Message in a Bottle

Twenty-five years ago, Paul Newman would have played Garret Blake, the grieving, laconic shipbuilder whose sea-borne messages to his dead wife inspire the romantic heart of a Chicago reporter (Robin Wright Penn). Today, you get Newman playing Garret's crusty pa, and as Garret you get...Kevin Costner. To be fair, Costner's not the only thing wrong with this adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' best-seller. It's a technically glorious piece of work, but it's a heck of a long sit, tracking the parallels between its characters' recovery from emotional scars in fetishistic detail (your hanky may end up wet, but it could just as easily be from the drool that collects as you nod off to sleep). Lost at sea are effective performances by Newman and Wright Penn, both of whom breathe unexpected life into simplistic characters. Costner, on the other hand, is so focused on the character's internalized mourning that he forgets to show off his charm. He strains for Meaning and Significance in every scene, frowning as his leading lady acts circles around him. Its undeniable sob appeal notwithstanding, it's a film that comes twenty-five years too late, when Paul Newman has to hand over iconic roles to actors not quite able to handle them. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)