Nicolas Sparks, the popular author of "A Walk to Remember" (1999) and "The Notebook" (1996), delivered another tear-jerker with his novel "Nights in Rodanthe" (2002). Sparks' novels, however, have never been known for their literary ingenuity, and his film adaptations peaked with 2004's "The Notebook" and its subsequent pile of Teen Choice Awards. The film adaptation of "Nights," while as touching as the rest of his tales, is similarly full of clichés and trite, over-simplified plot lines.
Richard Gere and Diane Lane star as Dr. Paul Flanner and Adrienne Willis in the adaptation, directed by George C. Wolfe. Written by Ann Peacock and John Romano, and produced by Warner Brothers, the film lacks relevant supporting actors. There are no sub-plots, no influencing characters and little interplay outside of the Flanner-Willis relationship. James Franco fans might be disappointed by the lack of his name in the credits, but he does have a bit part as Flanner's son.
Mae Whitman, as Willis' daughter Amanda, comes closest to having a supporting role, but her performance also falls flat. This should not surprise those familiar with Sparks' writing. After all, his stories involve little else outside the realm of a romantic storyline.
In "Nights," the romance occurs between two jaded and bruised fifty-somethings who happen to find themselves spending four days in a coastal North Carolina bed and breakfast. Willis is a recently-separated former artist put in charge of the inn while her friend (the owner) is out of town. Flanner, an aloof doctor, finds himself on the same island while traveling to connect with his estranged son, joining Willis as the only other person staying at the inn.
The pair spends a tumultuous three-and-a-half days in the quaint bed and breakfast. Together they drink lots of wine, listen to old records, trash half a pantry and ride out a hurricane. The pivotal point in the movie occurs when, after the couple hits a few rough patches, Willis reams out the self-centered doctor and he suddenly decides to become a good, accountable guy. A few hours later, they fall in love. In case you didn't notice, this all happens very fast.
The movie is cute and moves quickly, but is accordingly riddled with clichés, quite unbelievable and not terribly deep. Willis and Flannery have no conversations that do not center on their mid-life crises. Flannery is a family-values-lacking plastic surgeon with an opulent house in Raleigh, while Willis is a devoted upper-middle-class mother. Other than being sad and wanting a fresh start in life, they have very little in common. Their only shared experience is the beach house and a small amount of intimacy.
The cinematography is nice but very typical. The opening shot is a girl, presumably a much younger Willis, running on the beach. It has the blurry white edges of a typical dream shot, and climaxes with a startling-awake-in-bed moment. It is unfortunate that this sequence has been used way too many times before, and even more unfortunate that the whole thing has no relevance to the rest of the movie.
The scenery is gorgeous and by far the best part of the film. The camera does some neat things, like a birds-eye circular sweep around the house, but the actors and screenwriting fail to take advantage of the rich setting. It's a good thing beaches are always pretty, come good or bad acting.
The love-struck couple certainly carves a niche in Rodanthe and the greater world, but not a believable one. It would be wonderful if two sad and wounded middle-agers could meet, fight, reconcile and fall in love over a long weekend. Unfortunately, that rarely, if ever, occurs in reality. "Nights in Rodanthe," for all of its presumed focus on the trials and tragedy of life, completely ignores the logistics, while lacking the confidence of a fairy tale. In the end, it is a real-life story without the real-life and a fantasy without the fanaticism alongside a jumble of clichés.
"Nights in Rodanthe" is not all bad. See it if you want a good tear-jerker. See it with your mother or your sister or your best friends. This is certainly the definition of a "chick-flick" and will appeal to all the Sparks fans that are still aching for more after "The Notebook."
