MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE (1999)
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4.0) ******************************** Key to rating system: 2.0 stars - Debatable 2.5 stars - Some people may like it 3.0 stars - I liked it 3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie 4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out ********************************* A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Luis Mandoki
Written by: Gerald Di Pego, adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel
Starring: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, Paul Newman
Synopsis: Teresa (Robin Wright Penn) is a gorgeous, sexy, blond journalist who works in an office chock full of ultra slim, lonely Ally McBeal types all pining for a perfect man. One day Teresa finds an anonymous soulful, poetic letter in a bottle along the seashore. Her boss publishes it in the Chicago Tribune.
As a news project Teresa tracks the letter to its author Garret (Kevin Costner), who is not your average sweaty shantytown dock worker. Aside from being in dire need of a woman's nurturance to tend his emotional heartache, Garret builds his own ships and sails them, writes poetry, looks gorgeous in a yachting sweater, admires fine wine and romantic bonfires, loves children, and has a close relationship with a charming father who looks like Paul Newman.
Since soulful, hunky, eligible bachelors are hard to come by, Teresa makes herself available to Garret so they can pursue a romantic relationship. Teresa and Garret cuddle and couple and romance each other for a long time while the audience waits for the inevitable moment when Garret must stomach the unpleasant revelation that he was originally a news story and research task. Will love prevail for the power couple?
Opinion: MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE is a date flick whose protagonists have been around the marriage carousel once or twice. The bad news is that the movie is predictable, too long, and has an unsatisfying conclusion. The good news is that MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE offers ladies two screen hunks for the price of one. Newman steals the show with his one-liners as the charming father. And Costner is at his "aw shucks" cutest when he says little, plays tender, and wears hunky clothing. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE is two hours of picturesque, seaside cinematography and satisfying if predictable romance - - tailor-made for ladies who are fans of Newman and Costner. But the ending is disappointing.
Reviewed by David Sunga February 7, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by David Sunga This review and others like it can be found at THE CRITIC ZOO: http://www.criticzoo.com email: zookeeper@criticzoo.com
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