Nights in Rodanthe (2008)

Director:

George C. Wolfe

Writers (WGA):

Ann Peacock (screenplay) and
John Romano (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's never too late for a second chance

Plot:

A doctor who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman at a North Carolina inn.

Plot Keywords:

Inn | North Carolina | Unhappy Marriage | Beach | Place Name In Title

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13

12:15 PM

HBO

Cast

Diane Lane	...	Adrienne Willis
Richard Gere	...	Dr. Paul Flanner
Christopher Meloni	...	Jack Willis
Viola Davis	...	Jean
Becky Ann Baker	...	Dot
Scott Glenn	...	Robert Torrelson
Linda Molloy	...	Jill Torrelson
Pablo Schreiber	...	Charlie Torrelson
Mae Whitman	...	Amanda Willis
Charlie Tahan	...	Danny Willis
Carolyn McCormick	...	Jenny Flanner
Ted Manson	...	Old Gus
Ato Essandoh	...	Jean's Lover
Terri Denise Johnson	...	Medical Resident
Jessica Lucas	...	Admiring Nurse

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44032) | Australia:PG | UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | Germany:6 | Chile:TE | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | South Africa:10M | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:7 | Hong Kong:IIA | Peru:PT | Finland:K-7 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Carolina Beach, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The house in which the movie is set is a vacation rental property, not a bed & breakfast, and is named "Serendipity".

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the opening sequence Richard Gere's character is shown driving north on Route 12, apparently toward Rodanthe from Raleigh. (The ocean is to his right.) And he's seen making a ferry crossing, later discussed in the dialogue, which would have been the Ocracoke-Hatteras Island ferry, south of Rodanthe. But in the same early sequence, he's seen crossing the Herbert C. Bonner bridge at Oregon Inlet, which is actually north of Rodanthe, connecting Bodie Island and Hatteras Island. In fact, the driving route between Raleigh and Rodanthe would almost certainly not include any ferry crossings, which are considerably further south than the Raleigh-Rodanthe route, and would approach Rodanthe from the north.

Quotes:

Adrienne Willis: When Jack left me, it wasn't just our marriage ending. It was the loss of all the hopes that I'd had for the future. I tried to move on, but the world didn't seem that interested in me anymore. Then you came along, and helped me believe in myself again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "At the Movies: (2008-11-05)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)

Thank you, Ms Lane

Oh yes! Hollywood does remember how to use the good old formula, and when lightning hits, it's a rather wonderful feeling. Rarely Hollywood creates a masterpiece because lately, there seems to be more concern with hurrying up and getting the most rewards in a hurried manner, or there is the matter of too many cooks in the mix. Usually good screenplays are the result of a talented writer who is in full control of his/her property, understand his material and is a good writer. Then, there is a little important part, often neglected by the marketing geniuses that so often lack creativity and vision: a good actor.

A good actor can make the difference between a mediocre, half-cooked try, and a fully realized film that might not be an important and relevant movie, but one that contributes to its genre and might eventually become a classic of its type. We get very few romantic comedies, and we are people who are starved for them. Buried in the sexy humor of "Sex in the City" is the romantic, yet stormy relationship of Big and Carrie, and people flocked to "Mamma Mia" because it had some romance, skillfully played by Streep and Brossnam. It could have a silly musical, but it did touch us because it was played with intensity and conviction. "Nights" offers us more of it, with the amazing talents of a woman who does magnificent work in romantic films, Ms. Diane Lane. Ever since her days as a child actor, we could appreciate how her talent, combined with her appreciative soul allowed us to see into the hearts of the story's protagonists. A few years back, she teamed up with Mr. Gere, giving us a tormented, romantic, and sexy performance as the wife who is not too sure of her actions' consequences in "Unfaithful", work that should have garnered her at least an Academy Award. She is back, doing more formidable work in this romantic gem as a woman who has given up on her romantic prospects, and suddenly she realizes there might be another chance around the corner.

Ms. Lane makes this film pulsate with intelligence and passion. Her facial expressions communicate volumes about the different emotions her character undergoes. We can read frustrations, yearnings, desperation, anger, hope, loss, and a range that is way out reach for a lot of the marketable types that Hollywood constantly push down our throats. Here is a mature performer who has the gift to project real emotions and allows us to connect with the material in such a way that we are moved as we become part of the experience.

Ms. Lane is such a triumphant joy to watch as she goes through transformations from the first scenes of the film until the very end. Her discoveries become ours as we celebrate with her the power of hope and love. She is able to bring back the unsurpassed joy of a person in love, much like a teenager does, and yet she never lets you think of her character as silly or irresponsible. Her eyes are expressive gems that can move even the cynical in the audience. She is one of the stars that can do wonders with just one look. In her the classic feel of those grand movies of yesterday are back. Her work recalls the passionate and intelligent work of Hepburn, Davis, Garson, women who played everyday types and made them memorable because they created complete characters.

We admire those superb actresses who recreate real life legends and are rewarded for it. Half their work is done by the mystique of the figures they impersonate; however as much as anyone might make you think, it is the roles such as Lane's in this movie that are a more impressive achievement because they are created from scratch, given a personal imprint and are able achieve heights without any previous theatrical material support, such as plays, and the background of a famous legend whose life is paid tribute on the silver screen. Lane's character is one woman whose experiences could be any of us. She represents our dreams and emotions with much quality, class, and just the right amount of sentiment. It is quite a remarkable achievement, and we should be grateful that we are still able to find such a remarkable performance nowadays.

There are a few adjectives I could use to pay tribute to her work, but I can only say that in my humble opinion every single frame of her work in this film is testament to one of the greatest performances ever put on celluloid by a living performer. Thank you, Ms. Lane.