Falling In Love With Love

Many times in cinema we see that many films are adapted from novels. Even if it is just an idea from a book, many screenwriters have taken ideas and adapted them into their own version. In 2014 alone there were at least 50 books adapted into films. Books that included Gone Girl, The Giver, The Hunger Games trilogy, Divergent, If I Stay, The Monuments Men, The Fault in Our Stars, and plenty more. However for certain genres we tend to see specific authors more often. One author that has definitely made his mark in cinema would be Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks writes romance novels that people can’t help but fall in love with, no matter how much heart break or tears it causes. So far he has had ten of his books adapted into films. And is also an executive producer on the television series, Deliverance Creek. He has been quite active in not only writing novels, but working in the entertainment industry. Each of his films stays very true to the novel’s plot line. Each film that was made based off of his books, made sure to include him in the process of making the film. 

Nicholas Sparks did not actually major in english in college, he majored in business finance and a year after graduating college, he married his wife. While in school he wrote on the side for fun. Some of these novels he wrote in college, were never published. And once he finished college, he began to write more on a regular day to day bases. His first book to be published was The Notebook in 1992. Two years later his book was published, and within a week of its publication it was put on the New York Times best-sellers list. Obviously after such great success, he continued to write full time.

His first movie that got him much recognition was A Walk to Remember in 2002. The movie’s budget was $11 million, and racked up $47,494,916 worldwide in box offices(IMDB). The movie is about a boy and a girl. The boy, Landon, is a bit of a trouble maker, and has to do community service within the town. While doing this community service he meets this girl, Jamie, who happens to be the daughter of the town’s Reverend. They start hanging out because Jamie begins to tutor Landon, and they become friends. Eventually Landon starts to fall for Jamie, and she falls for him back. However, one day Landon finds out that she has terminal leukemia cancer and that she is no longer taking treatment for it. They keep going on with their relationship, even though she was getting worse. They even get married. Everything is great until the one day that Jamie finally dies. However the story goes on with Landon and how his love never died for her, even after her death. 

The movie's beautiful quotes and passionate love left audiences wanting more. Two years later, The Notebook was produced. The Notebook is his most well known movie. The Notebook’s budget was quite more than A Walk to Remember. It was $29 million, and grossed worldwide a wapping of $115.6 million(IMDB). The Notebook was a huge hit then, and continues to be one the most well known romance movies of all time. The interesting part I discovered was the director, Nick Cassavetes, is the son of John Cassavetes. He also casted his mother, Gena Rowlands, as the older version of Allie. 

The movie was set during the 1940s, about two teenagers, Noah and Allie, that meet and of course fall in love. However, Allie’s parents are apart of the higher class in society, and do not approve of Noah, they regard him as trash because he will not be able to provide for her. Because of this, they move Allie back to their old house so the two of them are forced to break up. Noah continues to write Allie one letter each day for 365 days. And in return, no response from Allie. Allie eventually meets someone else and falls in love, and ends up getting engaged. However eventually she is led back to Noah through a newspaper article he is in, and they basically pick up right where they left off. Finally Allie’s mother comes clean about hiding the letters, and Allie chooses Noah. But just when you think there is finally a happy ending, Nicholas Sparks tricks you. During the movie an older couple at a nursery home is reading the story of Allie and Noah. The audience discovers slowly throughout the film that the couple is Allie and Noah. However, Allie has dementia and cannot remember Noah. So everyday he reads this story to her, hoping it will bring Allie back to him forever. Unfortunately most of the time it only lasts for about five minutes. Until the final time, she remembers for a little longer than usual. But not long enough until she has a panic attack because she cannot remember who he is. And in the final scenes they lie together in bed and end up dying together. The Notebook novel/film kept audiences guessing, and told audiences the truth. That in life we don't always get the happy ending we want. But it is the moments that were happy, that we have to rememebr and be grateful for. The Notebook continues to share the story of Noah and Allie and connect audiences everywhere. 

Overall Nicholas Sparks writes the most compelling stories, even when they are full of heartbreak. And I can guarantee you that most people go to see these romance films solely for the fact that he wrote them. His novels/films are full of hope and eternal love, something that we all dream for and want. These films remind us everyday that even when the going can get tough, it’s okay, because at the end of the day it is our loved ones and what they teach us that can help us get through it.

The Draw of Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks has become a household name all over the country.  He is known for writing some of the most moving stories about love and life.  Yes love, it seems so cliché nowadays.  The perception of love in modern society has been skewed in our minds to being impossible to find or just a journey of constant heartbreak.  For many of us though, this perception seems about right.  However, when I watch one of his films or read his books, I find myself in awe of the beautiful writing and characters that keep me locked in the moments of what we all wish to experience one day.  His most famous books to date are The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Dear John, The Lucky One, Safe Haven, and The Last Song.  Having seen all of them, I have found myself asking what it is about his works that make such an impact on myself and others that other movies in particular do not.  So in asking that question, I have broken it down into two reasons of why Nicholas Sparks’ movies are so successful.

The Main Characters & Actors

            To state the obvious, EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL! You have Ryan Gossling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, Shane West and Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in Dear John, Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling in The Lucky One, Josh Duhmel and Julianne Hough in Safe Haven, and Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus in The Last Song.  Woah!  Im not sure I know too many people who don’t fantasize about at least one of these actors or actresses frequently which only adds to the impact of the story but of course doesn’t make it.  The characters that each actor or actress plays seem to hold the perfect qualities in a human that every girl or boy wishes they could find. Though maybe not from the start, eventually they evolve and build our likeness for the person more and more throughout the movie.  They help us get lost in their emotions and draw us into their situations so it’s as if we are there.  They seem to represent something we want so badly in our lives personally and makes us feel like it is in arms reach.

Also, not only does he create these beautiful characters that we cant help but love, he creates characters that we cant help but hate or make us sad or mad.  Whether the character is sick, dying, abusive, or you name it, they become this barrier that must be broken down and creates a struggle not only for the characters in the film but also for the audience.  Our connections with these characters make us feel protective of them. Emotions suddenly start building as soon as things don’t go the way we want which brings us on the love journey in the first place.

The Plotline

            After reading several of Nicholas Sparks’ books and watching just about every single movie, of which many he wrote and produced himself as well, I have realized that most of his stories are based on a similar storyline.  There are the two characters who want to be with one another however, someone or something gets in the way. Yes sounds like any other love story, yet each story has these hidden meanings that we don’t initially catch from the beginning that surprise us in the end. Nicholas Sparks has mastered the skill of portraying a scene in such a way that he convinces us that we know what is going to happen and in the end then proves us wrong.  Theres the first meeting, then the connection, the conflict, the surprise, then the ending, and a lot more in between. 

Nicholas Sparks’ ability to write great characters and stories that resonate to many lives is the reason why I believe he is so successful. 

Blue Valentine

About two years ago, a film called Blue Valentine came out in selected theaters. At the time I never heard of it before, only knew Ryan Gosling was in it. So inevitably I had to go see it. I assumed it would be a sappy romantic comedy that was similar to the notebook. Wow was I wrong. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams relationship is nothing like Noah and Allie from the Notebook. Blue Valentine begins with Dean and Cindy; an older married couple with a young daughter. The family dog is missing, and Cindy is so agitated and distant from Dean it’s sad to watch. They find the dog dead on the side of the road, which is a clear symbol to the death of their love as well.  However, after this scene establishing their failed marriage, the film shifts back and forth to when they first met and how they got to where they are now. 

The one word I can use to describe this film that makes it different then any other movie about a failing relationship is the rawness. This film is up close and personal to say the least. The emotion in their eyes and worn faces shows the extreme difference in time in their relationship. The sex scenes are even long and semi uncomfortable at times. However this plays into the rawness and is what makes this film so different. 

Blue Valentine is definitely not something to watch with your lover/boyfriend/girlfriend, it’s more of a movie to see alone or with friends. It’s a pretty sad reminder that not all love lasts forever, and most people fall out of love eventually. The truthfulness in this film is something not a lot of people can handle. My favorite scene is in the beginning of their relationship when Ryan Gosling plays the ukelele for her and sings “You Always Hurt the Ones you Love” and Michelle Williams tap dances. They look so young and carefree it’s a harsh contrast to them years later, married with a kid. I posted a link of the song but unfortunately couldn't find one of the scene. But that is him singing and playing ukele. If you’re not a big fan of the Notebook then you should check this movie out. 

The Notebook

I'm one of those people who like to watch super action movies that have blood and gore and guns and shooting and all that awesome stuff. However, I decided to please my girlfriend with a movie that I didn't exactly have on my "Must Watch" list: The Notebook. Now I know that you're probably laughing because The Notebook is nothing like the movies I usually watch, but I won't lie to you; it wasn't that bad of a movie. I was very impressed on how the movie ended up being played out and how they utilized all of the emotion that was put into it as well as the time period that they chose to make the movie take place in. 

Granted, I did watch this romantic movie with my girlfriend, which gave it a little more of a plus because I had someone to relate it to and hold in my arms while I watched it, but I honestly think that it was a pretty good movie. I especially liked the ending. How they put it all together in the end with the two elderly people in the home which ended up being the two of them many years later. He used the notebook in order to be able to read to her when she got ill so she would try and remember because he felt as if his love was still inside and was just wasn't able to come out at all times. She didn't remember much, but after the notebook was read to her, she remembered who he was, who their kids were, and how much she loved him. 

And I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I cried at the end when they both died holding each others hands. That must have been one of the best ways to end a romance movie because it shows true love between two people that loved and then lost and then found their way back to each others arms just to be able to be with each other again and die together to be with each other for eternity.