To my good friend Rawley Hamblin, who once spent a weekend explaining to his guy friends how much he liked this movie after watching it on a whim.
Let me preface this by admitting that I am a bit of a James Marsden fan-boy. I respect a man who is quite well aware of his looks and yet can play the fool just as well as the heartthrob (see "Enchanted"). He also makes for a pretty awesome superhero, and can lead a '60s dance TV show into desegregation with just as much ease. He's enviable in just about every stage, as are all of my other man-crushes (see Ewan McGregor and Michael Buble). These man-crushes stem from a longing to be like these men.
But of course, this is about his role in the film adaptation of "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks. I've no qualms with Gosling or McAdams, or even Garner and Rowlands. Definitely with the Frankly, this is probably more of a bone to pick with Sparks himself, but in the end, I just ask that you consider the points I'm trying to make about an obstacle of a man that truly did nothing wrong.
Alright, I get the reason why we root for Noah, I really do (although I don't). He's a confident young man who is capable in building and construction and clearly fairly bright. He's in love with Allie, and you can't really blame him. She's gorgeous and has a wonderful vibrant atmosphere. The two are both lovable. But so is Lon Hammond Jr. The man is a solider, admirably willing to fight for his country (as is Noah, I'll give him that). He meets Allie while he is injured and quickly takes an interest in her (probably for the same reasons expressed earlier). The two hit it off and became so well acquainted that they agree to get married. Unbeknownst to Lon, Allie still harbors major feelings for Noah. You would think this sort of thing would come up before they decided to get hitched, but unfortunately Lon is left to fight for her, ultimately losing to a guy who was definitely dating (or whatever we're calling that) a widow while reconstructing a house. Lon has a right to be angry when he learns of her love for Noah. Many people justify his "loss of the coveted girl" by reminding us that he is rich like Allie and unlike Noah. You know, something he was born into, unable to control. How dare he be something that Allie's parents would want her to spend her life with? I get the whole "forbidden love" thing and how appealing that can be to Sparks' fans. But in the end, the man does nothing wrong. He just fell in love with a woman who doesn't love him back.
But like many famous fictional couples, the thing that makes them so great together is that they fill the gaps of certain imperfections and insecurities (see Monica and Chandler of "Friends"). I can believe in Noah and Allie because of this fact. Perfection doesn't always quite satisfy but it is sometimes tragic to see perfect seeming characters not at least find happiness for themselves later in the story (like Dr. Richard Burke of "Friends"). So Lon, I root for you and hope you found some spectacular girl to dance with.
