Getty
The Notebook was the romantic film to watch in the early 2000s. Based on the 1996 novel by Nicolas Sparks, the iconic film starred Ryan Gosling as poor lumber mill worker Noah and Rachel McAdams in her break-out role as heiress Allie Hamilton. Our enduring love for this film is bittersweet, because it’s damn near impossible to watch without crying! Let’s relive everything that made The Notebook one of the greatest love movies of all time (we’d say Spoiler Alert, but surely you’ve seen it by now!) and share with you our list of movies similar to this classic tearjerker.
The plot of The Notebook
Video: The Notebook trailer (released 2004)
In the present day, an elderly man reads a romance story from a notebook to a fellow patient. As he reads, the audience are transported back to the town of Seabrook, South Carolina in the 1940s, and the elderly man becomes the film’s narrator. We meet impoverished (yet optimistic) lumbermill worker Noah Calhoun, who claps eyes on the wealthy heiress Allison “Allie” Hamilton at a town carnival. Once he convinced her to go out with him, they have a summer love affair. However, Allie’s parents disapprove of Noah because he can bring no money or security to the relationship and they whisk her back to their main house in the city. Determined, Noah writes to Allie every day for a year but Allie’s mother intercepts the letters and prevents them from ever reaching her daughter. So when Allie meets wounded soldier, Captain Lon Hammond Jr., she is easily persuaded that Noah was just her first love and is no longer worth pursuing.
Lon is young lawyer who comes from a rich, respectable family, and so when Lon and Allie get engaged her parents are thrilled. Noah returns from WWII and while visiting Charleston he seeings Allie and Lon kissing in a restaurant. Noah convinces himself that if he refurbishes Allie’s dream house, she will come back to him. He sets about returning the house to it’s former glory, and while Allie is getting fitted for her wedding dress she sees in a newspaper that Noah has completed the house to the exact specifications she dreamed of during their brief relationship.
Allie returns to Seabrook to see the work Noah has done. They passionately rekindle their relationship, leaving Allie torn because she knows she has a fiancé. Unexpectedly, Allie’s mother arrives in Seabrook to warn Allie that Lon is looking for her and that she will need to make a decision. Her mother confides in her that when she was younger, she loved a man who was below her social standing and has always thought about what her life would have been like if she had married for love. She then gives Allie Noah’s letters and admits she kept them from her. Allie ultimately tells Lon that she cannot go through with their marriage, and returns to be with Noah.
When we return to the present day, we learn that the woman being told the story is Allie. She has dementia, and our narrator has been Noah all the long. When Allie first realised she would lose her memory, she asked Noah to re-read her journals to her so that she would be able to recall their romance and life together. Now, Allie no longer recognises her husband or her own story due to the perils of the disease. One evening, she briefly remembers who Noah is but quickly forgets and becomes frightened and confused. In the panic, the nursing home staff sedate Allie, and the traumatic nature of the situation causes Noah to have a heart attack. Noah visits Allie’s room in the hospital at midnight, and once again she remembers him. He reminds her that with their love, they’ll be able to conquer all things. In the morning, a nurse discovers that Noah and Allie have died in their sleep with their hands still clasped together.
The Best Scenes
1. Noah persuades Allie to date him
2. The rowboat scene
3. “Why didn’t you write me?”
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams won the 2005 MTV Award for Best Kiss and the Teen Choice Awards for Best Liplock, Best Love Scene and Best Chemistry. They reenacted their kiss at the MTV Movie Awards and it made for sizzling viewing.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams win MTV’s Best Kiss Award
Ryan and Rachel dated from mid-2005-mid-2007 and then again in 2008, so it seems like starring in such a passionate love story ignited real feelings between them. While the film’s ratings are much to write home about (7.9/10 on IMDb and 53% on Rotten Tomatoes) people love the storyline for what it is. It’s not a film that’s pretending to be complex or intellectual, it’s a classic love story. The idea that a love can last a lifetime appeals to all people, and watching a husband continue to care for his wife despite the cruel ravenges of dementia gets you right in the feels every time. People love the film so much, that when Netflix accidentally uploaded the film with an alternate ending there was uproar!
Best Movies Like The Notebook
If date night is on the horizon, check out our film list for both new and classic soppy films that are ideal to watch with your significant other. On the flip side, these are also the best romantic films to watch with your gang of friends. If all of you have just had enough of real life relationships and wish you were in one with a fictional character instead, break out the popcorn and Malteasers because these movies are escapism at its finest.
11. Safe Haven
Safe Haven (2013)
Overview: This romantic drama/thriller sees Erin flee her abusive husband, only to meet widower Alex. Will the threats of her ex-husband ruin their chances at finding love again?
Ratings: Safe Haven gets 6.7/10 on IMBb
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“I watched Safe Haven knowing that Nicholas Sparks wrote the story, and not having read the book. This movie completely exceeded my expectations. As I write this, the tears are drying on my face. I believed the chemistry was there with the actors and the romance had a good build-up (not rushed). I like that the story was easy to follow. The actions scenes were well-directed and realistic. I like how the story incorporates action, suspense, drama, and romance, all in one. What really moved (shocked) me was the ending. It was so beautiful and I just started bawling. It was so moving. As a whole, I really enjoyed this movie.”
The Notebook factor: Nicholas Spark’s wrote Safe Haven in 2010, so you can’t get much more similar to The Notebook formula than that! However, Safe Haven has more of a thriller element to it, and a touch of the supernatural, so in this way it does have an edge on The Notebook.
10. The Best of Me
The Best of Me (2014)
Overview: Dawson and Amanda meet again, 21 years after they ended their high school romance.
Ratings: The Best of Me gets 6.7/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
The Notebook factor: This is another Nicholas Spark’s book-turned movie and its got some strikingly similar plot factors. High school romance, parents violently disapprove of the union – treat this like The Notebook 2, the two films have that much in common.
9. The Last Song
The Last Song (2010)
Overview: Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Miller is sent to spend the summer with her father, who she has resented ever since her parents divorced. A talented pianist, Ronnie meets Will, a popular local boy, but will she mend the relationship she has with her father in time?
Ratings: The Last Song gets 5.9/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user put bad reviews down to people who were not fans of Miley Cyrus, who plays Ronnie alongside her future husband Liam Hemsworth –
“OK, Miley Cyrus isn’t the best actress in the world and she’s stuck to the Hanna Montana and so on kind of roles that she did. Even considering that, I don’t get why do people hate her this much! She had a quite acceptable performance in this movie. I’d give her a 6/10 stars rate, honestly believing that she’ll improve a lot through her life as an actress. BUT WAIT! I really think we should rate this movie considering all the other things that compose it: a well-written and really moving story, an amazing soundtrack, a BRILLIANT Bobby Coleman’s performance (WOOW! this kid will get very far in his career!) that almost made me shed a tear, a respectful cast, great landscapes and beautiful scenarios… There were some tiny moments with lack of total sense, and some slight errors of continuity, but totally harmless to the movie itself.“
The Notebook factor: This is another Nicholas Sparks novel, but considering co-stars Miley and Liam met on this set, starting dating, spent years broken up, got back together and then surprised us all by getting married with no warning – we’d say The Notebook factor is pretty high.
8. The Longest Ride
The Longest Ride (2015)
Overview: Luke Collins is a professional bull rider and Sophia Danko is an art lover with an internship in New York City. When they rescue an elderly man, Luke, from a car crash, their lives are changed forever.
Ratings: The Longest Ride gets 7.1/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“If you enjoyed other Nicolas Sparks movies, you will enjoy this one. It is heartwarming and one with integrity that depicts what it is to love someone unconditionally. It is a sweet, and sensual romance of a young couple struggling to come together while each follows their dreams. Sophia, wants to follow her passion of art, and Luke, follows his passion as the world’s best bull rider. Their love story is entwined with the memories of a relationship of love long ago, told and acted by Alan Alda, who plays Ira, as he reads letters he wrote to his dear wife, Ruth. The scenery of the movie is lovely, the bull riding is exciting, the script, thoughtful and touching. Have Kleenex on hand, you will cry. At the end of this movie the audience clapped because it was good all the way through.”
The Notebook factor: This film is best described as a Neo-Western romantic drama, so there is more of the cowboy gets the girl storyline present. But we do have some flashing between the present and WWII just like in The Notebook, and that’s where one of the biggest similarities lies.
7. An Affair To Remember
An Affair To Remember (1957)
Overview: Considered one of the best romantic films of all time, An Affair To Remember stars Hollywood heavyweights Carey Grant and Deborah Kerr. A chance meeting on a cruise liner brings them together, but will fate tear them apart?
Ratings: An Affair To Remember gets 7.5/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“There is a reason why “An Affair to Remember” has remained a classic over the years. It contains all the elements the audience is looking for in an entertaining film. It has two marvelous stars, a timeless plot, and it transports the audience to a different world.
I think it is almost impossible for a movie with Cary Grant in it to be anything other than first rate entertainment. Not only is he handsome, charming, and sophisticated, but he also knows how to grab the viewers’ attention and manage to keep. Each time we see his movies,connects with us in a way that fascinates us, and yet it is comforting and familiar. Deborah Kerr is a lady who knows how to capture the audience’s heart. She can always manage to get us rooting for her.
I love “An Affair to Remember” because it showcases the incomparable talents of my two favorite stars at their best. I know some people say that this movie is too sentimental and corny, but part of its allure is that it is not too realistic. It gives us an escape into the ideal world where everyone is good looking and charming. Nowadays, movies like to play on the realism of life. This movie is for all the romantics out there who are looking for a film to fall in love with!“
The Notebook factor: An Affair To Remember came well before The Notebook, so it would be wrong to strictly compare the former to the latter. However, it’s also one of the world’s most famous love stories, so it can’t be left off our list.
6. Dear John
Dear John (2010)
Overview: Staff Sergeant John Tyree is on leave from service in the army when he meets Savannah Curtis. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, John must return to fight in Afghanistan and the couple must decide if they are able to fight for their love.
Ratings: Dear John gets 6.3/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“Not having read anything about the film (or book) beforehand, I went into the cinema with no expectations, (though I was worried it might be a soppy, pull-at-the-heartstrings epic like The Notebook). This wasn’t the case. There were so many times when I thought ‘Oh, I hope this doesn’t happen’, or ‘I hope they don’t do what I think they’re going to do’, and they didn’t. There are moments of sadness, but some of them could have been made a lot worse. The story isn’t unique, (neither is The Notebook) but it is executed in a way that makes you feel as though you’re watching something new. Channing Tatum is the lovable beefcake reminiscent of Marky Mark, and Amanda Seyfried is cute, delivering well executed dialogue. And I did actually think they had good chemistry, despite what other reviewers have said. Channing’s John is an army boy who had a lot of issues growing up, so you can’t expect him to be overly forthcoming with his emotions.”
The Notebook factor: Think of this film as if The Notebook was set to the political backdrop of the early 2000s – that’s Dear John.
5. Me Before You
Me Before You (2016)
Overview: Unable to hold down a job, Louisa takes up a position as a carer for quadriplegic Will, a once active young man who was in a terrible accident.
Ratings: Me Before You gets 7.4/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
The movie really was adorable! I knew exactly what to expect since I read the book, but I loved the adaptation. What helps the movie most is that the novelist, Jojo Moyees, wrote her own screenplay. She did a great job transitioning the story from paper to screen. Little things that were left out of the novel weren’t really needed to move the story along. Both Emilia Clarke and Sam Clafin were excellent. Her facial expressions were amazing and her insane eyebrows deserve some type of award all on their own. I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack as well. Don’t listen to critics and go see this movie.
The Notebook factor: Jojo Moyes is well known for her romance novels, so if you like the work of Nicolas Sparks, Me Before You is a safe bet.
4. Sleepless in Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Overview: After architect Sam loses his wife to cancer, him and his young son Jonah move to Seattle. One Christmas Eve, Jonah innocently phones a radio station asking that someone find his father a new wife. After Sam takes the phone and speaks to the radio host about how much he loved his late wife, women all over Seattle begin to write to Sam.
Ratings: Sleepless in Seattle gets 6.8/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“This movie is full of alternate universes and maybe thats what make it a great escape. Sleepless In Seattle is a great romantic comedy. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in a movie where they are hardly onscreen together and yet we feel both of their characters infatuation. It’s an amazing job that director Nora Ephron does in making us care about the relationship between these two characters when their not hardly together onscreen. The movie also has great performances, from the leads and from supporting players Rosie O’Donnell and Rob Reiner, as well as a very goofy but sweet turn from Bill Pullman. This movie will make you feel good.”
The Notebook factor: The Notebook factor here is pretty low, if anything this movie draws on An Affair To Remember for inspiration – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a class rom-com.
3. La La Land
La La Land (2016)
Overview: This romantic musical stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, as their characters both try to make a living in the entertainment industry.
Ratings: La La Land gets 8/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“The last time, I felt like this, in a cinema, I was six years old and I was watching Star Wars. I never imagined, I would ever find that feeling again in a cinema. That sense of being transported to another world. The opening sequence took my breath away and I never got it back. Not even at the end – which left my head spinning. It is a beautiful film with soul, wit, charm, style and love. It is simply outrageous! Bold and fantastic and fantastical.”
0The Notebook factor: Sure, Ryan Gosling is in this film too, but La La Land has an entirely different feel to The Notebook. Unlike The Notebook, it was critically praised, so if you’re a bit of a cinema connoisseur this is a must watch.
2. A Walk To Remember
A Walk To Remember (2002)
Overview: Popular and rebellious Lane Carter is on the verge of being expelled from school when he seeks helps from the minister’s daughter Jamie. Unpopular and a social outcast – she agrees to help him on one condition. That he doesn’t fall in love with her.
Ratings: A Walk To Remember gets 7.4/10 on IMBd
Review: A Walk To Remember gets 7.4/10 on IMBd
The Notebook factor: The Notebook factor is high. Nicolas Spark’s wrote this novel in 1999, and all the hallmark elements of his romances are there.
1. Casablanca
Casablanca (1942)
Overview: In December 1941, we met Rick who owns an upscale bar in Casablanca. His former lover and the reason for his bitterness, Ilsa Lund, shows up again in his life with a potentially deadly request.
Rating: Casablanca gets 8.5/10 on IMBd
Review: One IMBd user wrote –
“Casablanca” remains Hollywood’s finest moment, a film that succeeds on such a vast scale not because of anything experimental or deliberately earthshaking in its design, but for the way it cohered to and reaffirmed the movie-making conventions of its day. This is the film that played by the rules while elevating the form, and remains the touchstone for those who talk about Hollywood’s greatness.”
The Notebook factor: One of the greatest films in the history of the art form, it would be foolish to compare it to a film so much younger than itself. A love story set to a historical backdrop, Casablanca is a film everyone must see before they die.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
