notebook movie review roger ebert

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW; When Love Is Madness And Life a Straitjacket

By Stephen Holden

• June 25, 2004

Young love -- the old-fashioned kind that flourished before the age of the hook-up -- has always been one of the most challenging emotions to portray on the screen with any specificity. Beyond the smooches, sighs, and adoring glances, how do you convey the reality of a shared, private paradise?

In the strongest scenes of ''The Notebook,'' the screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks's treacly best seller, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams break through the barrier to evoke high-strung, slightly crazed teenagers plunging headlong into first love. It is passion that begins in playfulness. Their performances are so spontaneous and combustible that you quickly identify with the reckless sweethearts, who embody an innocence that has all but vanished from American teenage life. And against your better judgment, you root for the pair to beat the odds against them.

The romantic drama, directed by Nick Cassavetes from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and adapted by Jan Sardi from the novel, opens today nationwide. It is told in flashback as Duke (James Garner), a garrulous, ailing old codger in a comfortable nursing home, reads aloud excerpts of a love story to Allie Calhoun (Gena Rowlands), a patient suffering from Alzheimer's. She is so smitten with the 1940's tale of Noah (Mr. Gosling), a poor Southern boy who works in a lumberyard, and his wealthy girlfriend, also named Allie (Ms. McAdams), that for brief intervals his readings jog her blurred memory into focus.

As the movie seesaws between Seabrook, N.C., in the summer of 1940, when Noah and Allie meet at a fairground, and the present, it is deliberately (and annoyingly) coy as to who these oldsters might be. Gosh, could they be the same young lovers six decades later?

Mr. Garner and Ms. Rowlands are wonderful actors, but Mr. Garner, in particular, plays ''old'' with a hammy avuncularity that sugarcoats his character with a glaze of nostalgia. His performance reinforces the impression that in Hollywood, old age is even more difficult to depict with real honesty than young love. Ms. Rowlands's Allie is quieter and sadder, but she looks too well-preserved for a woman in her condition, and as the story leaps back and forth, the movie veers between unbleached sugar and artificial sweetener.

When Noah meets Allie, he is so desperate to impress her that he hangs on the rungs of a Ferris wheel and threatens to jump if she won't go out with him. Even at the beginning, Mr. Gosling's performance emphasizes Noah's slightly creepy streak of fanaticism. After the lovers have separated, he withdraws into himself, grows a beard, and with a small inheritance from his poetry-loving father (Sam Shepard), a Walt Whitman fan, he converts the rotting old mansion he once dreamed of sharing with Allie into the showplace he promised to build for her. He also serves in World War II, where he sees his best friend die in the Battle of the Bulge.

Ms. McAdams, who played the alpha queen in ''Mean Girls,'' matches Mr. Gosling's Noah in idiosyncratic verve. Impulsive, giggly and combative, she exudes the air of a careless rich girl bursting out of a bubble, until the moment her stern, watchful mother, Anne (Joan Allen), puts her foot down and ends the relationship.

The scenes between the young lovers confronting adult authority have the same seething tension and lurking hysteria that the young Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood brought more than 40 years ago to their roles in ''Splendor in the Grass.'' The power of Ms. Allen's performance comes out of understatement. Impeccably coiffed and outfitted, barely moving her tight lips, she projects the full emotional depth of composure under siege.

Like most movies that span many decades, chapters of ''The Notebook'' seem scrunched together. The war, in particular, passes in a flash. It is as a nurse's aide that Allie meets Lon (James Marsden), a dashing, seriously injured soldier from a wealthy Southern family. Once recovered, he courts Allie aggressively and, just when the beautiful couple are on the verge of marrying and becoming the toast of Charleston society, she reads a newspaper article about Noah's architectural restoration and promptly faints. A reunion is in order.

For a movie that might have plunged full-scale into bathos, ''The Notebook'' tries to remain restrained. The camera caresses the lush Southern landscape of blood-red sunsets and flocks of ducks, and Aaron Zigman's romantic score drizzles only a light coating of syrup over the ice cream.

''The Notebook'' is a high-toned cinematic greeting card. It insists on true, mystical, eternal love, till death do us part, and won't have it any other way.

''The Notebook'' is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It has sexual situations.

THE NOTEBOOK

Directed by Nick Cassavetes; written by Jer emy Leven and adapted by Jan Sardi, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks; director of photography, Robert Fraisse; edited by Alan Heim; music by Aaron Zigman; production designer, Sarah Knowles; produced by Mark Johnson and Lynn Harris; released by New Line Cinema. Running time: 121 minutes. This film is rated PG-13.

WITH: Ryan Gosling (Noah Calhoun), Rachel McAdams (Allie Hamilton), James Garner (Duke), Gena Rowlands (Allie Calhoun), James Marsden (Lon), Kevin Connolly (Fin), Sam Shepard (Frank Calhoun) and Joan Allen (Anne Hamilton).

The Notebook (2004)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The notebook, common sense media reviewers.

More sex than you'd expect for a syrupy romance.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie's ultimate message is that true love con

Though it's romantic to watch characters fall in l

Predominantly White cast, with most Black characte

Noah and Finn are engaged in active duty during Wo

Steamy passion between the two young lovers. Lots

Words/phrases used include "damn," "crap," "goddam

A 17-year-old smokes a cigar. Adults drink cocktai

Parents need to know that The Notebook is a WWII-era romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Scenes include passionate kissing and a fairly graphic lovemaking scene (though only shoulders and a side breast is shown). Characters drink and…

Positive Messages

The movie's ultimate message is that true love conquers all. But there are also less-positive takeaways and stereotypes -- see more in Diverse Representations.

Positive Role Models

Though it's romantic to watch characters fall in love so wholly and stay devoted to each other, some of the choices that the lovers make -- like cheating on a relationship, resorting to domestic violence, and lying to family members -- don't qualify as role model behavior.

Diverse Representations

Predominantly White cast, with most Black characters shown in stereotypical roles (e.g., maid in a wealthy household, caretakers, and entertainers). Neutral depictions also include Black couples dancing alongside White couples in a 1940s social club. Socioeconomic disparities are frequently highlighted between the working class (called "poor" and "trash") and the privileged (called "rich"). A movie theater scene shows a non-Native character in redface, and the phrase "darn squaw" can be heard.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Noah and Finn are engaged in active duty during World War II. There's a bomb raid that incurs heavy losses. Allie nurses soldiers who've lost limbs. Noah stalks and pursues Allie -- she repeatedly refuses him and says no, but he threatens self-harm until she consents to a date. Noah and Allie fight passionately -- in multiple scenes, she hits and slaps him. Poignant deaths.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Steamy passion between the two young lovers. Lots of making out and heavy petting, and characters undress in front of each other (only their shoulders are shown). A fairly graphic lovemaking scene (again, just shoulders visible, plus a brief glimpse of breast from the side).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Words/phrases used include "damn," "crap," "goddammit," "son of a bitch," and "pain in the ass." The slur "darn squaw" is heard in a movie theater.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A 17-year-old smokes a cigar. Adults drink cocktails, wine, champagne, and beer. Noah goes on a 10-day drinking binge. Characters drink in excess to ease pain or to lessen their inhibitions. Most meals are accompanied by alcohol.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Notebook is a WWII-era romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Scenes include passionate kissing and a fairly graphic lovemaking scene (though only shoulders and a side breast is shown). Characters drink and smoke; there's also brief battle violence and poignant deaths. Language includes "damn," "son of a bitch," "ass," and the slur "squaw." Iffy messages around romance include the portrayals of stalking, coercion, and domestic violence as simply "passion." The cast is predominantly White, while Black supporting characters fall into various cliches (e.g., a maid). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (31)
• Kids say (106)

Based on 31 parent reviews

Enjoyed the movie; should be rated R.

How's nobody talking about the toxic relationships in this, what's the story.

THE NOTEBOOK is a story about a 1940s summer romance between Allie ( Rachel McAdams ), the daughter of wealthy parents, and Noah ( Ryan Gosling ), a working class boy. They're crazy about each other, but her parents disapprove. When Allie goes to college, Noah writes to her every day but Allie's mother ( Joan Allen ) withholds his letters. Believing neither have wanted to stay in touch, Allie and Noah go their separate ways as World War II ensues. When newly-engaged Allie returns to their small town and sees Noah again, they soon realize their romance is far from over.

Is It Any Good?

In this sweeping drama the details and dialogue are a bit clumsy, but romantics likely won't care. McAdams and Gosling are talented actors of their generation. James Garner , Gena Rowlands , Sam Shepard (as Noah's father), and Allen (as Allie's mother) also give the material more than it deserves, and director Nick Cassavetes clearly wants this film to be a love letter to Rowlands, his mother, who's luminous in this film. In the end, Noah's enduring love for Allie wins hearts.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how The Notebook depicts love and romance. Is this what a relationship is "supposed" to be like? Why or why not?

How does the movie treat sex ? What are the real-life impacts and consequences of sexual activity?

How do we know who we're meant to be with? Who should we listen to as we think about making that choice?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 25, 2004
• On DVD or streaming : February 7, 2005
• Cast : James Garner , Rachel McAdams , Ryan Gosling
• Director : Nick Cassavetes
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : New Line
• Genre : Romance
• Run time : 124 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some sexuality
• Last updated : March 27, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

A Walk to Remember

Love Actually

Romance movies, drama movies that tug at the heartstrings.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• Abigail Link to Abigail
• Arcadian Link to Arcadian

New TV Tonight

• The Jinx: Season 2
• Knuckles: Season 1
• The Big Door Prize: Season 2
• THEM: The Scare: Season 2
• Velma: Season 2
• Secrets of the Octopus: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: Season 1
• We're Here: Season 4

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Under the Bridge: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Under the Bridge Link to Under the Bridge
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

DC Animated Movies In Order: How to Watch 54 Original and Universe Films

The Best TV Seasons Certified Fresh at 100%

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Watch An Exclusive Pixar Studio Tour, Plus Inside Out 2 Secrets From The Set

Weekend Box Office Results: Civil War Earns Second Victory in a Row

• Trending on RT
• Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
• Play Movie Trivia

Roger Ebert

Chicago, IL

http://rogerebert.com/

Movies reviews only

The Notebook Review

The girls will dry their eyes, while the guys will roll theirs. The acting and directing are well-done, but it's an incredibly predictable, unoriginal and dull yarn that should've stayed on the page rather than on the screen.

I made a New Year's resolution this year, and after seeing The Notebook , it's a resolution I wish I didn't make, rather, a resolution I didn't stick to. My resolution this year was to at least make an effort to see EVERY film that I possibly can, given the limitations of the options around me. These limitations basically leave me with blockbusters, comedies and movies like The Notebook . Like most guys, I usually strayed from the "chick flick" genre, unless my methods of hypnosis managed to persuade my way into a date of some sort...so yeah, basically I didn't see any chick flicks. But, a resolution is a resolution, and with a girl I know wanting to see The Notebook , off I went. Damn resolutions...I'm gonna resolve to steal a Ferrari next year or something...

The movie starts out in a nursing home of some sort, and an elderly man, "Duke" (Garner) on his way to his daily ritual of reading a story out of a notebook to an elderly woman, Allie. It's a story of young love and heartbreak, separation, moving on and all that crap. Of course, this story seems quite familiar to Allie...blah blah blah. If you've seen the trailer, you don't need Jedi-like foresight to figure out what's going to happen here.

This flick borrows from so many different movies it's not even worth mentioning a few. There is the "from two different worlds" element, with the rich girl and poor boy falling in love, despite the rich parents dissaproval. There is a little bit of the war/"I'm never going to see him/her again" aspect, somewhat taken from Cold Mountain and many other movies. Plus we get different bits of 50 First Dates/Memento and sappy elements from so many chick flicks I can't even begin to count. It almost seems as if the title alludes to novelist Nicholas Sparks' notes on different flicks he's watched, which, in turn, resulted in his novel this movie is based on. I haven't read the novel, so I don't know how faithful the movie is to the book, but it doesn't matter. This movie just doesn't have anything going for it, as far as originality is concerned. True, there are some interesting little twists that in the context of the movie are well-done. But the twists themselves have, again, been done many times before.

The movie does have a few good things going for it, though, and they are mainly from the performances. Ryan Gosling, a relative newcomer best known for his role in the underrated Murder by Numbers, gives a fine performance in his first true leading role as Noah. He's very diverse, portraying the high's of his affection for Allie and the low's of his dull, morose life after their separation. Rachel McAdams, another newcomer fresh off shadowing Lindsey Lohan in Mean Girls, does a great job also as Allie. She is wonderful at showing both sides of her persona: the free-spirit when with Noah, and slightly reserved socialite when with new beau Lon (Marsden). James Garner does a very nice job as "Duke" and Gena Rowlands is superb as the elderly Allie. And Joan Allen does a fantastic job as Allie's mean-spirited Mom, as well.

But, acting aside, there is nothing else really redeeming about this movie. The script was written by Jeremy Leven, whose dicey resume should be a warning sign anyway (See: Alex and Emma, Crazy as Hell, whatever the hell that is). I suppose he should be given credit for being consistently predictable, and putting old twists in different contexts. The dialogue, for the most part, isn't too bad also, but you can see everything coming 86 miles away. And it seemed he couldn't decide where to end this flick either. There are a few different spots that could've easily served as a decent ending, but he kept going and going, trying to squeeze as much, pardon the pun, sap out of the proverbial tree as humanly possible. Sure, there are a few purely touching moments, but overall, the material has been used so much before that it took everything out of it.

Director Nick Cassavettes, son of actor/filmmaker John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, doesn't too bad a job at the helm here. It's a very colorful film (literally) and he uses some beautiful sets. The problem is I couldn't really focus on his work because the story was so bothersome. Still, this movie won't help him to break through his streak of mediocrity (See: John Q, She's So Lovely).

The Notebook is a movie about love conquering all, and all that crap. The girls will dry their eyes, while the guys will roll theirs. The acting and directing are well-done, but it's an incredibly predictable, unoriginal and dull yarn that should've stayed on the page rather than on the screen.

“2001: A Space Odyssey”

Roger Ebert called Stanley Kubrick 's 2001: A Space Odyssey , "a great visionary leap, unsurpassed in its vision of man and the universe. It was a statement that came at a time which now looks something like the peak of humanity's technological optimism."

“An Alan Smithee Film”

"In taking his name off the film, Arthur Hiller has wisely distanced himself from the disaster, but on the basis of what's on the screen I cannot, frankly, imagine any version of this film that I would want to see. The only way to save this film would be to trim 86 minutes," wrote Ebert.

“Apocalypse Now”

Of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war epic, Ebert said: " Apocalypse Now is a film which still causes real, not figurative, chills to run along my spine, and it is certainly the bravest and most ambitious fruit of Coppola's genius"

“Aguirre, Wrath of God”

Werner Herzog was among Ebert's most celebrated filmmakers. In his review of Herzog's Aguirre, Wrath of God , he described the film as "one of the great haunting visions of the cinema"

“Baby Geniuses”

"This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, 'Heaven lies about us in our infancy,'" wrote Ebert. "If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we'd all we happier. But I press on."

“Citizen Kane”

While recounting his favorite films of all time, Ebert had but a simplistic comment for the Orson Welles drama: " Citizen Kane speaks for itself."

“Dukes of Hazzard”

"It's a retread of a sitcom that ran from about 1979 to 1985, years during which I was able to find better ways to pass my time. Yes, it is still another TV program I have never ever seen. As this list grows, it provides more and more clues about why I am so smart and cheerful…. Bo and Luke are involved in a mishap that causes their faces to be blackened with soot, and then, wouldn't you know, they drive into an African-American neighborhood, where their car is surrounded by ominous young men who are not amused by blackface, or by the Confederate flag painted on the car. I was hoping maybe the boyz n the hood would carjack the General, which would provide a fresh twist to the story, but no, the scene sinks into the mire of its own despond."

“La Dolce Vita”

" La Dolce Vita has become a touchstone in my life: A film about a kind of life I dreamed of living, then a film about the life I was living, the about my escape from that life. Now, half a century after its release, it is about the arc of my life, and its closing scene is an eerie reflection of my wordlessness and difficulty in communicating. I still yearn and dream, but it is so hard for me to communicate that–not literally, but figuratively. So the Fellini stays," he wrote.

“North”

In one of his most infamous reviews, Ebert said of North : "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."

“One Woman or Two”

In another blistering review, he commented: "Add it all up, and what you've got here is a waste of good electricity. I'm not talking about the electricity between the actors. I'm talking about the current to the projector."

“Raging Bull”

"Many would choose Taxi Driver as [Martin] Scorsese 's greatest film, but I believe Raging Bull is his best and most personal, a film he says in some ways saved his life," Ebert wrote. "It is the greatest cinematic expression of the torture of jealousy–his Othello ."

“Sour Grapes”

Larry David 's 1998 comedy did not sit well with Ebert. "How to account for the fact that Larry David is one of the creators of Seinfeld ? Maybe he works well with others. I can't easily remember a film I've enjoyed less. North , a comedy I hated, was at least able to inflame me with dislike. Sour Grapes is a movie that deserves its title: It's puckered, deflated and vinegary. It's a dead zone."

“The General”

Selecting his favorite silent film, Ebert chose Buster Keaton 's The General , calling it "his best."

“The Hot Chick”

Of Rob Schneider 's teen comedy — which introduced many to a young Rachel McAdams — Ebert said: "The movie resolutely avoids all the comic possibilities of its situation, and becomes one more dumb high school comedy about sex gags and prom dates…. Through superhuman effort of the will, I did not walk out of The Hot Chick , but reader, I confess I could not sit through the credits. The MPAA rates this PG-13. It is too vulgar for anyone under 13, and too dumb for anyone over 13."

“The Village”

"To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes," he lamented of M. Night Shamalan 's 2004 psychological horror film. "It's a crummy secret, about one step up the ladder of narrative originality from It Was All a Dream. It's so witless, in fact, that when we do discover the secret, we want to rewind the film so we don't know the secret anymore."

“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie”

"As faithful readers will know, I have a few cult followers who enjoy my reviews of bad movies," he began. "These have been collected in the books I Hated, Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie ; Your Movie Sucks , and A Horrible Experience of Unendurable Length . This movie is so bad, it couldn't even inspire a review worthy of one of those books. I have my standards."

“Tokyo Story”

"The older I grow and the more I observe how age affects our relationships, the more I think Tokyo Story has to teach us," he claimed. "Kurosawa's Ikiru has as much to say, but in the rigid economy of the Sight & Sound limitations, impossible choices are forced."

“Tommy Boy”

" Tommy Boy is one of those movies that plays like an explosion down at the screenplay factory," he said. "You can almost picture a bewildered office boy, his face smudged with soot, wandering through the ruins and rescuing pages at random. Too bad they didn't mail them to the insurance company instead of filming them."

“Tree of Life”

Ebert called Terrence Malick 's Brad Pitt starrer, "affirmative and hopeful." "In The Tree of Life ," he said, "Malick boldly begins with the Big Bang and ends in an unspecified state of attenuated consciousness after death. The central section is the story of birth and raising a family."

“Vertigo”

Ebert also named Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo among his 10 favorite films of all time. " Vertigo (1958), which is one of the two or three best films Hitchcock ever made, is the most confessional, dealing directly with the themes that controlled his art. It is *about* how Hitchcock used, feared and tried to control women."

Roger Ebert

Awake in the Dark

The Best of Roger Ebert: Second Edition

Ebert’s Bests

December 2012

The Great Movies III

October 2010

The Great Movies IV

September 2016

Herzog by Ebert

September 2017

Scorsese by Ebert

October 2008

Two Weeks in the Midday Sun

A Cannes Notebook

For the Love of Mike

More of the Best of Mike Royko

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Notebook — “The Notebook”: Movie Review and Analysis

"The Notebook": Movie Review and Analysis

• Categories: Movie Review The Notebook

About this sample

Words: 481 |

Updated: 23 November, 2023

Words: 481 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Martz, J. (2017). Online vs. Traditional Learning: What are the Differences?. Arizona Christian University.
• Leaf Group Education. (2021). Online vs. Traditional Education. Classroom.
• University of the Potomac. (2020). Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes.
• National Education Association. (2013). NEA Policy Brief: Online and Blended Learning.
• Li, N., Marsh, J. A., & Zheng, B. (2018). Blended learning in K-12: Evidence-based practices and promising approaches. Journal of Educational Research, 111(4), 443-458.
• Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2017). Digital Learning Compass: Distance Education Enrollment Report 2017. Babson Survey Group.
• National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Enrollment and Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2018; and Financial Statistics and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2018: First Look (Provisional Data). U.S. Department of Education.
• Schreurs, J., Jarodzka, H., De Laat, M., & Sloep, P. (2018). The effects of online vs. blended learning on student engagement, learning outcomes, and experience. Educational Technology Research and Development, 66(1), 57-79.
• Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. US Department of Education.
• Sitzmann, T., Kraiger, K., Stewart, D., & Wisher, R. (2006). The comparative effectiveness of web-based and classroom instruction: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 59(3), 623-664.

Video Version

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Entertainment Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 887 words

6.5 pages / 3030 words

7 pages / 3276 words

3.5 pages / 2123 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Notebook

The Notebook is a film that came out in in 2004 and to this day, it is still one of the most successful movies that has been directed.. If you haven’t seen this movie then that is fine. The Notebook is about this poor and [...]

In The Notebook, Noah is the epitome of how fundamental it is for a man to obtain true love. This film holds my attention because through all the obstacles Noah and Allie had to face, they ended up together. Noah proves how [...]

The film “The Notebook” is based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. The movie is narrated by an elderly man Duke while he resides is a nursing home. Duke reads a romantic story from his notebook to a fellow resident. The notebook [...]

Memory loss and cognitive decline are commonly observed symptoms in individuals diagnosed with Dementia. These symptoms tend to progress over time, particularly in the case of Alzheimer's disease, often [...]

In the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell uses several literary techniques to develop the theme that totalitarianism is destructive. He does so by using extensive imagery, focusing on the deterioration of the Victory Mansions, [...]

In order for one to exist in a totalitarian society whose government is successful in its control, one must deal on a day-to-day basis with strong persuasion and propaganda. These totalitarian societies have an iron grip on [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Skip to main content

• Life & style
• Environment

The Notebook

15 of Roger Ebert's Most Hated Zero-Star Reviews

"I hated, hated, hated this movie."

Both a harsh critic at times, and a staunch defender of diversity and creative choices in filmmaking, Roger Ebert is arguably the most esteemed and well-known film critic of all time. Though he sadly passed away in 2013 after a long battle with cancer, his film reviews live on in the public memory as a testament to his perceptive view of cinema and eloquent way of talking about it.

One thing he was known for was not holding back when it came to his movie reviews. When Ebert thoroughly enjoyed and admired a film, he would say so enthusiastically. When he hated one, he would proclaim it loudly as he did for films like Pink Flamingos and Caligula . The critic wrote some of the worst movie reviews ever — not in terms of the quality of his writing, oh no, but in terms of how brutally he talked about the films he was reviewing. There are undeniably some films that he despised more than most, sometimes giving them his infamous lowest-possible rating: No stars and a thumbs down.

15 'Jaws: The Revenge' (1987)

Directed by joseph sargent.

The fourth and final film in the Jaws franchise and one of the worst sequels of all time , Jaws: The Revenge focuses on the recently widowed Ellen Brody, who goes to visit her son Michael after her other son Sean dies from a shark attack while on the job. During her visit, she strikes up a new romance, but things go awry when the group is terrorized by a great white shark out for revenge. How a shark is able to hold a grudge and set out on a quest for revenge was a mystery for all, including Roger Ebert.

This film interestingly ignores the events of the movie Jaws 3-D , and was one that Roger Ebert found to be not only a “bad movie, but also a stupid and incompetent one.” He also went further and claimed that it wasn’t a good thriller either , which is a deep cut for a Jaws movie. According to Ebert, though, viewers are better off watching a movie that doesn't propose sharks are capable of thirsting for payback.

Jaws: The Revenge

*Availability in US

Not available

14 'Dirty Love' (2005)

Directed by john asher.

In Dirty Love , Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg plays a woman who finds out her boyfriend is cheating. After breaking up, she steps back onto the dating scene to get back at her ex, all the while ignoring the one guy who might be right for her: her nerdy friend John. Though it's supposed to be a comedy, some would call it one of the unfunniest films ever put on the silver screen.

This is a film that Roger Ebert particularly did not enjoy , having some very strong words for it in his review. He claimed that the film was so pitiful that “it [was] hopelessly incompetent” and said that he was unsure if anyone “involved [had] ever seen a movie, or [knew] what one is.” For anyone thinking about watching Dirty Love , it’s certain that Ebert would advise against it .

Watch on Tubi

13 'The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)' (2011)

Directed by tom six.

One of the most infamously grotesque and disturbing horror movie franchises ever, the Human Centipede trilogy is certainly an entertaining talking point. The second installment, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) , follows a disturbed loner who sets out to create a 12-person human centipede. No one asked for the first film, no one asked for a sequel, but Tom Six delivered anyway.

From the get-go, Ebert calls the film in his review "an ugly, artless affront to human decency." It's certainly not hard to see why the critic had such contempt for the movie, since it has everything he usually hated: No heart, nothing of any real value to say, and gratuitous shock value. It's certainly a cult classic that isn't without it fans, but Ebert would have never called himself one of them.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)

12 'north' (1994), directed by rob reiner.

Based on a novel by Alan Zweibel , North stars Elijah Wood as the title character, a young boy who is bright but severely neglected by his parents. He meets a man who encourages him to legally separate from them and search the world for a much better replacement, but North soon realizes that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Roger Ebert reviews could get quite poetic with his use of words, so when he was particularly concise when expressing his distaste for a movie, one knew that things were serious. Judging by his review of North , it might be safe to argue that it’s one of the films he despised most. Simply put, he “hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it.” He even said he was insulted by the very thought that some people might like it, which is an extremely low blow.

11 'Freddy Got Fingered' (2001)

Directed by tom green.

In the black comedy Freddy Got Fingered , a struggling cartoon artist decides to fabricate something life-changing about his father for attention when his pitch for a cartoon gets rejected in Hollywood. The devious lie is that his father is molesting his younger brother Freddy, and it sets off an insane chain of events for the family. The movie has its fans , but for the most part, it's usually considered one of the worst of all time.

Roger Ebert felt that the movie not only “doesn’t scrape the bottom of the barrel,” but that it doesn’t even “deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels.” Needless to say, the esteemed film critic absolutely hated this film about how an egregious lie tears apart a normal family . He didn't find it funny, and general audiences tend to agree.

Watch on Criterion

10 'B.A.P.S.' (1997)

Directed by robert townsend.

In B.A.P.S. , one of the campiest comedies of the '90s , Oscar winner Halle Berry plays Nisi alongside Natalie Desselle ’s Mickey, two stylish waitresses who dream of opening their own hair salon that doubles as a soul-food restaurant. To achieve these dreams, the two fly to L.A. for an audition but instead strike up a conveniently close friendship with an elderly millionaire.

Though it's a film that fans of Berry thoroughly enjoy without any irony or shame, Roger Ebert found it less than satisfactory . He is quoted as saying that the film "doesn’t work" but would "bring us all together... in paralyzing boredom." The general critical consensus aligns with his opinion, but with so many modern audiences still loving the movie for what it is, one can't help but wonder if a re-evaluation is in order.

9 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo' (2005)

Directed by mike bigelow.

In the somewhat-of-a-cult-classic comedy sequel Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo , Rob Schneider plays the titular gigolo who resumes his career of prostitution when his former pimp returns to his life and requires his assistance. While Deuce attempts to figure out who is framing his friend for multiple murders, he encounters many ladies and obstacles along the way.

Though many fans of Rob Schneider love this wacky movie for what it has to offer, Ebert reviewed the film and called it “aggressively bad, as if it wants to cause suffering to the audience” and he went on to personally address the star, saying: “Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.” There’s not much else one can add after a scathing review like that!

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo

8 'last rites' (1988), directed by donald p. bellisario.

The film Last Rites is about a woman named Angela who turns to a priest for help after the brutal murder of her mobster lover at the hands of his furious wife, Zena. The priest becomes torn between his vows, Angela, and his sister, Zena. This may sound like an interesting and promising premise, but if critics like Ebert are to be believed, director Donald P. Bellisario couldn't have squandered the concept's potential more badly.

Last Rites received a scathing review from Roger Ebert , who proclaimed it “ the worst film of 1988 .” He also went on to imply that the people responsible for the movie were all “deficient in taste, judgment, reason, tact, morality and common sense” . He then made sure the masses knew that the film was overall “offensive to [his] intelligence."

7 'Caligula' (1979)

Directed by tinto brass.

Created by the founder of Penthouse magazine Bob Guccione , the erotic drama Caligula focuses on the infamous titular Roman Emperor, played by Malcolm McDowell . Also in the cast of this wild historical movie is the talented Helen Mirren , as well as the late Peter O’Toole . Some call this one of the most scandalous films ever made, others think that its infamy is blown a little out of proportion , but not many people think it's a genuinely great movie.

Unfortunately for everyone involved in the project, Roger Ebert had nothing nice to say about it . He is quoted as saying the film is simply “sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash” and that he was left feeling “disgusted and unspeakably depressed” after watching it. A noteworthy period drama this is definitely not, at least according to Ebert.

6 'She’s Out of Control' (1989)

Directed by stan dragoti.

In She’s Out of Control , Katie, the good-girl teenage daughter of a radio station manager, uses his business trip as a chance to change up her life and appearance, learning how to do so from her dad's girlfriend, Janet. Despite a star-studded cast with the likes of Tony Danza and Matthew Perry , the movie was an all-around failure, and understandably so.

Roger Ebert called this film “bizzare,” “banal,” and many other negative things, particularly in relation to its depiction of young girls. He said the movie “sees adolescent girls as commodities to be protected from predatory males” but also notes that the predatory male in this film could very well be Katie's father, who keeps looking at her inappropriately.

Watch on Amazon Prime

5 'Mad Dog Time' (1996)

Directed by larry bishop.

In Mad Dog Time , a mob boss named Vic comes out of a stint in a mental hospital to find his business and affairs in a mess. As Vic tries to fix the issues, other mobsters are looking to remove him from the equation so that they can take over. Even a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Gabriel Byrne , Jeff Goldblum , and Kyle MacLachlan couldn't save the film from being obliterated by critics.

In the simplest of terms, Roger Ebert said that this movie “does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time.” In other words, Mad Dog Time isn’t even worth watching as viewers could watch paint dry without noticing any difference . This review from Ebert is a burn that cuts extra deep.

4 'The Devils' (1971)

Directed by ken russell.

Ken Russell 's blasphemous and infamous religious drama The Devils is a biopic set in 17th-century France, where Father Urbain Grandier 's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun who's accused of witchcraft. Due to its sacrilegious religious imagery, intense sexual content, and graphic violence, the film faced great backlash upon release, as well as heavy censorship .

It may not be quite as taboo nowadays as it was back in the '70s, but The Devils has lost none of the shock value that made Roger Ebert despise it . The critic was always a fan of using sarcasm to criticize movies he didn't like, but his review of The Devils is a special case. Entirely composed of abundantly sarcastic "praise" for Russell's film, it's a witty way of him saying that he found it unbearably pretentious and morally reprehensible.

Buy on Amazon

3 'Pink Flamingos' (1972)

Directed by john waters.

Director John Waters is nothing if not an acquired taste — and one that not many cinephiles are able to tap into, at that. Perhaps his most famous (or infamous) film is Pink Flamingos , a comedy about a notorious criminal who has given herself the title of "the filthiest person alive," and has to defend it from a sleazy couple trying to humiliate her.

The comedy movie is so disturbing that it's arguably more shocking than it is funny . In one of Roger Ebert's worst reviews in terms of how harsh he was to a movie, the critic dismissively wrote that it was a film one is tempted to praise just to be able to say one was able to get through it. However, the critic said "it is a temptation [he could] resist." He refused to give the movie a star rating, saying that stars did not apply in this case. In a resounding conclusion, he argued that Waters's film "should be considered not as a film but as a fact, or perhaps as an object."

Pink Flamingos

2 'i spit on your grave' (2010), directed by steven r. monroe.

A better-known remake of the infamous horror thriller of the same name (which Ebert also gave a thumbs down, by the way), I Spit on Your Grave is about a writer who is brutalized during her cabin retreat. After her attackers leave her for dead, she comes back for brutal, gory revenge. It's pure revenge fantasy that never pretends to be anything more, but that was even more reason for critics to find it incredibly distasteful.

The movie is so raw and unfiltered in its depiction of violence that the vast majority of viewers simply can't take it – including Ebert. He hated the film's despicable sense of morality (or lack thereof, rather), and outright said to I Spit on Your Grave in his review "I spit on your violence toward women."

I Spit on Your Grave

1 'the texas chainsaw massacre' (2003), directed by marcus nispel.

The original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a seminal entry in horror, an essential watch for fans of the genre which has aged like fine wine. The movie was remade in 2003 as Marcus Nispel 's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , about five friends on the road who find themselves stalked and hunted by a terrifying family of killers.

Although some fans of gruesome slashers don't find this entry in the franchise to be all that bad , most critics and audience members thought it was abysmal in comparison to the original. Ebert didn't like the original, but he despised this one even more. He called 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre "vile, ugly and brutal" in his merciless review, emphasizing that he saw absolutely no reason to recommend that audiences check it out.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Rent on Amazon

NEXT: Critically Acclaimed Movies That Roger Ebert Disliked

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, all movie reviews.

We Grown Now

Peyton robinson.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver

Simon abrams.

Blood for Dust

Matt zoller seitz.

Dusk for a Hitman

Robert daniels.

Stress Positions

Peter sobczynski.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Glenn kenny.

Under the Bridge

Cristina escobar.

Irena's Vow

Christy lemire.

Sweet Dreams

Challengers

Disappear Completely

Brian tallerico.

LaRoy, Texas

The Long Game

Sasquatch Sunset

Monica castillo.

Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Food, Inc. 2

Clint Worthington

The Sympathizer

Nandini balial.

It's Only Life After All

Sheila o'malley.