Message in a Bottle

(source: tmdb.org)

The most successful American author of romance novels, at least if Hollywood is concerned, is Nicholas Sparks. His best-selling debut novel The Notebook was in 2004 adapted in one of the most successful film of the straight romance genre. However, it was his second novel, Message in a Bottle, which established him as valuable source of script material thanks to eponymous 1999 adaptation directed by Louis Mandoki.

Plot begins when Theresa Osborne (played by Robin Wright), divorced researcher for Chicago Tribune, spends her vacation at Cape Cod. While waking on a beach she finds a bottle with message unknown man has sent to a woman named Catherine. She is deeply touched with its content and later shows her to her editor Charlie Toschi (played by Robbie Coltrane). He publishes it without her knowledge creating great interest and many people report about similar messages found on shores of Atlantic Ocean. Based on them and other clues Theresa begins to search for author and discover that he is Garrett Blake (played by Kevin Costner), ship builder living in fishing village on the coast of North Carolina. He is widower who still can’t come to terms with the death of beloved wife named Catherine. Theresa comes to meet him, but doesn’t reveal real purpose of her visit. She begins to fall in love while Garrett also can’t deny his feelings towards beautiful reporter. Two of them begin passionate affair but when Garrett visits Chicago, he would discover that Theresa’s arrival to North Carolina wasn’t an accident.

Message in a Bottle represented attempt by Kevin Costner, whose reputation of big star began to be questioned by box office fiasco of Postman to re-establish his stellar credentials. Apart from unashamedly tearjerking plot, the film gathered an experienced crew led by Luis Mandoki, Mexican director specialised exactly for that kind of films. He was aided by renowned cinematographer Caleb Deschanel who has put exterior locations of Maine to good use, as well as composer Gabriel Yared who provided effective music score. The cast was also good. Costner played the role of ordinary man most Americans could identify with great ease and Robin Wright also handled the most romantic role in her career until that date. Both were, however, overshadowed by former Hollywood legend Paul Newman in the role of Garrett’s cranky father. Scottish comedian Robbie Coltrane is also interesting in rather atypical role of ruthless newspaper editor. However, all those efforts somehow failed to create narrative that could work as some kind coherent whole. Plot is utterly predictable and full of cliches and the dialogues represents worst examples of sappiness. Message in a Bottle is especially disappointed near the end, when the plot resolves itself in unconvincing and utterly melodramatic manner, which is made worse by Mandoki’s clumsy direction of those scenes. Despite that Message in a Bottle succeeded at the box office and thus paved way for The Notebook five year later.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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1999's "Message in a Bottle" is a film about what happens in a small port town in North Carolina. Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, and Paul Newman created this beautiful painting. The true value of Paul Newman, who has passed away, doesn't seem to be in the first half and middle of the film, but in the second half, you can see why he plays a role. If you look at the films he has starred in as he gets older, there are quite a number of works that we are very grateful for.

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Scene from "Message in a Bottle (1999)"

The setting of this story is ship, sea and harbor. Although classified as a Romantic Drama film, the sea, which has a larger theme, may have been treated as an ordinary romance film, but it seems to make this film a film with a higher level than that.

In the middle of the film, a familiar singer's song appears. It's a song called "I'll know your love" by Beth Nielsen Chapman. One of my favorite singers, and when I hear this song, it reminds me of a port city called Port Washington on Long Island in New York. This is quite a beautiful city.

Port Washington is a typical American city. There are also many towns large and small in the vicinity, whose names stimulate the imagination. To the north of Long Island, where the city is located, lies Long Island Sound, a cove of no small size, through which the waters of the Atlantic Ocean flow deeply, both inland and on both sides of the island.

As you drive east on Norther Blvd (25A), which crosses the city, the hustle and bustle of New York City you've left behind disappears, saying, "This is life!" The scenery of this beautiful little town stretches out wide enough to be exhilarated. This is a neighborhood I frequent, but whenever I go, it reminds me of Beth Nielsen Chapman's songs, especially "Years":

I'm coming home for Christmas

To the house where I grew up

Coming back is something after all these years

I drive on Monterey Street

And feel a little sadness

When I turn left at Laurel and the house appears

And I slipped into that rocking chair

Where the winter sun slanted on the screened terrace

And I stare through the shady trees

What my laughing father planted the day I was born

And I let time pass so slowly

And I make every moment my last

And I think about the years

How did they take so long?

And they go so fast

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Instead, heading south, across from Long Island, you reach Fire Island, a long parallel island that lies beneath the main island of Long Island.

Unlike the north side of Long Island , this south side offers direct views of the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the neat, colorful and high-income port towns of the north, these towns and cities are typical for fishing (+ summer excursions) for it. take the form of life. It's like an area where you can easily spot fishermen from Alexa Downeaster Billy Joel. Coming to this area reminds me of one of Carly Simon's songs, "Never Been Gone":

The wind is strong and strong

And the moon smiling at me
Miles from nowhere eventually so small
in between sky and sea

I headed for the island
tide with me
I thought I could do it before the dawn
hours at sea
I go home
and it feels like I've never
gone

seagull cries and green hills
and my friends are waiting for me
Big ambition is just a dream
Let me drown my pride in the sea -

I'm bound for the ocean
The tide is with me
I think I can make it to dawn
Night at sea
I'm home
And it feels like I've never
I've never been away
Oh it feels like I've never been
I've never gone

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Summer must have started on Long Island. I remember the Long Island summers of the 1980s and early 1990s, when the atmosphere was calmer than it is now, calming and romantic.

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