COLUMN: What You Can Learn From the House From "The Notebook"

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What You Can Learn From the House From The Notebook

Most people watch The Notebook as purely a romantic movie, not really expecting to take much from it. However, the crux of the movie revolves around Noah renovating a home to prove his love to Allie. On the surface, this is just a beautiful romantic gesture, but it’s also possible to learn something from this romantic gesture. Here are a few things you might be able to learn from the renovation process of the house from The Notebook.

1. A Vision Is Important

Before Noah did a single renovation, he first came up with a vision for the home as a whole. Allie, of course, was part of this process. She noted that she wanted a white house with blue shutters, and expressed her desire for a painting room. However, because Noah was the one who did all the renovations, he was the one who had to decide on the overall vision for the home. That helped him guide his renovating process.

2. Never Judge a Book By Its Cover

When the Windsor Plantation house started its journey, it was decrepit and unsafe to live in. It was also covered in overgrown plants, the doors and windows were boarded up, and most of the structures could probably break with a single wrong step. However, by the end, it’s an absolutely gorgeous building that Allie and Noah are able to spend their lives together in. Just because it looked ugly at the beginning, that didn’t mean it was unsalvageable.

3. You Can Overcome Even Very Technical Issues

For the most part, Noah does the renovations to the Windsor Plantation all on his own. You even get to see part of it in the movie, as he hitches his pickup truck to the second-story porch and uses it to tear the porch down. For most people, this would feel completely unachievable. However, because Noah is dedicated to the process, he’s able to overcome these problems and build the home.

4. A Strong Foundation Is Crucial

Perhaps none of the changes are as important as the foundational changes that Noah would have had to make to the home. Although none of them are shown on screen, Noah would have had to add a new roof, replace electrical systems, add plumbing, stabilize the chimney, level the foundation, and refinish the floor. These are all important elements of a healthy home, but they’re not things that the home has. These are what would keep the house stable throughout the years as Noah and Allie live in it.

Conclusion

The Notebook is one of the most well-known romantic movies in cinema, and it’s persisted because people love it. However, most people don’t look for a message far beyond the romantic bent of the movie. If you can find a message in a movie, it’s always a good use of your time to look for it. These lessons are ones you can take far beyond a casual watch of The Notebook.