| Photos (see all 41 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 9) |
| Ryan Gosling | ... | Noah Calhoun | |
| Tim Ivey | ... | Rower | |
| Rachel McAdams | ... | Allie Hamilton | |
| Starletta DuPois | ... | Nurse Esther | |
| James Garner | ... | Duke | |
| Gena Rowlands | ... | Allie Calhoun | |
| Sam Shepard | ... | Frank Calhoun | |
| Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas | ... | Nurse Keith | |
| Joan Allen | ... | Anne Hamilton | |
| Ed Grady | ... | Harry | |
| James Marsden | ... | Lon Hammond Jr. | |
| Heather Wahlquist | ... | Sara Tuffington | |
| Jennifer Echols | ... | Nurse Selma | |
| Geoffrey Knight | ... | Barker | |
| Kevin Connolly | ... | Fin | |
| Renée Amber | ... | Nurse at Counter | |
| Andrew Schaff | ... | Matthew Jamison III | |
| Matt Shelly | ... | Seabrook Boy | |
| Michael D. Fuller | ... | Seabrook Boy | |
| Jonathan Parks Jordan | ... | Seabrook Boy | |
| Leslea Fisher | ... | Seabrook Girl | |
| Jude Kitchens | ... | Tommy the Ferris Wheel Operator | |
| David Thornton | ... | John Hamilton | |
| Tim O'Brien | ... | Mr. Tuffington | |
| Meredith O'Brien | ... | Mrs. Tuffington | |
| Cullen Moss | ... | Bodee | |
| Traci Dinwiddie | ... | Veronica | |
| Pat Leonard | ... | Lieutenant Davis | |
| Kweli Leapart | ... | Willa the Maid | |
| James Middleton | ... | Aaron | |
| Frederick Bingham | ... | Postman | |
| Daniel Czekalski | ... | Recruitment Officer | |
| Peter Rosenfeld | ... | Professor | |
| Bradley D. Capshaw | ... | Injured Soldier | |
| James Scott Deaton | ... | Injured Soldier | |
| Eve Kagan | ... | Sarah Lawrence Girl | |
| Stephanie Wheeler | ... | Sarah Lawrence Girl | |
| Erin Guzowski | ... | Sarah Lawrence Girl | |
| Obba Babatundé | ... | Band Leader (as Obba Babatunde) | |
| Chuck Pacheco | ... | Bus Driver | |
| John Cundari | ... | Maitre d' (as John A. Cundari) | |
| Hugh Robertson | ... | Pastor | |
| Robert Washington | ... | Elgin | |
| Todd Lewis | ... | Reporter | |
| Mark Johnson | ... | Photographer | |
| Robert Fraisse | ... | Buyer #1 | |
| Barbara Weetman | ... | Buyer #2 | |
| Daniel Chamblin | ... | Buyer #3 (as Dan Chamblin) | |
| Sasha Azevedo | ... | Wife of Buyer #3 | |
| Jamie Anne Allman | ... | Martha Shaw (as Jamie Brown) | |
| Robert Ivey | ... | Dressmaker | |
| Rebecca Koon | ... | Aunt Georgia | |
| Sandra W. Van Natta | ... | Aunt Jeanette | |
| Deborah Hobart | ... | Aunt Kitty | |
| Lindy Newton | ... | Heather Lynn | |
| Sherril M. Turner | ... | Linda Jean (as Sherrill Turner) | |
| Sylvia Jefferies | ... | Rosemary | |
| Mark Garner | ... | Lon's Employee | |
| Scott Ritenour | ... | Lon's Employee | |
| Milton Buras | ... | Lon's Employee | |
| Elizabeth Bond | ... | Lon's Secretary | |
| Matthew Barry | ... | Dr. Barnwell (as Matt Barry) | |
| Nancy De Mayo | ... | Mary Allen | |
| Meredith Zealy | ... | Maggie | |
| Julianne Keller Lewis | ... | Davanee | |
| Madison Wayne Ellis | ... | Noah, Jr. | |
| Riley Novak | ... | Edmond | |
| Ronald Betts | ... | Male Nurse | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Patricia Buckley-Moss | ... | Dancer (uncredited) | |
| Jonathan Dickson | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Taylor Engel | ... | Guy in Movie Theatre (uncredited) | |
| Bob Forrest | ... | Man Having Dinner in Retirement Home (uncredited) | |
| Paul Johansson | ... | Allie's Mom's Ex Boyfriend (uncredited) | |
| Michael L. Nesbitt | ... | Carnival Worker (uncredited) | |
| Adam Sumner | ... | Lumberyard Worker (uncredited) | |
| Bruce Williamson | ... | Carnival patron (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Nick Cassavetes | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Nicholas Sparks | (novel) | |
| Jan Sardi | (adaptation) | |
| Jeremy Leven | (screenplay) | |
Produced by | |||
| Toby Emmerich | .... | executive producer | |
| Lynn Harris | .... | producer | |
| Mark Johnson | .... | producer | |
| Avram 'Butch' Kaplan | .... | executive producer (as Avram Butch Kaplan) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Aaron Zigman | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Robert Fraisse | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Alan Heim | |||
Casting by | |||
| Matthew Barry | |||
| Nancy Green-Keyes | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Sarah Knowles | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Scott Ritenour | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Chuck Potter | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Karyn Wagner | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Matiki Anoff | .... | assistant makeup department head | |
| Dale Brownell | .... | hair stylist: Ms. Rowlands | |
| Milton Buras | .... | hair department head | |
| Janet Carey | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Jerry DeCarlo | .... | assistant department head hair stylist | |
| Teresa Foshee | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Linda Grimes | .... | makeup department head | |
| Nicole Lapierre | .... | key makeup artist: Montreal (as Nicole LaPierre) | |
| Sarah Mays | .... | makeup artist: Ms. Rowlands (as Sarah Mays-Roberts) | |
| Patricia McAlhany Glasser | .... | assistant hair stylist (as Patricia McAlthany Glasser) | |
| Charlene Roberson | .... | hair stylist: Mr. Garner | |
| Charlene Roberson | .... | makeup artist: Mr. Garner | |
| Coni Andress | .... | hair stylist (uncredited) | |
| Rhonda Bareford | .... | additional makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Wendy Bell | .... | background makeup supervisor (uncredited) | |
| Catherine Lavoie | .... | assistant makeup artist: Montreal (uncredited) | |
| Jennifer Santiago | .... | additional hair stylist (uncredited) | |
| Denise Tunnell | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Janice Tunnell | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Fanny Vachon | .... | assistant makeup artist: Montreal (uncredited) | |
| Cecilia Verardi | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Erik Holmberg | .... | executive in charge of production | |
| Avram 'Butch' Kaplan | .... | unit production manager (as Avram Butch Kaplan) | |
| Todd Lewis | .... | production supervisor | |
| Rick Reynolds | .... | post-production supervisor | |
| Danièle Rohrbach | .... | production manager: Montreal | |
| Bernard Vincent | .... | unit manager: Montreal | |
| Jamie D. Boscardin | .... | production supervisor: Los Angeles (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Alexandre Bernard | .... | second assistant director: Montreal | |
| Johanne Caporicci | .... | second assistant director: Montreal | |
| Robbie Ditchburn | .... | first assistant director: Montreal (as Robert Ditchburn) | |
| Geneviéve Duguay | .... | third assistant director: Montreal | |
| Randy Fletcher | .... | first assistant director | |
| Phil Hardage | .... | second assistant director (as Philip L. Hardage) | |
| Michelle Regina | .... | dga trainee (as Michelle Lynn Regina) | |
| Michael Scott Reid | .... | second second assistant director | |
| Tanya van Blokland | .... | third assistant director: Montreal (as Tanya Van Blokland) | |
| Mike Warner | .... | first assistant director: second unit (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Norman B. Adelsflügel | .... | propmaker | |
| Deana Albers | .... | assistant property master | |
| Gillian V. Albinski | .... | art department buyer | |
| Nelson Alicea | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Angela Amaro | .... | buyer | |
| Chris Anthony | .... | propmaker | |
| Sara Bettinger | .... | propmaker | |
| Chuck Bitting | .... | propmaker | |
| Chris Bogart | .... | painter | |
| J. Donovan Bohlen | .... | propmaker | |
| Michael Bohlen | .... | propmaker | |
| Christina Brown | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Kenneth Bryant | .... | leadman | |
| Billy Buckley | .... | propmaker (as Bill Buckley) | |
| Kristen Bunting | .... | scenic gang boss | |
| Cheryl Clarey | .... | painter | |
| Richard M. Cole | .... | mill foreman (as Richard Cole) | |
| Geoff Cormier | .... | greensman (as Geoffrey Cormier) | |
| Randy Crabb | .... | propmaker | |
| Peter Dillenbeck | .... | greensman | |
| Jeanne Dobie | .... | artwork | |
| Edie Doherty | .... | buyer | |
| Kristen Donaldson | .... | art department coordinator | |
| Greg Eddins | .... | propmaker | |
| Stephen Eno | .... | painter | |
| Summer Eubanks | .... | assistant decorator | |
| Maureen Farley | .... | property master | |
| Kevin Fleming | .... | painter | |
| Patrick Fuhrman | .... | set dresser | |
| Mark Fulton | .... | painter | |
| Kevin Garland | .... | utility painter | |
| Mark Garner | .... | set designer (as Mark E. Garner) | |
| John Gilchrist Jr. | .... | toolman (as John Gilchrist) | |
| Sharon Gilchrist | .... | painter | |
| Cindy Gouin | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Bradley G. Grasser | .... | propmaker (as Bradley G. Glasser) | |
| Geoffrey S. Grimsman | .... | set designer | |
| George Harding III | .... | lead greensman (as George W. Harding III) | |
| Frank J. Hart | .... | gang boss | |
| Kate Hart | .... | art department production assistant | |
| Lillian Heyward | .... | graphic artist (as Lillian Byrne Heyward) | |
| Richard Hill | .... | propmaker (as Richard L. Hill) | |
| G. Heath Hood | .... | propmaker (as Heath Hood) | |
| Phillip Huggins | .... | signwriter | |
| Dean F. Janik | .... | head signwriter (as Dean Janik) | |
| Mikkel Johansen | .... | art department production assistant | |
| Sean Joyce | .... | painter: Allie's paintings | |
| Steven Kerlagon | .... | scenic charge (as Steven J. Kerlagon) | |
| Andy Krish | .... | greensman (as Andrew Krish) | |
| Christopher Kuder | .... | propmaker | |
| Gary W. Lang | .... | propmaker | |
| Scott A. Lawson | .... | set dresser | |
| Bryan Lee | .... | propmaker foreman | |
| Rebecca Leonard | .... | painter | |
| David Lyons | .... | stand-by greensman | |
| Charles Mack | .... | greensman | |
| Stephanie Macomber Kern | .... | painter: Allie's paintings (as Stephanie McComber) | |
| Stephanie Macomber Kern | .... | stand-by painter (as Stephanie McComber) | |
| Michael W. Maynard | .... | greensman (as Michael Maynard) | |
| Robert S. May | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Alton McClellan | .... | paint foreman | |
| Rick Mobbs | .... | storyboard artist | |
| Jonathan S. Morgan | .... | utility painter | |
| Thomas A. Morris Jr. | .... | construction coordinator | |
| Scot Noonan | .... | propmaker | |
| Bozydar Orszula | .... | general foreman (as Bozydar Henry Orszula) | |
| Judith Orszula | .... | painter | |
| Frank Pearson | .... | gang boss | |
| Doug Petersen | .... | propmaker | |
| Melissa Porter | .... | painter (as Melissa E. Porter) | |
| William Rampey | .... | propmaker | |
| Robert Ramsey | .... | signwriter | |
| Kathleen Richter | .... | construction accountant | |
| Joseph C. Roberts | .... | utility propmaker | |
| John H. Russell | .... | propmaker | |
| Gregory Schmitz | .... | scenic charge | |
| Cindy Seay | .... | painter | |
| Michael Shapiro | .... | set dresser | |
| Timothy 'Montage' Shaughnesey | .... | greensman (as Timothy 'Schemp' Shaughnessy) | |
| 'Jungle Jim' Shaughnessy | .... | greens foreman (as James 'Jungle' Shaughnessy) | |
| Ronnie Shier | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Bennet Silver | .... | set dresser | |
| Ben Sineath | .... | propmaker | |
| Ben T. Sineath Jr. | .... | propmaker | |
| Elise S. Smith | .... | painter | |
| Lester Stone | .... | propmaker (as lester V. Stone) | |
| Nicole Strojny | .... | painter | |
| Andrea 'Drew' Sywanyk | .... | on-set dresser | |
| Valerie Jo Van Norte | .... | assistant props (as Valerie Van Norte) | |
| Scott D. Warner | .... | propmaker (as Scott Warner) | |
| Pauline White-Kassulke | .... | buyer (as Pauline White-Kasswike) | |
| 'Orjon' J.N. Winder | .... | utility propmaker | |
| Edward L. Zubritsky | .... | propmaker | |
| Sonya Duvall | .... | construction buyer (uncredited) | |
| Richie Kawamoto | .... | art department coordinator: re-shoots (uncredited) | |
| Barb Livingston | .... | buyer: set dressing (uncredited) | |
| Rick Mobbs | .... | scenic artist (uncredited) | |
| Scott D. Warner | .... | gangboss (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Ryal Cosgrove | .... | special effects supervisor: Montreal | |
| Lisa Reynolds | .... | special effects foreman | |
| Bob Shelley | .... | special effects coordinator | |
| David Hill | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| G. Heath Hood | .... | pyrotechnician (uncredited) | |
| William Purcell | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| Marc Reichel | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Alp Altiner | .... | matte artist: Illusion Arts | |
| Justin Brandstater | .... | matte artist: Illusion Arts | |
| Steve Caldwell | .... | digital compositor: Custom Film Effects | |
| Mark Dornfeld | .... | visual effects supervisor: Custom Film Effects | |
| David Dryer | .... | visual effects supervisor | |
| Syd Dutton | .... | special visual effects: Illusion Arts | |
| Michele Ferrone | .... | producer: visual effects, Custom Film Effects | |
| Collin Fowler | .... | coordinator: Illusion Arts | |
| Adam Gass | .... | digital editorial: Custom Film Effects | |
| R.J. Harbour | .... | digital compositor: Custom Film Effects (as RJ Harbour) | |
| Shaina Holmes | .... | digital compositor: Custom Film Effects | |
| Mark Kenaston | .... | digital assistant: Illusion Arts | |
| Michael Kory | .... | 3D artist: Illusion Arts | |
| Adam Kowalski | .... | compositor: Illusion Arts | |
| Lynn Ledgerwood | .... | special rigging: Illusion Arts | |
| Fumi Mashimo | .... | animation supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Kelvin McIlwain | .... | matte artist supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Lori C. Miller | .... | digital compositor: Custom Film Effects (as Lori Miller) | |
| Richard Patterson | .... | digital supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Laurie Powers | .... | digital supervisor: Custom Film Effects | |
| Lauren Ritchie | .... | executive in charge of visual effects | |
| Michelle Rothburgh | .... | digital assistant: Illusion Arts (as Michelle Rothburg) | |
| Robert Scifo | .... | matte artist: Illusion Arts (as Bob Scifo) | |
| David Smithson | .... | data wrangler: Custom Film Effects | |
| Aaron Snow | .... | digital assistant: Illusion Arts | |
| Catherine Sudolcan | .... | producer: Illusion Arts | |
| Bill Taylor | .... | special visual effects: Illusion Arts | |
| Andrew Tucker | .... | 3D artist: Illusion Arts | |
| Amani Williams | .... | digital compositor: Custom Film Effects | |
| David S. Williams Jr. | .... | compositing supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Ryan Beadle | .... | digital I/O (uncredited) | |
| Christopher Dusendschon | .... | digital imaging supervisor: iO FILM (uncredited) | |
| Nick Ilyin | .... | digital compositor (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Bob Bruebaker | .... | utility stunts (as Robert Kurt Brubaker) | |
| Mike Chute | .... | stunt player: Montreal | |
| Christina Fetters | .... | stunt double: Allie (as Christina Fetters-Ritzi) | |
| Jean Frenette | .... | stunt player: Montreal | |
| Dale Frye | .... | stunt double: Noah | |
| Ben Gauthier | .... | stunt player: Montreal (as Benoit Gauthier) | |
| Jere Gillis | .... | stunt player: Montreal | |
| Cal Johnson | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Patrick Kerton | .... | stunt player: Montreal | |
| Ted Larkin | .... | utility stunts | |
| David McKeown | .... | stunt coordinator: Montreal (as Dave McKeown) | |
| David McKeown | .... | stunt double: Fin (as Dave McKeown) | |
| Jodi Michelle Pynn | .... | stunt double: Allie (as Jodi Pynn) | |
| Rex Reddick | .... | utility stunts | |
| George P. Wilbur | .... | stunt double: Duke | |
Casting Department | |||
| Richard Futch | .... | location casting | |
| Barbara Harris | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Margaret Mullins | .... | location casting | |
| Lisa Hamil | .... | casting associate (uncredited) | |
| Gabriel Lavina | .... | casting assistant: Montreal (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Bill Balas | .... | editorial production assistant | |
| Glenn Cowan | .... | assistant editor: Los Angeles | |
| Justine Halliday | .... | associate film editor | |
| James W. Harrison III | .... | editorial production assistant: New York (as Jim Harrison III) | |
| Bob Hart | .... | negative cutter | |
| Jodi Levin | .... | executive in charge of post-production | |
| Dennis McNeill | .... | color timer | |
| Tim Wilson | .... | assistant editor: Los Angeles | |
| Perri Pivovar | .... | assistant film editor: New York (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Paul Broucek | .... | executive in charge of music | |
| Debbi Datz-Pyle | .... | music contractor | |
| Brian Dixon | .... | score mixing assistant | |
| Tom Hardisty | .... | score mixing assistant | |
| Jerry Hey | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Jerry Hey | .... | conductor | |
| Dan Higgins | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Steve Juliani | .... | music preparation | |
| Dean Parks | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Bill Reichenbach | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Dennis S. Sands | .... | score mixer (as Dennis Sands) | |
| Erin Scully | .... | music executive | |
| Lori Silfen | .... | music business affairs executive | |
| Philip Tallman | .... | music editor | |
| Brad Warnaar | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Aaron Zigman | .... | orchestrator | |
| Mark Eshelman | .... | scoring crew (uncredited) | |
| Robin Joseph | .... | music clearances (uncredited) | |
| Pat Weber | .... | scoring technician (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Renee Michelle Amber | .... | production assistant (as Renée Amber) | |
| Tammy Arnold | .... | dialect coach | |
| Lynell Bangs | .... | production accountant: Montreal | |
| Cassandra Barbour | .... | rights and clearances: Entertainment Clearances Inc. | |
| Floyd Barnfield | .... | handler: Waterfowl unit | |
| Ivey C. Bechtler | .... | assistant marine coordinator | |
| Beth Bickford | .... | production office assistant | |
| Karen Bosma | .... | travel coordinator (as Karen L. Bosma) | |
| David Michael Brown | .... | assistant craft service | |
| Kathleen Callahan | .... | craft service (as Kat Callahan) | |
| Kevin Connolly | .... | supervisor: beauty unit | |
| Jon Davidson | .... | production controller | |
| Chrissie Davis | .... | production coordinator | |
| Joe Dornich | .... | production assistant | |
| Leon Dudevoir | .... | production executive | |
| Christine Duncan | .... | stitcher | |
| Jeff Egan | .... | production safety | |
| Jeff Egan | .... | safety manager: Montreal | |
| Karen Eisenstadt | .... | production accountant | |
| Gray Formy-Doval | .... | boat boss: marine unite | |
| C.C. Friedheim | .... | stitcher (as CC. Friedheim) | |
| Jeffrey Gladu | .... | payroll accountant (as Jeff Gladu) | |
| Emily Glatter | .... | supervising production coordinator | |
| Gary Grant | .... | featured soloist | |
| Lise Grégoire | .... | location manager: Montreal | |
| Michael Grizzi | .... | production attorney | |
| Ben Hammock | .... | production assistant | |
| Bass Hampton | .... | assistant location manager | |
| Dan Higgins | .... | featured soloist (as Daniel Higgins) | |
| Cindi Hobgood | .... | location manager | |
| Daniel Hydrick III | .... | coordinator: Waterfowl unit (as Daniel E. Hydrick III) | |
| Dan Hydrick IV | .... | assistant coordinator: Waterfowl unit | |
| Evelyn Jackson | .... | assistant choreographer | |
| Avery Kent | .... | stitcher | |
| Christian Labrie | .... | weapons wrangler: Montreal | |
| Alain Lacombe | .... | craft person: Montreal | |
| Christine LaFountaine | .... | production assistant (as Christine LaFontaine) | |
| Algor Lieman | .... | foreign exchange trainee | |
| Charlie Loper | .... | featured soloist | |
| Warren Luening | .... | featured soloist | |
| Sarah Lyle Fralin | .... | production assistant (as Sarah L. Fralin) | |
| Andrew Matthews | .... | financial advisor | |
| Robert Moultrie | .... | security officer | |
| Jennifer Mount | .... | risk management | |
| Dean Parks | .... | featured soloist | |
| Joshua Ravetch | .... | production resources | |
| Bill Reichenbach | .... | featured soloist | |
| Steven John Reynolds | .... | assistant accountant (as Steven Reynolds) | |
| Steven John Reynolds | .... | post-production accountant (as Steve Reynolds) | |
| Steve Rhea | .... | location manager | |
| Craig Rogers | .... | assistant location manager | |
| Hélène Ross | .... | production coordinator: Montreal | |
| Andrew Schaff | .... | assistant: Mr. Cassavetes | |
| Charles Schoonmaker | .... | boat wrangler: marne unit | |
| Jason J. Scott | .... | production assistant (as Jason Scott) | |
| Julianna Selfridge | .... | risk management (as Juliana Selfridge) | |
| Laura Sevier | .... | rights and clearances: Entertainment Clearances Inc. | |
| Matt Shelly | .... | assistant: Mr. Kaplan | |
| Lisa G. Shillingburg | .... | assistant accountant | |
| Peter J. Silbermann | .... | unit publicist | |
| Robert W. Simpson | .... | local captain | |
| David Sporn | .... | business administrator | |
| Chad Stall | .... | choreographer | |
| Melinda Taksen | .... | script supervisor | |
| Alexander R. Taylor | .... | barge captain: marine unit | |
| Lee Tucker | .... | preview technical supervisor | |
| Brian Marshall Turner | .... | set medic | |
| Nadia Venesse | .... | dialect coach | |
| Mike Warner | .... | assistant supervisor: beauty unit | |
| Mike Warner | .... | parking production assistant coordinator | |
| Tom Williams | .... | assistant: Mr. Johnson | |
| Woodrow 'Woody' Wilson | .... | handler: Waterfowl unit | |
| Eugene Woodbury | .... | marine coordinator | |
| Jimmie Wood | .... | featured soloist | |
| Bob Zimmitti | .... | featured soloist (as Robert Zimmitti) | |
| Brian Bartelt | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Harmony Cadien | .... | location intern (uncredited) | |
| D. Tobias Denney | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Larry Donahue | .... | chef (uncredited) | |
| Cheryl Donaldson | .... | assistant to producer (uncredited) | |
| Katie Flynn | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Steven Gorel | .... | publicity intern (uncredited) | |
| Tim Grady | .... | location assistant (uncredited) | |
| Wendall Hinkle | .... | assistant location manager: additional photography, Los Angeles (uncredited) | |
| Jean Hodges | .... | food stylist (uncredited) | |
| Jim Jenkins | .... | stand-in: James Garner (uncredited) | |
| Jude Kitchens | .... | location scout (uncredited) | |
| Jack Munn | .... | medic (uncredited) | |
| Melissa Nanninga | .... | production assistant: additional photography (uncredited) | |
| Tarah Phillippi | .... | accounting clerk (uncredited) | |
| Matthew Spiegel | .... | production coordinator: additional photography (uncredited) | |
| Peggy Sullivan | .... | location assistant (uncredited) | |
| Craig W. van Gundy | .... | location manager: additional photography, Los Angeles (uncredited) | |
| Kristen Vincent | .... | assistant: Mr Marsden (uncredited) | |
| Mathew Vitale | .... | cook (uncredited) | |
| Caleb Womble | .... | assistant production coordinator: additional photography (uncredited) | |
Thanks | |||
| Janis Rothbard Chaskin | .... | in loving memory of (as Janis Chaskin) | |
| Tim Church | .... | thanks | |
| Bob Forrest | .... | thanks (as Bob Forest) | |
| Lorraine Murphy Halligan | .... | thanks | |
| Tim Ivey | .... | thanks | |
| Paul Johansson | .... | thanks | |
| Pat Leonard | .... | thanks (as Dr. Pat Leonard) | |
| Jeff Monks | .... | thanks | |
| Lex Opolis | .... | thanks | |
| Joe Pascual | .... | thanks | |
| Frank Peluso | .... | thanks | |
| Hillary Sherman | .... | thanks | |
| Briana Stello | .... | thanks | |
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| Giant | La meglio gioventù | Die Blechtrommel | Atonement | My Own Private Idaho |
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Often times when a movie comes from source material such as a novel that did well, the people who were fans of the book end up not liking the movie as much. Sometimes those same fans even end up hating the movie, or not even giving it a chance by seeing it. Such was the case, that I already knew the ending of Nicholas Sparks's novel even before I got into the theater. Let me clear up though, that the best thing about the film was that I ended up getting wrapped in the story on the screen, rather than sitting there thinking to myself what part of the story should be coming next. That is what makes a great adaptation, when you can get lost in the story, and forget about your thoughts, or what is going on in the outside world. Not only that, but the film soared past any expectations that I had for it from the start too, by being very well Directed and acted.
Best known for his acting credits, Nick Cassavetes was tapped to direct this film. His past experience, which didn't consist of very many films includes the Denzel Washington film John Q. This was not going to be an easy task for him though, because the story was built on us believing the love that the main characters of the film would be showing was real. It?s not as easy as it sounds, and some films (like Star Wars Part 2), end up making the audience laugh, rather than feel what the characters are feeling. He did a great job, and helped put together a great cast for this film that would end up including Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, and Joan Allen. All actors who have found their niches before, and were brought in to this film to help carry the story.
Gosling is best known for his role as "Richie", one of the kids, in Murder By Numbers. He brings a great innocence to the role of Noah Calhoun in the film, one of the two main characters. Rachel McAdams plays the other half of the duo as Allie Hamilton. She was actually one of the leads (Regina George) in an earlier Summer movie, Mean Girls. At the heart of this film the couple represents the love story that is being told by James Garner's character. He reads from a book , the story of the two lovers as they go through everything life has to offer. Gena Rowlands plays the lady that he is reading to, and she gets as wrapped up in the story as we do, as he progresses from chapter to chapter in the novel he is reading. Garner was perfect for this role, and shows his narrating skills as he explains how the two of them live.
Meanwhile, in the story, Noah and Allie meet in one of the cutest scenes of the movie. He sees her at a carnival, and knows right away that he wants to be with her. He does not know quite why at first, and all he can say is that something inside of him is drawing him to her. He convinces her to give him a chance, and she eventually agrees to give him the date that he seeks. What progresses from there is a Summer romance that goes through all of the emotions that we all have experienced before. What makes it even more real, is that it is not played off as if every single moment is perfect between the two of them. It depicts that they do have fights, that they do have disagreements, but that they do have a love that is stronger than any of that. This is what made the romance real for me. Everyone knows, that in real life we can't have a relationship where everything works out perfectly, or where everyone agrees on everything.
The romance blossoms, but a problem exists that could spell trouble. Noah is from a one- parent family, and sees himself working at a lumber-yard for the better part of his life. He says that he has found his place in life, and this is what the "cards" have planned for him. Allie on the other hand, come from a very well-off family, and is being brought up in a rich societal circle. Her family is spending her 17th Summer in the small town by the sea, and first comes across Noah by pure coincidence. The romance between them is kept under wraps for quite a while, until her parents find out. The mother immediately thinks that is should end, but the father feels that it is just a summer "thing" that will come to an end rather quickly. That is, until she is out late one night with Noah, and he takes the side of his wife. They see no future between their daughter and this "boy", and take her away from him the first chance they get.
That coupled with the outbreak of World War II keeps them apart for a couple of years, and the story really gets underway. Will their love be able to endure the separation, or will one of them move on to something that is easier in their own lives? The story becomes an epic of its own, as its starts to split time between the story being read, and the story of Garner and Rowlands living in the present day. This is what I love about films like these, as we are given the opportunity to enjoy two different stories going on at the same time. The love shown by Noah and Allie is something that envelopes us, and it makes us forget about the current story. By going back and forth, we are able to look forward to where each of the two stories is going. All of it leads to an ending of each story that is both very enjoyable, and very emotional at the same time.
As I said before, sometimes a book can fail to transition to film. This is not one of those cases, as the movie instead becomes its own entity. Both stories have great chemistry between the characters at the center of them. It is amazing just how well the actors/actresses in the parts play their roles, and just how much we as an audience start to care about their lives. As it progresses, we truly care about what will happen to the main characters, and we have in our own minds how we want things to turn out. It is that type of film, where we start to become part of the story, and want them to act or say something specific, that truly makes a great story. Even though this is a movie that is heavily geared to lovers of romance novels, this is a film that I found very enjoyable. I highly recommend seeing this film while it is in theaters, or purchasing it when it hits DVD, because it has everything that is needed for a truly great love story.