Was The Notebook based on real people? The true love story behind Noah and Allie

The Notebook, the 2004 film based on Nicholas Sparks' best-selling 1996 novel of the same name, celebrated its 21st anniversary on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as the young couple Noah and Allie, who are separated by class.

Directed by Nick Cassavetes, it tells Noah and Allie's tale in two timelines. The first one is when they first met when they were younger, and then during their golden years. Noah (now played by James Garner) is reading a notebook to Allie in a nursing home with dementia to help her remember. The older version of Allie was played by Gena Rowlands. She's Cassavetes' mom, who has Alzheimer's.

The movie is often referred to as one of the saddest movies that will make most people cry. According to Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook is based on real people. Specifically, it's inspired by his ex-wife Cathy Sparks' grandparents. When asked about the inspiration for Allie and Noah's story, he said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2016:

"Kathy's grandparents. They were this great couple, and in many ways, their story [is The Notebook]."

Sparks' book landed on The New York Times bestsellers list for over a year. The movie grossed over $117 million worldwide from a reported $29 million budget, as per Box Office Mojo.

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All about the real people behind The Notebook, according to author Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks told CBS Sunday Morning in April 2024 that The Notebook is a mix of various love stories of a couple, from young love to reunited love and everlasting love. He said that Allie and Noah's story is also a story of memory, considering that part of their narrative is Noah reading Allie the "notebook" of their memories to help her remember.

The bestselling author never confirmed which part of her ex-wife's grandparents' story made it into the book and the movie. However, he said on his website that "parts" of the story of how they met and fell in love "eventually made their way" into the book. According to Sparks, his grandparents-in-law have been together for 60 years, but they didn't make it to Sparks' wedding because of their health.

However, he and his then-wife visited their grandparents the day after the wedding, put on their wedding attire again, and took pictures together to mark the occasion. It was then that Sparks said that the grandparents told them their love story, and while the author admitted that it was a "wonderful" story, he was more struck by what was happening in the present.

"What I most remember from that day is the way they were treating each other. The way his eyes shined when he looked at her, the way he held her hand, the way he got her tea and took care of her," the author mentions on his website.

He added:

"I remember watching them together and thinking to myself that after sixty years of marriage, these two people were treating each other exactly the same as my wife and I were treating each other after twelve hours."

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While The Notebook, now streaming on Max, has a split 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, it's certified fresh from the eyes of the audience, with a score of 85%.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay