When we think of the most romantic movie that we've ever seen, chances are we're going to say of course it was The Notebook. Based on the 1996 book by Nicholas Sparks, the 2004 movie starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling has seriously left an impact on our hearts.
We can probably remember seeing it for the first time and crying quite a lot, even if it was in theaters (but that was okay because everyone else was doing the exact same thing). Even though it's been over a decade since the movie was released, the tragedy of star-crossed lovers being kept apart is still super raw, and we remember this film super fondly.
Keep reading to find out some fascinating things about the making of our favorite romantic movie The Notebook.
15 Britney Spears And Justin Timberlake Could Have Been Allie And Noah
Seventeen says that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake could have been Allie and Noah, and now we're remembering the days when those two pop singers were a (truly great) couple.
We think that Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling were a good casting choice as they have a lot of chemistry.
14 James Marsden Didn't Think The Movie Would Be Very Good
James Marsden played Lon Hammond, Jr. in The Notebook, and he and Allie were engaged.
As it turns out, he said that he didn't think the movie would be great. E Online quoted him as saying, "I thought The Notebook was going to be a schmaltzy Movie of the Week–type thing, and here we are!"
13 Nicholas Sparks Wrote His Novel After Finding Out His Wife's Grandparents Were In A 60 Year Plus Romance
It's always cool to hear how a writer came up with a story idea. The List says that Nicholas Sparks wrote the novel because he found out that his wife's grandparents had a 60 year plus romance.
That is incredibly sweet to learn, and it's definitely a fascinating tidbit about this movie that we all love so much.
12 Although They Dated Later, Rachel McAdams And Ryan Gosling Really Didn't Enjoy Working Together On The Movie
According to Woman's Day, although they dated later, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling didn't enjoy working together on the movie. This is surprising because of their chemistry and also the fact that they were in a relationship afterward.
We really would never have guessed this at all, so it's pretty interesting.
11 Jessica Biel And Reese Witherspoon Were Two Actresses Up For The Role Of Allie
Seventeen says that Jessica Biel and Reese Witherspoon were up for the role of Allie.
If we couldn't see Britney Spears in the role, could we see these two actresses? It's difficult because Rachel McAdams found fame as a result of playing Allie, so we definitely think of her when we think of this movie.
10 Ryan Gosling Actually Built Allie's Dining Room Table And Adirondack Chairs While Filming The Movie In Charleston
According to E Online, Ryan Gosling built some things for The Notebook. This is another fun, fascinating fact about the movie that we would have had no idea about.
He built Allie's dining room table and the Adirondack chairs while they filmed the movie in Charleston (which sounds like a super nice location to film).
9 James Garner Wasn't Nice To Ryan Gosling, Who Was Just Trying To Bond With Him
The List says that James Garner, who played the older version of Noah, wasn't nice to Ryan Gosling, who wanted to bond with him. That's definitely too bad, and it makes us realize that although we want to believe that everyone is best friends on film sets, it might not always be true.
8 Ryan Gosling's Famous Piece Of Dialogue 'What Do You Want?' Was Actually Improvised
When we think of The Notebook, we think about Ryan Gosling saying, "What do you want from me?" It might as well be the entire movie because it's so well-known.
Buzzfeed says that Ryan Gosling's piece of dialogue was actually improv, which is so cool to learn. We love him even more now.
7 Director Nick Cassavetes Isn't Comfortable With Super Intimate Scenes, So Made Sure The Movie Was Pretty PG
Sure, there's a lot of scenes of Noah and Allie kissing in The Notebook, but there isn't anything more than that. We might not have even thought about why, but there's actually a reason.
Buzzfeed says that Nick Cassavetes isn't comfortable with really intimate scenes, so that's why he made sure that the movie was fairly PG.
6 The Studio Wasn't Convinced That Birds Were A Logical Choice For The Boat Scene, Because They Hadn't Had Training
According to E Online, the studio wasn't convinced that the birds were the logical choice for the boat ride scene. Nick Cassavetes revealed the studio said to him, "It just doesn't work. We talked to every animal wrangler—you can't do it. The birds aren't trained. You've got to take it out." Cassavetes got his own birds and figured it out.
Thankfully, it did work, and we got to see this incredibly romantic scene.
5 Ryan Gosling Had Contacts On The Whole Time So His Eyes Looked Brown
According to Cheat Sheet, Ryan Gosling had contacts on the whole time so his eyes looked brown.
This might not be something that we would have guessed, and we probably don't even remember the color of his eyes from the movie as we were too busy swooning over Ryan Gosling in general (and the story of Noah and Allie's love).
4 Allie Has No Shoes On During The Kissing In The Rain Scene, Because Rachel McAdams' Shoes Literally Fell Apart
We can guess that it's not pleasant to film scenes in the pouring rain, but it does make for a romantic moment between characters.
According to Woman's Day, Rachel McAdams' shoes literally fell apart. She didn't have any shoes for this scene because of that reason. Hey, we think that it totally worked.
3 Steven Spielberg Could Have Been The Director And He Wanted Tom Cruise To Star In It
E Online says that Steven Spielberg could have been the director of The Notebook. And who would he have wanted to star in it? Tom Cruise.
That would have been a different movie, and we're not saying that we wouldn't have seen it, because we probably would have. But, Ryan Gosling is so good here.
2 Rachel McAdams Cried A Ton While Reading The Screenplay
According to Buzzfeed, Rachel McAdams cried a ton while reading the screenplay.
We can't always relate to celebrities, but this is a time when we definitely can because we can't watch this movie without some tears. We're not sure that anyone could, because there are just too many sad moments.
1 Nick Cassavetes Hired Ryan Gosling Because He Didn't Find Him Good-Looking
The final interesting tidbit from The Notebook will make us raise our eyebrows. Nick Cassavetes hired Ryan Gosling because he didn't think that he was good-looking.
Woman's Day says that the director said to Ryan, "You’re not handsome, you’re not cool, you’re just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts." We're confused... but grateful that he was hired.