Message in a Bottle (1999)

A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.

Director:

Luis Mandoki

Writers:

Nicholas Sparks (novel), Gerald Di Pego (screenplay) (as Gerald DiPego)

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Paul Newman

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Garret
Robin Wright	...	Theresa (as Robin Wright Penn)
Paul Newman	...	Dodge
John Savage	...	Johnny Land
Illeana Douglas	...	Lina
Robbie Coltrane	...	Charlie
Jesse James	...	Jason
Bethel Leslie	...	Marta
Tom Aldredge	...	Hank
Viveka Davis	...	Alva
Raphael Sbarge	...	Andy
Richard Hamilton	...	Chet
Rosemary Murphy	...	Helen At The B&B
Steven Eckholdt	...	David
Susan Brightbill	...	Catherine

Storyline

A woman finds a romantic letter in a bottle washed ashore and tracks down the author, a widowed shipbuilder whose wife died tragically early. As a deep and mutual attraction blossoms, the man struggles to make peace with his past so that he can move on and find happiness.

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Plot Keywords:

bottle | letter | love | woman | message in a bottle | 

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Taglines:

A story of love lost and found.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a scene of sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official German Site (Tobis) Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mensaje de amor

Filming Locations:

Bath, Maine, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,852,976, 12 February 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$52,880,016

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$118,880,016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bel Air Entertainment, DiNovi Pictures, Tig Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sites that were finally chosen for most of the shooting of the scenes of Garret's hometown were Northport and Popham Beach, Maine. Over $250,000. of renovations were done to the seasonal home in Popham that became Garret's house, including the addition of the room which held Catherine's artwork and the adjacent living room with fireplace (faux). At the end of filming the owner of the house demanded that it be returned to its original state costing the production company nearly as much to undo.

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Goofs

The cars that Theresa rents have both front and back license plates. North Carolina doesn't use front plates.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jason Osborne: [disembarking] Where are they?
Theresa Osborne: Um... You know, they're probably just running late, they'll be here baby.
Jason Osborne: I see 'em. Daddy! Daddy!

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Crazy Credits

"Girl with lantern" painting by Helen Turner Greenville County Museum of Art

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Connections

Featured in The Making of Message in a Bottle (2000)

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Soundtracks

Only Lonely
Written by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Mark Bryan, Jim 'Soni' Sonefeld (as Jim Sonefeld)
Performed by Hootie & the Blowfish (as Hootie & The Blowfish)
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Marginal recommendation due to attractive features, original screenplay, and some fascinating characters. *** out of ****

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE (1999) ***

Starring: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, Paul Newman, Ileana Douglas, Jesse James Director: Luis Mandoki 126 minutes Rated PG-13 (for sexuality)

By Blake French:

What do you do when somebody asks you a question? Well, if you're like any normal person, you'd answer it. How do you form romantic chemistry between two characters in a movie? If there isn't already dramatic fire when you look at two characters, then you have to form it will dialogue.

In the new romantic drama "Message in a Bottle," all that the two main love birds do is ask each other and respond to questions. They meet when a Chicago newspaper worker named Theresa finds a bottled up note on the shore while jogging. She becomes curious as her friends find more evidence leading to this man that she deeply wants to meet. When she does meet him, a boat worker named Garret Blake, (hey, Blake is my first name, isn't that neat) romantic music instantly surrounds them. And the questioning begins.

Theresa asks Garret many questions, but all Mr. Blake does is answer. Is that a bad thing? Not really, but when a movie is trying to form romance chemistry, well, this is not the way to do it. The only character who seems to be at all alive here is Paul Newman, as Blake's father, who masters every scene he is in.

The scenery in "Message in a Bottle" is absolutely stunning. From the busy landscape of Chicago to the blue sea waters and crystal clear waves. This kind of material sweeps me away every time I see it in the movies. I would compare this film to the beautiful Montana countryside's in "The Horse Whisperer," one of the best movies of 1998.

The performances in this film are mostly quite good, but none are Academy Award material. Robin Wright Penn is realistic and well-casted. She uses confusion and sorrow to build up momentum for the Costner character. As for Costner himself, however, he is surprisingly bad. I mean, just recovering over last year's "The Postman," this man should be rebuilding his career, not destroying it even more. He gives another "Waterworld" type of performance, acting dumfounded throughout most of the film. It's Paul Newman who is the real surprise. He adds comic relief from all the ineffective melodrama which permits most of the movie.

The characters themselves are indeed likeable. Some are a bit stubborn and bull-headed, others are freewheeling and care-free. This is okay because variety is good, you know. I liked Newman the most, but Robin Wright Penn is right up there with him.

A major flaw in the film, however, is the ending, which is completely out of place and disappointing. I have nothing against this type of closing, but I have already seen this in material in last years "City of Angels," sorry if that gives anything away. It leaves the audience with a feeling of depression and disappointment as they walk out of the theater.

In the end, "Message in a Bottle" is a close call, but I do recommend it. Thanks to some attractive features, original screenplay based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, and some fascinating characters, Luis Mandoki has created a satisfactory movie that I did enjoy for most of the way.

Brought to you by Warner Bros.