Monthly Archives: July 2014

Here’s how ‘The Notebook’ should have ended. Seriously.

 

Notebook

Ten years ago last week, “The Notebook” opened in theaters, making stars out of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, spawning adaptations of every other gooey romance novel Nicholas Sparks ever wrote, and taking some of the heat off “Love Actually” as the sappiest romance of the ’00s.

At the time, I actually sort of liked it, and thought McAdams and Gosling brought loads of charm to what was a very silly story. But one thing has bugged me ever since about “The Notebook” — the ending. As I was of the theater, I wrote in my head a much better ending to “The Notebook.” one that is even more sappy and sentimental than the original, but more interesting and surprising as well.

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Instant Gratification: “Afternoon of a Faun” and four other good movies to watch on Netflix Instant

American Masters - "Tanaquil Le Clercq: Afternoon of a FaunÓ

“Afternoon of a Faun” — Get out the hankies for this poetic and poignant documentary about the dancer Tanaquil Le Clercq, who served as a muse to legendary choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. In addition to creating dances for her bold, long-limbed style, both fell in love with her (Balanchine married her), but her career was cut short when she contracted polio at the age of 27.

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“Hearts and Minds”: Why we fight, and fight, and fight

heartsandminds

There’s more than a whiff of bitterness to the title of Peter Davis’ landmark documentary “Hearts and Minds,” now reissued by Criterion in a new Blu-ray edition. The phrase refers to a Lyndon B. Johnson speech suggesting that the Vietnam War would be won not just tactically, but philosophically. We could not only defeat the North Vietnamese but turn the Vietnamese people into our spiritual allies, winning their hearts and minds for freedom and democracy.

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