THE NOTEBOOK (2004)

Directed by: Nick Cassavetes
Written by: Jeremy Levin
Studio: New Line Cinema
Starring: Ryan Gosling, James Garner, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
Two love stories, generations apart, unfold simultaneously. A young man falls in love with a young girl who is from a higher social class than his but still pursues her diligently. An older man visits a nursing center where he reads a book to an invalid. The stories eventually intertwine and speak volumes about the capacity of love, forgiveness, and hope.

Movie Quote:
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more.”
Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) in The Notebook (2004)

Bible Quote:
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
1 John 4:11 (KJV)


Commentary:
Love. It is a huge topic and one that has centered many a film… such as the weepy romantic drama, The Notebook… and for good reason. Love, as it has been said, makes the world go round. It is at or should be at the very core of our being. Without love, life has little meaning and less importance. But there are, as Noah implies, different kinds of love.

Looking at the scriptures, we can see that this is true. Love is a crucial theme throughout the Bible but to appreciate it fully, we must look beyond the English all-inclusive word for love to gain a better understanding. Brotherly love, affectionate love, physical love, maternal or paternal love… all these pale in comparison to the greatest love of all – agape love.

Agape, the Greek word translated as love in the English Bible, refers to the kind of love our heavenly Father extends to us. Unselfish, all-giving, all-encompassing, it is a love that overwhelms the senses and leaves us with a burning desire to pass it along. And pass it along we can. It is unquenchable, fathomless, and undeniable. With agape love at the heart of our life’s endeavors, we cannot fail. God’s love awakens our soul and leaves us longing for more. More that is only available by inviting others to experience it with us.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. How is love illustrated in the film? Who is closest to achieving the “agape” love that is so desirable?
2. What other godly qualities are demonstrated by the characters in the film? At what times are the characters at their best? When are they at their worst? What can we learn from this?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com