[One Love]

So glad! I can't wait, it's been a while

[water lilies]

I haven't seen this movie in a while either.

[Rukia]

Belle, could you link us to the Youtube link? Just in case I won't be able to get the DVD from my aunt this month.

[water lilies]

I'll PM the link to you.

[Rukia]

Got it. Thanks, Belle.

[water lilies]

Anyone else watching this? I'm planning to watch it today.

[Rukia]

I'll probably watch it next weekend.

[water lilies]

Let me know if you get to it. I'm ready to discuss whenever.

[Rukia]

I've watched it finally. Did anybody else get to it yet? What were everyone's favorite scene(s)?

[water lilies]

Awesome. My favorite is the last scene/argument between Noah and Allie before she goes back to the inn. It just felt real/raw and the emotions they portrayed were spot on. That scene had tension, love and conflict.

Anyway, I prepared some discussion questions. I thought it would get the discussion started. Feel free to add some, if you think of any!

Discussion Questions

1) General thoughts about the movie? What grade would you give it on 10?
2) Did you notice anything new that you missed in previous viewings?
3) Favorite character and why?
4) Least favorite character and why?
5) Favorite line/quote?
6) What did you think of Allie's relationship with her mother and how did it evolve during the movie?
7) Near the end of the movie, Allie tells Lon, "It's just that when I'm..when I'm with Noah I feel like one person and when I'm with you I feel like someone totally different. How did Allie's relationship with Noah and Lon differ from each other? Did you find that Allie was different?
8) Had Allie's mother not shown up and shared her own story and given those letters back, do you still think Allie would have chosen Noah?
9) If you could, would you have changed/added any scenes to the movie?

[Rukia]

I loved the scene when they're out in the boat. It was gorgeous.

Thanks for the discussion questions! That's a great idea, Belle!

1) I liked it okay. I didn't completely love it when I first watched it, and I still don't now unfortunately. It was a bit too overly romantic and melodramatic for my taste. It was based on a Nicholas Sparks book, and I'm just not a fan of his work. I'd give it a 6/10.

2) I don't think so.

3) I think I like Noah the best. He was just so tormented and angsty. I felt for him. Ryan was great.

4) I have to say I liked Allie the least. She just got on my nerves, and I just can't forgive her for cheating/leaving poor Lon like that. I know the whole point of the movie was about Noah's and Allie's undying love, but still.

5) Quite honestly, I thought most of the lines/quotes were really cheesy, but I did kinda like this line: "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday. " That was pretty romantic, I have to admit.

6) Allie and her mother obviously did not get along for the most part. Both are very strong-willed women. At the end, her mother realizes that Allie can't live the life that's expected of her... she can only live her own life and make her own decisions.

7) Allie was definitely more fiery and passionate with Noah. Her moods were up and down with him. I think she's definitely more 'herself' with Noah. With Lon, she seems more restrained and seems to be portraying the woman that her parents want her to be. She appears to be happy with Lon, but you can tell that she's not really putting all of herself out there for him because she was still in love with Noah through all those years. (Still, that doesn't give her the right to cheat on poor Lon. At least, break up with the poor guy before doing so.)

8) I think Allie would've chosen Noah. After the hot sex with him, what girl wouldn't? Just kidding. Even if she didn't, and had chosen Lon and gotten married to Lon, I think she'd still be running back to Noah on the side.

9) I'd like to see it conclude more realistically. Like have Allie and Lon get married after all, but have Allie continue to see Noah. I don't mean to induce more torture for Lon, hee, but it'd just be more realistic. I wished the movie had a darker tone to it (like have Allie and Lon marry, have Allie and Noah cheat with each other, have Lon find out and become depressed and suicidal (again don't mean to induce more torment for Lon ), have Lon actually commit suicide, and then Allie and Noah can finally be together with no barriers, but their relationship has been irrevocably changed due to the suicide)), but then it wouldn't be a Nicholas Sparks book. Sorry for making up my own twisted version of The Notebook.

[water lilies]

Yeah, the swan scene was gorgeous. I also like the part where Noah and Allie start laughing in the rain. It was cute!

I'll comment on your answers later. I'll just now say that I like your answer to 9. Mine are already quite long.

1) I'd give it a 7.5/10. It's by far my favorite Nicholas Sparks movie from the ones I've seen. I liked Noah/Allie's story a lot and the movie worked well for its genre. I thought it was a good romance movie. The first time I watched it, I was teary-eyed at the end. (I'm such a sap).

2) I may be an idiot, but I never noticed Allie's full name was Allison. :head_slap: I also didn't notice some of the outfits she wore when there was the montage of her dates with Lon. The one she was wearing when they were at the theater(?) was really nice. I would have liked to see it in the daytime.

I also notice the timeline more this time around. Noah/Allie were going out for 3 months during the summer...and then the 7 year absence. And during all that time they didn't forget about each other.

3) I like Noah the best. I think he was selfless and just overall a good guy. I also like Lon! He was really classy and just an outstanding guy. Both Noah and Allie were lucky to have been with people who were so understanding - like Lon and Martha.

4) I like Allie the least. She was sometimes whiny and immature. You could definitely see she grew/changed from when she was 17, but still. There's the part where Allie's mom visits her at Noah's house and she tells her that Allie must have anticipated that something like sleeping with Noah would happen by showing up there. And Allie gets mad at that statement, but I sided with her mother on that one. And the whole cheating thing. At least with Noah, Martha always knew he couldn't give her what she was looking for.

5) This line made me laugh:

N: Do you want to go out with me?
A; No
N: Why not?
A: BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO.

My favorite is probably Noah's letter, "The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever."

6) They definitely had a rocky relationship, but it was all about choice vs expectations. Allie's mother led a life that was expected for her, rather than from her own choosing. She realized at the end, that maybe Allie should choose on her own, because if not, she'd have regrets like her mother still has. She made mistakes, but I definitely think Allie's mom redeemed herself at the end.

7) Allie's relationship with Noah was more volatile. He says it himself that fighting and making up is what they do. They're the 'showier' couple, but their love more fiery and passionate. With Lon, it was steady and nurturing - which is definitely not a bad thing. Noah was the first to ask her what Allie really wanted though...he pushed her to finally pick for herself. I thought it was interesting how Lon asked her to marry him. He told her she'd make him the happiest man alive if she were to say yes. She loved Lona and seemed really happy, but there was a lot of pressure on Allie from him and her parents on her relationship.

8) She would have picked Noah, eventually. Even if she had married Lon, she would still be thinking 'what if'. But definitely, Allie's mother acceptance really helped her picking Noah at that moment.

9) I wanted to see what happened at the inn between Lon/Allie. I wanted to see Lon's reaction and how he handled everything and what Allie told him. I like to imagine he got pissed off. Otherwise, he was waayy too nice of a character. And maybe a Allie/Noah wedding? Or maybe that would have too cheesy.

[Gabriela]

Ah! Sorry I'm a little late getting on the discussion!

wow, Rukia, that is one twisted ending But I agree that it would definitely make for an intriguing story

1) General thoughts about the movie? What grade would you give it on 10?
I kind of agree with you, Rukia, that the overall story is just a little too romantic and melodramatic for me as well...which is definitely more a fault of Sparks than it is of the movie. I'd give it a 6.5/10.

2) Did you notice anything new that you missed in previous viewings?
Not really

3) Favorite character and why?
I really like Noah's dad....he was just a great parent figure.

4) Least favorite character and why?
I'm actually not a huge fan of Allie's character either...she's a little to immature and over the top. She made their relationship a bit less epic than it could have been.

5) Favorite line/quote?
I love the line when Noah's dad says he had a stutter and Noah's like, "It was a stammer."

6) What did you think of Allie's relationship with her mother and how did it evolve during the movie?
I find it sad that they bonded over her mom sort of reminiscing/wishing that she had ended up with the other man....It's good in Allie's case because it helps her make the right decision, but it's sad to think that her mom feels that way while married to her dad. One of my favorite scenes though is when her mom gives her the letters back...it's such a redeeming moment when we realize she kept them.

7) Near the end of the movie, Allie tells Lon, "It's just that when I'm..when I'm with Noah I feel like one person and when I'm with you I feel like someone totally different. How did Allie's relationship with Noah and Lon differ from each other? Did you find that Allie was different?
This is a hard question because Noah and Allie's relationship originally happened when she was so young and then when they meet later, they're very different people. I'd say Allie was the same person with Lon at first as she was with Noah, but being with Lon changed her into someone who cared more about society, class, etc, which made their relationship a lot less passionate. Going back to Noah, I think she started kind of remembering how carefree she used to be with him.

8) Had Allie's mother not shown up and shared her own story and given those letters back, do you still think Allie would have chosen Noah?
I'm not sure she would have chosen Noah had her mom not commiserated with her. I think it would have been hard choosing Noah when she would have had Lon and her parents on the other side. But I do think she definitely would have spent the rest of her life wondering "what if" and she might have gone back and started cheating with Noah.

9) If you could, would you have changed/added any scenes to the movie?
I would have changed the scene where they go out in the boat and it starts raining. There's this moment that I find ridiculous where it's raining and they both just start laughing, and it is so, so cheesy. But I do like the fight they have the on dock.

Great questions!!

[water lilies]

Thanks for joining the discussion, Gabriela.

I would have changed the scene where they go out in the boat and it starts raining. There's this moment that I find ridiculous where it's raining and they both just start laughing, and it is so, so cheesy.

I had just the part where they laugh as one my favorite moments in the scene.

I'm not sure she would have chosen Noah had her mom not commiserated with her. I think it would have been hard choosing Noah when she would have had Lon and her parents on the other side. But I do think she definitely would have spent the rest of her life wondering "what if" and she might have gone back and started cheating with Noah.

I agree, Allie's mom played a huge part in Allie's decision. It was kinda the catalyst for Allie to be able to choose for herself. She definitely discovered that she had something in common with her mother.

I'd like to see it conclude more realistically. Like have Allie and Lon get married after all, but have Allie continue to see Noah. I don't mean to induce more torture for Lon, hee, but it'd just be more realistic. I wished the movie had a darker tone to it (like have Allie and Lon marry, have Allie and Noah cheat with each other, have Lon find out and become depressed and suicidal (again don't mean to induce more torment for Lon ), have Lon actually commit suicide, and then Allie and Noah can finally be together with no barriers, but their relationship has been irrevocably changed due to the suicide)), but then it wouldn't be a Nicholas Sparks book. Sorry for making up my own twisted version of The Notebook.

Rukia, I like your twist. It would definitely have been unexpected. Lon's role would definitely have been more meatier.

[Rukia]

Thanks for your answers, Belle and Gabriela!

I also didn't notice some of the outfits she wore when there was the montage of her dates with Lon.

Yeah, these were lovely!

I wanted to see what happened at the inn between Lon/Allie. I wanted to see Lon's reaction and how he handled everything and what Allie told him. I like to imagine he got pissed off. Otherwise, he was waayy too nice of a character.

That would've been nice to see Lon angry. I wouldn't mind seeing Allie get told off by him. She deserved it for cheating on him like that... he's such a nice guy!

I'm actually not a huge fan of Allie's character either...she's a little to immature and over the top. She made their relationship a bit less epic than it could have been.

I completely agree with you, Gabriela. Noah was definitely more 'mature' of the two in the relationship. Allie was really whiny. It kinda made me feel that she didn't really deserve that happy ending with Noah. Noah totally deserved it though -- I don't know why I'm siding with him more -- he just seemed like he suffered more of the two.

It's good in Allie's case because it helps her make the right decision, but it's sad to think that her mom feels that way while married to her dad. One of my favorite scenes though is when her mom gives her the letters back...it's such a redeeming moment when we realize she kept them.

I hadn't thought of Allie's and her mother's relationship in that much depth, but yes, that moment did bring a better light to her mother as a person.

But I do like the fight they have the on dock.

That was quite intense, which I liked. And it also led to a quite intense (for a PG-13 movie) love scene.

I'm glad you guys liked my twist ending. It totally wouldn't have been a Nicholas Sparks book though, but it totally would've been more interesting. To me at least.