I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid this one.
My wife has been waiting for this to come out for about a year, ever since she stood in line for an hour at Barnes & Noble to have Nicholas Sparks autograph her copy of the book. I had to sit through "Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk to Remember" too, so I know what I'm in for.
I don't know how popular Sparks' books are in other parts of the country, but they're real big around here. My wife has read all of them, mainly because they're about places in North Carolina where we've spent a lot of time - New Bern, Wilmington, the Outer Banks.
I've only read bits and pieces of them, but they're the kind of stuff that women read, and then say to their husbands,"Why aren't you as romantic as the guy in this book?" Who needs that?
I'll get even though. I just haven't decided yet if it will be "Spiderman II" or "King Arthur."
I read the Notebook back in 1997. It's a manipulative novel, designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to make you cry. Worked for me. But I never read it again and I promptly forgot the story (except for some basic elements).
TOTAL chick flick, I'm sure. I'll wait for DVD, if I see it at all.
James Garner and Gena Rowlands do a pretty good job... the young people (especially Ryan Gosling) can't act worth a lick (IMO). I managed to avoid 'A Walk to Remember' and 'Message in a Bottle' although my wife watches them constantly.
I'm thinking this guy (Sparks) must have some "first love" psycological issues...
oh... she's gonna pay for making me sit through that one... she's gonna pay!
Saw it last night. I think I was the only guy in the audience with a couple hundred women. The last time I heard so much sniffling was at a funeral.
I didn't think it was that bad compared to some others of the same type. It was a whole lot better than "The Bridges of Madison County," for one.
One thing that really irritates me personally, not just in this movie, but in lots of others is this:
There's one scene where the young characters go to the beach and they're supposed to be in South Carolina. This beach has huge rocks on it which has to be someplace in California. Now this movie was mostly filmed in Georgetown County, South Carolina which is right on the Atlantic Ocean. Why stick a scene in there that is so obviously the Pacific? I guess they think most people won't notice, except anybody that's ever been to the beach in the Southeast.
The July 2004 Catholic Digest, which is like Reader's Digest, only with Catholic themes, had an interview with Nicholas Sparks.
The inspiration behind "the Notebook" is the story of his wife's grandparents.
To the question "Is most of your fiction that intimate and personal?" Sparks answers,
quote:Most of the fiction is inspired by my family or people I've known. Message in a bottle was inspired by my father after the death of my mother. A Walk to Remember was inspired by my sister's battle with cancer. The Rescue was inspired by my son.
. . .I do consider faithto be an important element in my own life. I went to Notre Dame, my wife is Catholic, confirmed. Our kids go to parochial school, we attend church regularly, not just on the high holidays.
Faith informs my writing. Most of my characters have faith. Most of my charactes are not afraid to talk about faith.
well Kit... you ARE a woman! Of course you liked them! :D--> My wife watches all of his movies whenever they're in the "rotation" on the movie channels... and I buy them for her when they come out on DVD!
For all men everywhere that have to endure chick flicks -
There is a personal DVD player that displays its picture on a pair of special glasses worn by the viewer. It costs about $700, I think - or maybe it's $7000, hehehe.
Either way, it's well worth it. While you're with your sweetie who's watching "Boy Tragically Dies After Meeting Soulmate", you're watching "Debbie Does Dishes And Half of Manhattan" and no one is the wiser!! Or maybe your preference is "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" (actual title of StarWars Episode 3, due out next May!)
Yeah.. I know... I just figured it was part of my "husbandly duty"....
It's just not fair that she likes the "guy movies", too... I try to use that as leverage, but it doesn't work... oh well... (although I do try to convince her that she would enjoy chick flicks much more with her daughter or friends)
Nicholas Sparks, drawing on true examples from his own family, has given us the benefit of a view of kindness, love, and affection that a man can have for a woman, and the blessing to himself a man reaps when he gives in such a fashion.
Nicholas Sparks is making millions on the deal, and I would say that any man who learns to love like this becomes at the least millionaire in heavenly coin.
Ephesians talks about such love of a man for his wife, but there are few instances where, we can see a sermon in shoes on this subject.
For the glimpse of such kind affection afforded by this movie, as well as the other Nicholas Sparks movies, I am thankful.
A movie showing a man who does not ridicule, mistreat, abuse or give some other ridiculous reaction to a woman is not just a chick flick. It is a teaching tool a smart man learns from.
I don't mind the "kindness, love and affection" parts of these movies at all. Back in my dating days, I used to seek out those kind of flicks to inspire a little affection for myself. I still remember one called "Ryan's Daughter" that was very inspirational.
What I don't like is that somebody always has to die, usually after falling in love with their perfect partner. All of Sparks' books are like that. When Kevin Costner drowns in "Message In A Bottle" it's just such a downer. Seems just a little bit like a ploy to get the hankies out.
(pssst... Kit... over hear... I don't want to say this very loudly because they'll kick me out of the club... I agree with all that you said, I try to glean from them what I can... but it's what Pirate brought up that makes them the "chick flicks"... it often (not always) seems so contrived... plus we have to label them as such so we can get to balance them out with "guy movies"!)
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suz
I recommend to the guys a sudden tooth ache with possible root canal....
:D-->
My daughter works in the theatre and can't wait to see this, especially the kissing in the rain part, lol,
but then she is 18 and a hopeless romantic.
-->
suz
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Pirate1974
I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid this one.
My wife has been waiting for this to come out for about a year, ever since she stood in line for an hour at Barnes & Noble to have Nicholas Sparks autograph her copy of the book. I had to sit through "Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk to Remember" too, so I know what I'm in for.
I don't know how popular Sparks' books are in other parts of the country, but they're real big around here. My wife has read all of them, mainly because they're about places in North Carolina where we've spent a lot of time - New Bern, Wilmington, the Outer Banks.
I've only read bits and pieces of them, but they're the kind of stuff that women read, and then say to their husbands,"Why aren't you as romantic as the guy in this book?" Who needs that?
I'll get even though. I just haven't decided yet if it will be "Spiderman II" or "King Arthur."
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Zixar
Pirate: Spider-Man 2. King Arthur is going to suck.
Although, women scored the first Spidey flick very high because of the romance with MJ, so it may not be worth wasting the "payback" on.
Opens day after tomorrow, although we're going to the midnight show Tuesday.
;)-->
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Raf
I read the Notebook back in 1997. It's a manipulative novel, designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to make you cry. Worked for me. But I never read it again and I promptly forgot the story (except for some basic elements).
TOTAL chick flick, I'm sure. I'll wait for DVD, if I see it at all.
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Tom Strange
James Garner and Gena Rowlands do a pretty good job... the young people (especially Ryan Gosling) can't act worth a lick (IMO). I managed to avoid 'A Walk to Remember' and 'Message in a Bottle' although my wife watches them constantly.
I'm thinking this guy (Sparks) must have some "first love" psycological issues...
oh... she's gonna pay for making me sit through that one... she's gonna pay!
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outandabout
I liked it.
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Pirate1974
Saw it last night. I think I was the only guy in the audience with a couple hundred women. The last time I heard so much sniffling was at a funeral.
I didn't think it was that bad compared to some others of the same type. It was a whole lot better than "The Bridges of Madison County," for one.
One thing that really irritates me personally, not just in this movie, but in lots of others is this:
There's one scene where the young characters go to the beach and they're supposed to be in South Carolina. This beach has huge rocks on it which has to be someplace in California. Now this movie was mostly filmed in Georgetown County, South Carolina which is right on the Atlantic Ocean. Why stick a scene in there that is so obviously the Pacific? I guess they think most people won't notice, except anybody that's ever been to the beach in the Southeast.
Just my personal gripe.
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Kit Sober
The July 2004 Catholic Digest, which is like Reader's Digest, only with Catholic themes, had an interview with Nicholas Sparks.
The inspiration behind "the Notebook" is the story of his wife's grandparents.
To the question "Is most of your fiction that intimate and personal?" Sparks answers,
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Tom Strange
thank you Kit... that answers my question...!
:)-->
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Kit Sober
I saw Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember on the encouragement of the Catholic Digest article, and loved both of those movies.
Kit
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Tom Strange
well Kit... you ARE a woman! Of course you liked them!
:D--> My wife watches all of his movies whenever they're in the "rotation" on the movie channels... and I buy them for her when they come out on DVD!
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Kit Sober
Tom,
Well, Nicholas Sparks is a man, so the concepts cannot be totally unknowable to a man
:)-->
(I am going to go see The NOtebook today and see if it's all women in the theater
:)--> )
Kit
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Pirate1974
Tom,
Your wife will be happy to know that "A Bend in the Road" is supposed to be the next Sparks book made into a movie. Probably a couple years away.
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George Aar
Pirate and TomOdd,
Have you guys considered cyanide capsules?
Small, easy to conceal, and very effective...
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Tom Strange
Geo... is it traceable?
oh... you mean for me?
:D-->
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Steve!
For all men everywhere that have to endure chick flicks -
There is a personal DVD player that displays its picture on a pair of special glasses worn by the viewer. It costs about $700, I think - or maybe it's $7000, hehehe.
Either way, it's well worth it. While you're with your sweetie who's watching "Boy Tragically Dies After Meeting Soulmate", you're watching "Debbie Does Dishes And Half of Manhattan" and no one is the wiser!! Or maybe your preference is "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" (actual title of StarWars Episode 3, due out next May!)
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Tom Strange
Yeah.. I know... I just figured it was part of my "husbandly duty"....
It's just not fair that she likes the "guy movies", too... I try to use that as leverage, but it doesn't work... oh well... (although I do try to convince her that she would enjoy chick flicks much more with her daughter or friends)
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Kit Sober
JMO "chick flicks" is misnomer.
Nicholas Sparks, drawing on true examples from his own family, has given us the benefit of a view of kindness, love, and affection that a man can have for a woman, and the blessing to himself a man reaps when he gives in such a fashion.
Nicholas Sparks is making millions on the deal, and I would say that any man who learns to love like this becomes at the least millionaire in heavenly coin.
Ephesians talks about such love of a man for his wife, but there are few instances where, we can see a sermon in shoes on this subject.
For the glimpse of such kind affection afforded by this movie, as well as the other Nicholas Sparks movies, I am thankful.
A movie showing a man who does not ridicule, mistreat, abuse or give some other ridiculous reaction to a woman is not just a chick flick. It is a teaching tool a smart man learns from.
Hopefully,
Kit
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Pirate1974
I don't mind the "kindness, love and affection" parts of these movies at all. Back in my dating days, I used to seek out those kind of flicks to inspire a little affection for myself. I still remember one called "Ryan's Daughter" that was very inspirational.
What I don't like is that somebody always has to die, usually after falling in love with their perfect partner. All of Sparks' books are like that. When Kevin Costner drowns in "Message In A Bottle" it's just such a downer. Seems just a little bit like a ploy to get the hankies out.
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Kit Sober
Pirate,
I was wondering about that -- wondering if the dying part is from the real example he had or if that was his poetic license.
It seems it was real.
But I don't know.
I know that devil hates good people and they often die far too young.
It's the way real life is, and the point is to love as much as possible while we have each other to pour affection upon.
Kit
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Tom Strange
whispering...
(pssst... Kit... over hear... I don't want to say this very loudly because they'll kick me out of the club... I agree with all that you said, I try to glean from them what I can... but it's what Pirate brought up that makes them the "chick flicks"... it often (not always) seems so contrived... plus we have to label them as such so we can get to balance them out with "guy movies"!)
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Steve!
THAT'S it.
The Odd one is hereby ExCommunicated from the HeMan (**) Club!!
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