement (but no explicit nudity). When they're done, she exhaustedly asks, "All of this time, that's what I was missing?" She then says, "Let's do it again" and crawls on top of him. Some time later, they wake up and she playfully gets on top of him on the floor and kisses him again (no nudity). The following morning we see Allie in bed and she then gets up with just the sheet around her. After finding painting supplies, we then see a shot of her (from behind) showing her seated topless and painting outdoors (the sheet is around her waist). We see her bare back and just a partial glimpse of her bare breast (from behind, the side and a distance). Allie sarcastically asks her mother (about the above), "So now I'm a tramp?" Noah complains to Allie that after she "made love" to him that she's now going back to her husband (really her fiancé). SMOKING John smokes a few times (cigar and pipe), Noah and Lon each smoke once, and a miscellaneous person smokes a cigar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Allie gets mad at her parents for sending the police out looking for her when she was with Noah. There's some arguing (especially between mother and daughter). We briefly see a family funeral where a major character's father has died. Martha briefly mentions losing her husband in the war. A man must deal with his wife's deteriorating mental condition (she usually doesn't recognize him). A man must deal with his fiancé suddenly getting back together with a former lover. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Mismatched romances (from different social strata, etc.). We hear that Noah used to stutter, but that reading poetry helped him. Anne says that her daughter has too much spirit for a girl of her circumstance. Anne states that Allie's romance with Noah will result in the teen being either heartbroken or pregnant. We see that the Hamilton family has black servants (in the 1940s). Senile dementia. First love. Longing for someone from your past. For those sensitive to such matters, several older characters die during the film. VIOLENCE Allie pushes and slaps Noah, but the two then kiss. Allie pushes, slaps at and whacks Noah repeatedly when thinking that he's breaking up with her. Noah partially drives into the large gate at the home where Allie was staying (he appears to damage it). We see some brief World War II violence with a fighter plane strafing the land and some explosions going off, sending some soldiers flying through the air. We then see that at least one such soldier has apparently died. Allie accidentally drives through Noah's wood fence. Reviewed June 1, 2004 / Posted June 25, 2004