Steven Spielberg Almost Directed A Classic Romance Movie With Tom Cruise As The Lead

For better or worse, Nick Cassavetes' 2004 film "The Notebook" still resonates with audiences. It's been more than 20 years since this Nicholas Sparks adaptation first hit theaters, and many people have since come to regard it as one of the all-time great romance movies. It's a tad surprising, too; the film earned lukewarm reviews and was a respectable-if-modest box office success upon its initial release, receiving much in the way of criticism for its melodramatic extremes and tendency to stew in genre clichés.

20 years later, these criticisms still hold water, as "The Notebook" feels like a clumsy foray into saccharine sentimentality and lacks the innate sincerity that more compelling love stories embrace. Before you ready your pitchforks, however, I must admit that Cassavetes' film knows how to win you over even when you're aware of its flaws, thanks to the spectacular lead performances that make it worthwhile. Both Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling are electric as Allie and Noah, and they help to elevate a love story so noxious and maudlin that it's hard not to feel something by the time the credits roll. Regardless of how I feel about "The Notebook," its legacy lives on, inspiring a thousand copycats that yearn to become memorable romances in their own right.

In 2024, NPR interviewed Monica Castillo, the senior film programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center, who spoke at length about the film's influence and how it helped shape our expectations of a romantic drama. Castillo opined that "The Notebook" might be a product of its time, but it also features timeless moments that remain relatable:

"It still works as a depiction of messy human relationships. People make mistakes [...] But, you know, that movie is a product of its time. It's a product of its moment. It was clearly trying to capture something in the zeitgeist [...] But I think there's other parts of the movie that still resonate, and it overpowers what might not be as favorable to today's audiences. But those moments [...] like with James Garner and Gena Rowlands, like, that feels very timeless."

Given the timelessness of "The Notebook," it is easy to take its existence for granted. But what if I told you that an alternate version of this film could have come to pass — one with a very different director and male lead? Let's look into it.

According to a Variety report dated March 1999, filmmaker and playwright Jim Sheridan was briefly in talks to helm "The Notebook," based on a script by Jeremy Leven ("My Sister's Keeper"). Sparks' novel was a beloved bestseller at the time, so a big Hollywood adaptation was inevitable. (Luis Mandoki's adaptation of Sparks' "Message in a Bottle" had already become a box office hit in 1999.) Before Sheridan's involvement, though, Steven Spielberg was in talks to direct, and he had even envisioned Tom Cruise as the lead, Noah Calhoun. Apparently, Spielberg was greatly interested in Leven's script but ultimately had to pass due to his commitment to the then-upcoming "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" (a sci-fi film that is still hailed as one of Spielberg's most thought-provoking works).

As you already know, Sheridan ended up parting ways with the project, which was eventually picked up by Cassavetes in 2004. Spielberg's involvement could have led to a completely different film, one that might've branched away from Sparks' novel in one way or another. And while Cruise may feel like an unconventional choice for Noah, the actor had already proven his astounding range by that point in his career. (Recall that he gave two incredibly demanding performances back in 1999 alone between "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Magnolia.") It wasn't a far-fetched idea for someone like Cruise to play a passionate, romantic lead, but Cassavetes' decision to go with Gosling (who had barely kick-started his career) proved to be a much better choice.

How does Sparks feel about "The Notebook" and its time-tested legacy? Describing the adaptation as "iconic" in 2024, he spoke with Entertainment Weekly about its overwhelming success and status as a pop culture staple:

"That's [the film's success] been really fun because, yes, what I remember [from the time] is it ['The Notebook'] was a moderately successful film, but now you look back, and it's iconic. It's probably one of the most remembered films from that year. It still stands the test of time [...] I think most families, most people have a personal connection with dementia in some ways. It speaks to that question of, what if I'm lost? Am I going to be alone? And the answer in 'The Notebook' is no, he's going to love you anyway."

In case you wish to revisit the 2004 romance drama and experience it through fresh eyes, "The Notebook" is currently available to stream on Prime Video.