‘The Notebook’ 20th anniversary: Remembering the Rachel McAdams/Ryan Gosling love story

It’s the film that has made many a woman swoon, and solidified Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as romantic leads. “The Notebook” made its national debut on June 25, 2004, and has become a favorite love story for many movie fans. On this 20th anniversary, let’s look back two decades to see how Nicholas Sparks‘ novel came to the big screen.

Sparks was inspired by the six-decade marriage of his wife’s grandparents, and wanted to write a book capturing a longtime romance. “The Notebook” is a tender story of young forbidden love, heartbreaking separation and passionate reunion, mostly set in 1940s South Carolina, as told by Noah to his beloved Allie, who has been robbed of her memories by Alzheimer’s disease. The best-selling novel was published in 1996, and the film rights were sold not long after, but it would be nearly a decade before the production came together, with the likes of Steven Spielberg and George Clooney attached at various times. But in the end, two actors and a director with relatively short film resumes made their marks on cinema.

Nick Cassavetes was ultimately chosen to direct what was just his fourth feature film, and he went in search of an unknown and “not handsome” actor to portray the younger Noah. Gosling, who had begun his acting career a decade before as a child actor on Disney Channel’s “The Mickey Mouse Club” but had yet to achieve stardom, was cast as Noah. Then the search to find “his” Allie began; it proved challenging to find the right actress who would be the heart of the film and who had the required chemistry with Gosling.

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Several actresses were considered or auditioned for the role, including Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jane McGregor. Like Gosling, McAdams was not yet well-known to mainstream audiences, but she made it to the last round of auditions with one other, much more famous (at the time), celebrity: Britney Spears. Spears, who was at the height of her pop star fame and had costarred with Gosling on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” gave an impressive audition and was in serious contention for the role. However, McAdams won the part, and Cassavetes was tasked with making a profitable film with two lead actors with whom audiences were not very familiar. But both McAdams and Gosling committed themselves to properly conveying their Southern characters.

The two Canadian actors spent time in South Carolina prior to filming, adapting to the accent and learning the culture. McAdams took ballet and etiquette classes to capture the well-bred young Allie, while Gosling apprenticed under a carpenter to properly display Noah’s woodworking expertise, even making pieces of furniture used in the film — including a certain table that ends up holding some very special (and steamy) memories for Noah and Allie. Although Gosling and McAdams seem to have similar approaches to their craft, they apparently brought out the worst in each other on set, leading to some highly charged incidents. In fact, Gosling asked for a different actress to come in for an off-camera shot at one point. Did that combative relationship add to the fire on-screen? Whatever chemistry exploded between the two, they ended up creating one of the most passionate and memorable movie kisses of all time, and cemented themselves as romantic leads. The two also went on to date in real life for a couple of years following the release of the film.

It took two very special performers to carry Noah and Allie’s relationship into the golden years, and Cassavetes did not have to look far to find his older Allie. His mother Gena Rowlands is an acclaimed actress with two Academy Award nominations to her name (she was bestowed an honorary in 2016), and captures the Allie who has lost her memories to a dreadful disease, but in moments of clarity recognizes her longtime love. James Garner, who had spent decades developing a fan base with numerous TV and film roles, most notably “Maverick” (1957-1961) and “The Rockford Files” (1974-1980), made one of his last film appearances as Allie’s dedicated Noah, lovingly reminding her “I’ll Be Seeing You” before she slips back into her agitated state. The role earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Screen Actor Guild Awards.

From one of cinema history’s steamiest kisses to one of its most bittersweet movie endings, “The Notebook” won over audiences and became a sleeper hit, earning back its budget four times over, and making stars out of Gosling and McAdams. McAdams had a double whammy that year, also gaining notice with her role as Regina George in “Mean Girls,” released a few months prior. Between the two films, she earned numerous Teen Choice and MTV Movie Award nominations, winning the MTV award for Best Kiss alongside Gosling. The couple, to everyone’s delight, recreated the iconic kiss onstage. Both have spent the 20 years since establishing themselves among the most sought-after and respected actors of their generation, with each pursuing diverse roles and garnering nominations among the most prestigious industry awards. Together, they will always hold a special place in many people’s hearts as Noah and Allie.

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