20 Facts About “The Notebook” on the 20th Anniversary of its theatrical release

By Mark A. Leon

June 25, 2004, “The Notebook”, the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel and directed by Nick Cassavetes made its cinematic debut and now 20 years later, it is considered one of the most beloved romantic American films of all time. For anyone that has spent an hour in Charleston knows, much of it was film in our background.

As our way of celebrating 20 years of “The Notebook”, here are 20 facts you may or may not know about this film:

1. The movie is based on a true story – Nicholas Sparks based Noah and Allie’s love story on his wife’s grandparents, who were together for over 60 years.

2. Ryan Gosling was cast partly because the director thought he wasn’t conventionally handsome and looked “a bit nuts”.

3. Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel and Jessica Simpson all auditioned for the role of Allie before it went to Rachel McAdams.

4. Rachel McAdams cried uncontrollably when she first read the script, even though she only had a few hours to prepare for her audition.

5. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams initially didn’t get along on set, despite their on-screen chemistry.

6. Gosling learned carpentry and built the table used in Noah’s house in the movie.

7. The movie was filmed in reverse order, with the older Noah and Allie scenes shot first.

8. Ryan Gosling had to lose 20 pounds of muscle during his Christmas vacation to transform into younger Noah.

9. The iconic “What do you want?” line was improvised by Ryan Gosling.

10. Allie’s blue dress was custom-made to symbolize hope.

11. The famous bird scene almost didn’t make the final cut due to difficulties with animal wrangling.

12. Steven Spielberg was originally lined up to direct and wanted Tom Cruise to play Noah.

13. The film’s older Allie was played by Gena Rowlands, the real-life mother of director Nick Cassavetes.

14. James Marsden, who played Lon, still gets negative reactions from fans for almost keeping Noah and Allie apart.

15. The movie gives Allie a larger role compared to the book, which is told mostly from Noah’s perspective.

16. Ryan Gosling wanted Noah to burn down the house he restored at one point in the story.

17. The Notebook is Nicholas Sparks’ first published novel and was released in 1996.

18. There’s a sequel to the novel called “The Wedding” that follows Noah and Allie’s daughter.

19. A special edition of the movie features over 10 minutes of deleted scenes.

20. The Notebook has been adapted into a Broadway musical.

Still interested in learning more? These articles will help

• 21 Facts You Never Knew About “The Notebook” – Seventeen 
  
• ‘The Notebook’ Fun Facts and Trivia – Cosmopolitan
  
• 20 Behind-The-Scenes Facts You Probably Never Knew About The Notebook
  
• 16 surprising things you probably didn’t know about ‘The Notebook’ – Business Insider 
  
• Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Notebook – WatchMojo 

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