Nights In Rodanthe (Warner Brothers)
Sparks Scores Again as Sparks Fly
Diane Lane and Richard Gere have the chemistry necessary to make you believe them as lovers on screen. They showed it in The Cotton Club; they repeated it in Unfaithful; and they do it big time in Nights In Rodanthe. When you add in a story based on a Nicholas Sparks novel then you know you are going to be weeping and wailing before the film is over. For many in the audience that works just fine. If it was good enough for The Notebook fans then this new movie will fill the same bill.
Lane plays Adrienne, a woman who is separated from her husband (Christopher Meloni) and trying to manage two children. The kids are actually staying with their father for a few days so Adrienne agrees to manage the hotel owned by her friend Jean (Viola Davis). It is located on the outer banks of North Carolina and is in driving distance from Adriennes home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
There is only one guest expected while Adrienne is managing. His name is Paul Flanner (Gere) and he is a doctor from Raleigh. He is scheduled to stay at the inn/hotel for four days. When he arrives so does news of a possible hurricane but the two decide to ride out the storm.
In Sparks world love can blossom in a very short time and it does here. This couple eats, drinks and makes merry while the elements rage against them. Of course they are staying in one of the most beautiful locations imaginable and the inn is like something out of a Disney movie. Everything in this movie is beautiful from the scenery to the cast.
There is a subplot involving one of the locals (Scott Glenn) who lost his wife when Dr. Flanner operated on her. Confronting him and explaining what happened is why Flanner is at the inn. The scene between Gere and Glen is one of the strongest in the movie.
Also of note is the fact that Mae Whitman who plays Lanes daughter in this movie is the same actress who played Sandra Bullocks daughter in Hope Floats, another weeper women love.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and some sexual situations.
Many will want to write this movie off as a schmaltzy chick flick, just the way they try to minimize the value of Sparks books. But for those who love this kind of film there is nothing better than a Nicholas Sparks book come to life. And when you add a cast topped by Lane and Gere it is just what the doctor ordered.
There is an audience for Nights In Rodanthe and they are people who will want to see the film over and over and over. People tear up when you mention The Notebook and chances are they will do the same thing with this film.
Lane and Gere have magic between them, and this movie spreads that magic all around. Go to see it with someone you love and have a great time.
I scored Nights In Rodanthe a star bright 7 out of 10.
