I’m going to say this straightforwardly and quickly: I simply cannot stand The Notebook. Yes, it made stars out of romance veteran Rachel McAdams and current golden boy Ryan Gosling (and I agree they give solid performances), and yes, that big kiss in the pouring rain is pretty epic and swoon-worthy, but like all Nicholas Sparks film adaptations (The Last Song, Nights in Rodanthe, today’s Safe Haven) it’s nothing more than a sappy, clichéd romance. And yet, this film has become the standard go-to love story for my generation (even more so than Love Story!), and if there’s one phrase that frustrates the hell of out me, it’s “Well (insert romance film) wasn’t as good as The Notebook.” What the hell! Since when did The Notebook become the definitive film in the romance genre? The bottom line is that there are so many other great cinematic romances out there and I hate the fact that the genre has been grounded by the flimsy The Notebook. So then, if you’re trying to please that special someone today with a movie, skip over McAdams and Gosling (I know, it’s hard ladies) for once and try something else! Below is a list of romance films to please any significant other without having to endure The Notebookfor the 100th time:
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