'Nights in Rodanthe' Movie Review

Diane Lane and Richard Gere reunite for the third time with Nights in Rodanthe, a romantic drama based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and directed by George C Wolfe (best known for his work in theater). And while the saying goes the third time's the charm, Nights in Rodanthe proves to be an exception to the charm rule. By no fault of Lane and Gere's, Nights in Rodanthe turns out to be an evening of disappointment at the movies.

Lane and Gere first shared the screen in 1984's The Cotton Club back when Lane was just 20. Next, they played a couple going through marital problems in the 2002 sexually charged drama Unfaithful which earned Lane an Oscar nomination. This time around Lane and Gere star as strangers who share one memorable weekend together at a bed and breakfast on the beach in Rodanthe.

Both actors have matured a lot since those Cotton Club days and it's nice to see they're still so enthusiastic about finding projects to co-star in. However, even though their chemistry onscreen is undeniable, Nights in Rodanthe isn't the best vehicle for showing off how well suited they are as partners onscreen.

The Story

Adrienne (Lane) is attempting to carry on with her life after her husband, Jack (Christopher Meloni), leaves her for another woman. The couple's two children aren't making things any easier for Adrienne as she prepares to take over running her friend's beachfront bed and breakfast for one weekend. The little excursion to Rodanthe will not only help out her friend, but will allow Adrienne the space to think about her marriage. Jack wants back into her life, and her teenage daughter's all for that option, but Adrienne's not sure taking him back is in her best interest.

What is in her best interest is to prepare for a hurricane that's heading right toward the North Carolina beach where the inn's located. There's only one guest booked for the weekend, so Adrienne doesn't have much prep work other than getting the house ready for a possible huge storm.

It may be the storm or it might just be the timing's perfect for a little romance. Whatever the reason, Adrienne finds herself drawn to the inn's sole guest. Dr Paul Flanner (Gere) has come to Rodanthe for the weekend to speak to the husband of a local woman whose death on the operating table sparked a lawsuit. Paul's problems are on a slightly larger scale than Adrienne's, but hers are no less important. Yet together they're able to not only fight off Mother Nature, but to put aside their own issues for a weekend of companionship that changes both their lives.

The Bottom Line

Central to the story is the threat and eventual landing of a hurricane. Now, it is totally plausible these two adults would stay at the beach house despite warnings of impending devastation. We see it happening time and time again on the news. People don't necessarily hightail it out of the path of a hurricane when they should. I have no argument with that part of the storyline. What does get me, though, is how the hurricane and its devastation are staged. Storm shutters are ripped off, water seems to be coming in, a large china cabinet topples over (of course right when Lane's standing in front of it to allow Gere to act the hero), but the damage to the house doesn't add up once the storm moves on. Plus, Paul's expensive car apparently sat outside exposed to the elements on the beach during the storm – with the windows open! – and didn't have a scratch on it. Things just don't add up, and that yanked me right out of the film. I bought the love story but I didn't buy into the special effects. It was all very poorly staged for a major studio film with a respectable budget.

The acting's terrific with Lane and Gere connecting once more, rising well above the material given them. It's their efforts alone that make Nights in Rodanthe a tolerable movie for romance fans. Nights in Rodanthe, more of a smoldering romance than a hot and heavy tale, benefits from the natural rapport between the two leads which allows viewers to believe these mature adults would fall completely in love over the course of one lone weekend.

Although the film, overall, remains true in spirit to Sparks' book, some changes made (no spoilers here) lead to confusion toward the end of the film. Director Wolfe and screenwriters Ann Peacock and John Romano seemed to have been unsure exactly how to finish the story and thus tacked on more endings than necessary (it suffers from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King disease). Screen adaptations of Sparks' books (The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and A Walk to Remember) have been hit and miss, and unfortunately Nights in Rodanthe falls into the 'miss' category.

GRADE: C+

Nights in Rodanthe was directed by George C Wolfe and is rated PG-13 for some sensuality.