Richard Gere, Diane
Lane, second chances, sensuality, idyllic scenery
by the sea, a storm, sensuality….
It sounds nice when you put it like this doesn’t it? And as
sappy and unlikely as some may deem “Nights in Rodanthe,” theater director and
playwright George C. Wolfe’s first feature film, it will still make you feel
nice.
Diane Lane
stars as Adrienne Willis, an unhappy mother of two whose husband (Christopher
Meloni) is cheating on her. She travels to Rodanthe, an incredibly picturesque
little town by the sea, on North
Carolina’s Outer Banks, where her best friend, Jean
(Viola Davis) has a charming inn.
It’s off season, a hurricane is approaching and Adrienne
agrees to spend the weekend there, to see over things and to give herself some
time to look into herself. The only guest booked for those two days is Dr. Paul
Flanner, portrayed by a very nicely maturing Richard Gere.
Paul has come to the island town to make amends. He lost a
patient during a routine surgical operation and he has come to talk to the
widower (Scott Glenn), who lives in Rodanthe.
Adrienne and Paul fall in love. Of course. The storm outside
is perfectly symmetrical with the storms within their hearts. They understand
each other’s sense of loss, need for comforting and ardent desire for a second
chance in life – a second chance at love, which in turn brings a second chance
at being a better person, of fulfilling that potential of selflessness,
tenderness, caring.
The tag line does say, “It’s never too late for a second
chance” and novelist Nicholas Sparks, whose book of the same title was adapted
by Ann Peacock and John Romano for the film, seems to be a true believer of
this.
His previous works, “A Walk to Remember,” starring Mandy Moore
and Shane West, the under-rated “Message in a Bottle,” with Kevin Costner and
Robin Wright Penn and the more recent “The Notebook,” with Rachel McAdams and
Ryan Gosling, all stand as testament to this.
Love prevails, love transcends time and space, love is for
the young and for the over-40, love is patient and giving and forgiving…
Lane and Gere make a striking pair and there is something
comforting about seeing two adult persons, past their prime, emanate such warmth,
charisma and suaveness. The pair’s sensual time in Rodanthe has to come to an
end though. Adrienne returns to her family, Paul goes to South
America to see his son (James Franco).
Their bond is only strengthened by this, as they write each
other the most passionate love letters ever – another trademark of Sparks’.
“Nights in Rodanthe” is very munificent visually. The stars
are beautiful, we’ve agreed on this already. Rodanthe is out of this world, but
then again, we won’t be questioning the verity of such a place really existing,
as we won’t the verity of Jean’s splendid inn, complete with marvelous blue
shutters and the most tasteful furniture and decorations ever.
It doesn’t matter that the story is not realistic – the idea
behind it is and the final product is enough to give those in need a warm
feeling of hope for better. Make it a guilty pleasure if you have to but don’t
deprive yourself of the treat.
“Nights in Rodanthe,” opens Friday.
Director: George C. Wolfe
Cast: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Christopher Meloni, Scott
Glenn, Viola Davis, James Franco.
Rated PG-13.
97 minutes.
