Richard Gere and Diane Lane have now co-starred in three films (The Cotton Club and Unfaithful being the others), but this third time is not the charm. In director George C. Wolfe's Nights in Rodanthe, Gere plays Paul Flanner, a divorced surgeon with an estranged son (James Franco, wasted in a small role), while Lane costars as Adrienne Willis, a wife and mother determined to divorce her wayward husband (Christopher Meloni). Both Paul and Adrienne need a break, and wind up taking it in the North Carolina community of Rodanthe, where Adrienne temporarily manages her best friend's picturesque seafront bed-and-breakfast. Paul, intent on confronting a grieving widower (Scott Glenn) whose wife died following a routine procedure, books a room in the establishment, and—surprise, surprise—sparks fly and the pair fall in love. Two scripters are credited with this uninspired, cloyingly sentimental adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' bestselling novel, but the screenplay is still saddled with obviously bad dialogue, such as, “It's beautiful here, but nothing can be more lovely than the peaks and valleys I traced on your body.” Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Featuring both widescreen and full format versions, DVD/Blu-ray extras include (on the Blu-ray release only; the DVD is extra-less) “The Nature of Love” behind-the-scenes featurette (21 min.), an “In Rodanthe” music featurette with singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris (12 min.), “A Time for Love: Keeping Up with Nicholas Sparks” profile of the bestselling author (7 min.), seven minutes of alternate scenes with commentary by director George C. Wolfe, the music video for “Love Remains the Same” by Gavin Rossdale, and the BD Live function. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray extras package for an uneven romance.] (E. Hulse)
Nights in Rodanthe
Warner, 97 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.99, <span class=SpellE>Blu</span>-ray: $35.99, Feb. 10 Volume 24, Issue 1
Nights in Rodanthe
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