Valentine's Flashback: 'The Notebook'
Can you imagine a more romantic movie to watch on Valentine's Day than The Notebook? Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams play a young and tempestuous pairing of James Garner and Gena Rowlands in the bittersweet, enduring drama that has grown to be modern classic, and ET was with the young stars back in 2004 as they talked about their auditions – and real love in Ryan's life!
Following the breakout success of Mean Girls, Rachel revealed whether or not she was ready for fame. Meanwhile, Ryan talked about how, after an exhaustive search for a female lead, Rachel walked in and just killed it during her audition. He also talked about fellow Mouseketeer Britney Spears' audition for the coveted role – and asksed our ET interviewer, "Do you know any nice girls?"!
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Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and directed by Nick Cassavetes, The Notebook is told in flashbacks, framed by a present-day elderly couple (Garner and Rowlands) at a nursing home who are reliving their past. A tale of two young people (Gosling and McAdams) from opposite sides of the tracks -- who are tragically torn apart and later reunited but forced to choose between class order and true love -- the film is a story of lost chances and a testament to the power of enduring love.