“The Notebook” is the story of a boy from the poor side of the tracks who – predictably – falls for a beautiful, rich girl. What is not so predictable is how far he’ll go to prove they were meant to be together.

Rachel McAdams stars as sheltered Southern Belle, Allie Hamilton. Allie pays a visit to Seabrook, North Carolina to see her family and while there, Noah Calhoun  works his ‘small-town boy’ charms on her. Despite disparate backgrounds, the two find they’ve got a lot in common, including a zest for life – and their need to drive each other crazy. Over the span of a hot North Carolina summer, Allie and Noah fall passionately in love.

But all doesn’t go smoothly for the mismatched pair of lovebirds. Allie’s mom puts the kibosh on their relationship, sending Allie off to school and out of Noah’s reach. Still Noah persists until finally, seven long years later, Allie returns to Seabrook and must choose between her rich, handsome fiancée (James Marsden) and her first love, the equally handsome but not-so-wealthy, Noah.

Noah’s character is so much more romantic in the movie than in the book. Do not get me wrong, Noah always loves Allie, but writing one love letter a day for a year before giving up is much more intense than writing a letter once a month for seven years. In the book it feels like Noah regards Allie as an old pen pal, but in the movie it seems as if he cannot live without her. It is also very dramatic because Noah sends off his very last love letter right before leaving for war, whereas in the movie Noah sent his last love letter in 1939 and did not enlist in the war until 1941! The timeline has been shortened for the movie, which makes it easier for younger audiences to relate too.

On the other hand I love the spirituality of the book and how Noah regards Allie, which is an element that is somewhat missing in the movie. Yes Allie and Noah had a red hot reunion, but the focus of the movie seems to be more about the physicality than their spiritual connection. In the book Noah kept the painting Allie made for him fourteen years earlier and admires it on his wall, whereas her fiance was not very excited about a similar piece she painted for him. Thus, we can see the deeper connection between Allie and Noah in the book than in the movie. Although in the movie Noah gives Allie a set of paints because he knows she feels most free when she is painting, but even that scene does not go as deep as the book. I love the description in the book of how Noah puts up with Allie getting paint on furniture and around the house during their marriage, which shows the pet peeves couples have to put up with in life long relationships. Thus, both the book and the movie have their strong points, but you will never know unless you read the book and/or watch the movie.

The filmmakers got it right when they chose Gosling, McAdams, Marsden, James Garner and Gena Rowlands. Each of these actors is pitch-perfect. Each brings a freshness to these characters. Even though we’ve seen the same types of characters before, these actors makes them feel interesting and unique.

“The Notebook” is a gentle romantic tale in the midst of blockbuster action films and goofball comedies. It could be argued that releasing it in mid-June is counter-programming at its best, giving adults who don’t want their senses assailed by CGI special effects a real choice at the box office. But you have to wonder if “The Notebook” would have stood a better chance of finding the right audience had it been released later in the year, when moviegoers are really ready for more intense storytelling, than during the crowded summer months.

For a movie that might have plunged full-scale into bathos, ”The Notebook” tries to remain restrained. The camera caresses the lush Southern landscape of blood-red sunsets and flocks of ducks, and Aaron Zigman’s romantic score drizzles only a light coating of syrup over the ice cream.

“The Notebook” isn’t just a film for women. It’s a movie for anyone who wants to get lost in a beautiful story, for anyone who believes romance is still alive on film.

Note : It is rated PG-18 for some sexuality.