The Notebook

In a contemporary nursing home, an elderly Duke shares a heartfelt tale with a female patient:

Back in 1940, during a carnival on Seabrook Island, South Carolina, Noah Calhoun, a lumber mill worker, crosses paths with 17-year-old heiress Allison "Allie" Hamilton. Allie is vacationing there with her parents for the summer. Noah becomes smitten with her and they embark on a passionate romance.

One evening, Allie meets Noah's father, Frank Calhoun, who takes a liking to her instantly. However, when Noah introduces her to his parents, they express their disapproval. That night, Noah takes Allie to the deserted Windsor Plantation, promising to one day purchase and restore it. As the sun sets, they share their first intimate moment, but their time together is cut short by the arrival of Noah's friend Fin, who alerts them that Allie's parents have dispatched the police to look for her.

Upon returning to Allie's parents' grand mansion, her mother Anne makes it clear that they oppose the relationship and forbid her from seeing Noah. Noah leaves, and Allie follows suit. Their argument leads to an impulsive breakup, a decision Allie soon regrets.

The following morning, Anne announces their sudden return to Charleston. Allie attempts to locate Noah and apologize, but her efforts are in vain. Instead, she enlists Fin to convey her love to him. Upon receiving the message, Noah rushes to Allie's side, only to find the gates locked.

For an entire year, Noah pens a letter to Allie every day, unaware that her mother secretly intercepts and hides the correspondence. With no responses to his 365 letters, Noah decides to move forward and stops writing. He and Fin join the war effort and partake in the Battle of the Bulge, resulting in Fin's tragic demise. Meanwhile, Allie serves as a nurse in a hospital for wounded soldiers, where she crosses paths with Captain Lon Hammond Jr., a young attorney from a wealthy Southern family. Over time, they become engaged, much to the satisfaction of Allie's parents.

Noah returns from the war to discover that his father has sold their family home, enabling Noah to purchase The Windsor Plantation. Convinced that restoring it will bring Allie back to him, Noah completes the renovation and becomes unwilling to sell the property. Allie, while trying on her wedding dress, stumbles upon a newspaper photo of Noah standing proudly in front of the restored house, causing her to faint.

Overwhelmed by her resurging feelings for Noah, Allie requests a solo trip before her wedding. Upon returning to Seabrook, she finds Noah residing in their dream house. Their love is reignited, and they intimately reconnect. Noah discloses the story of the 365 letters, leading them to realize that Allie's mother intentionally withheld them, resulting in her never receiving them.

Anne visits Allie and warns her about Lon's presence in Seabrook. She also confesses her own past love for a lower-class man, prompting her to ponder how their lives would have differed had she chosen differently. Anne gives Allie Noah's letters, expressing her hope that Allie makes a wise choice.

Noah and Allie argue, and he urges her to follow her heart rather than the wishes of her parents or Lon. Tearfully, Allie drives back to her hotel, admitting her infidelity to Lon. Despite his desire to reconcile, she listens to her heart and returns to Noah.

In the present, the elderly woman, suffering from dementia, is revealed to be Allie. The Duke, actually Noah using a pseudonym to avoid unsettling her, reads a journal she wrote during the early stages of her illness. This journal documents their love story and life together, aimed at helping her remember. Noah honors his promise to read it almost daily to her.

Towards the end of the journal's story, Allie asks Noah about the conclusion, prompting him to remind her that she knows how it ends. She briefly recognizes him and recalls their past. Inquiring about the time they have left before she forgets again, she learns they have roughly five minutes. They share a dance to their song, "I'll Be Seeing You," and discuss their children.

However, Allie's dementia resurfaces, causing her distress at the sight of an unfamiliar person. To calm her, she's administered sedation. Meanwhile, Duke experiences a heart attack and receives care within the nursing home. Allie is moved to the dementia ward. Despite the restrictions, Duke sneaks into Allie's room at night. Upon seeing him, she immediately recognizes Noah. They share a kiss and drift off to sleep while holding hands. The next morning, the nurse discovers them, still holding hands, having peacefully passed away in their sleep.