Giphy
The emotional turning point in a screenplay is the reversal of the storyline that enriches, adds depth, and complexity to characters. When written effectively, the turning point is a moment of truth where the underlying problem in the story, or character faults, are faced.
In The Notebook (2004), written by Jeremy Leven (screenplay) and Jan Sardi (adaptation), based on the 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, the emotional turning point effectively shines a light on the truth of Noah Calhoun’s (Ryan Gosling) and Allie Hamilton’s (Rachel McAdams) love affair.
A Brief Noah and Allie Recap…
Their love story begins when Noah and Allie meet at a local Charleston fair, quickly becoming head-over-heels for each other throughout the summer in the 1940s.
The relationship is upended near the end of the summer, when Allie tells Noah she will be leaving for college in New York, and an argument ensues when Noah overhears Allie’s parents disapproving of him.
As Noah drives off, Allie chases after him, pressing into the driver window of his truck in a frantic, emotional breakdown. The last time they will see each other for more than 7 years.
Years later, an engaged Allie secretly visits Noah after seeing his finished house in the newspaper, and they spend a peaceful, picturesque day rowing through the wetlands of South Carolina. Dreamlike.
The famous emotional turning point occurs as Noah brings the rowboat into dock, as a thunderstorm approaches, much like the slow unearthing of age-old feelings. Lightning sparks, Allie climbs off the boat onto the dock with Noah tying the boat up before she angrily turns towards Noah after reality hits.
Allie pauses, turns, and yells to Noah through tears:
Why didn’t you write me? Why?
In this one subtext-ridden line of dialogue, it reveals a wealth of information the audience is starting to become cued into.
Allie continues:
It wasn’t over for me, I waited for you for seven years.
And now it’s too late.
Allie isn’t just saying “why didn’t you write.” Her words are layered with subtext. It feels real. She’s not just saying “why did we break up?” Or “I’ve missed you.” It’s the grief of years of lost time with Noah collapsing into a single moment. It’s climatic, as Noah shortly reveals to her he did write. In fact, he wrote 365 letters every day for a year, and they went unanswered.
This dialogue, action, and scene is where the movie turns from an observance of lost love to actively reigniting the passionate relationship, while showing, time doesn’t really feel like it’s passed and love overcomes distance.
The addition of the rain storm, a common genre feature in romantic movies, adds to the emotional depth with her tears being multiplied and simultaneously washed away. It doesn’t feel too cliched in this scene as it’s full of emotional turmoil rather than blissful love.
Giphy
The scene juxtaposes the earlier scene with Allie and Noah angrily fighting in the car, with Noah driving away, leaving Allie outside. This scene heals the wound that Allie and Noah felt and the audience is on board with their rekindled love.
But what about Allie’s fiancé, Lon? Noah, Allie and the audience seem to momentarily forget about him. Allie seems happy with him and up until now, Allie’s character has been loyal, faithful and committed in her love for Lon.
This scene is not only a declaration of enduring love for the couple, but a reversal of the traits of Allie’s character as well. Love has taken precedence over everything else, where it wasn’t so in the summer Allie and Noah met. Lon is now an innocent casualty of Allie and Noah’s love. Allie’s values have been broken and there is the emotional fallout of Allie and Lon’s relationship which heightens the stake of this scene.
The rain scene is pivotal to the film. Without it, the storyline continues, Noah and Allie break up, lose touch and Allie continues to marry Lon. Without the admission of Allie’s agony, and of the presence of the letters, the couple continue their separate lives.