Nights in Rodanthe
Nights in Rodanthe is a 2008 American romantic drama film. It is an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' 2002 novel of the same name. The film stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane in their third screen collaboration after The Cotton Club (1984) and Unfaithful (2002). The film is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "some sensuality" and was released on September 26, 2008.
| Nights in Rodanthe | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George C. Wolfe |
| Produced by | Denise Di Novi |
| Screenplay by | Ann Peacock John Romano |
| Based on | Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks |
| Starring | Richard Gere Diane Lane Scott Glenn Christopher Meloni Viola Davis |
| Music by | Jeanine Tesori |
| Cinematography | Affonso Beato |
| Edited by | Brian A. Kates |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $84,375,061[1] |
It was filmed in the small seaside village of Rodanthe, the northernmost village of the inhabited areas of Hatteras Island as well as North Topsail Beach, North Carolina.
Plot
Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) is in the process of getting a divorce from her husband Jack (Christopher Meloni) after he left her for another woman. Their separation has caused a rift between Adrienne and her rebellious teenage daughter Amanda (Mae Whitman). One morning when picking up Amanda and his son Danny (Charlie Tahan) for a weekend visit, Jack tells Adrienne he still loves her and wants to move back home. Adrienne tells him she needs time and space to think.
Adrienne drives to Rodanthe, North Carolina to look after a friend's (Viola Davis) bed-and-breakfast for the weekend; a rustic, romantic house right on the beach, and partially in the surf at high tide. The only guest for the weekend is surgeon Paul Flanner (Richard Gere), who arrives at the inn with his own emotional baggage. He suffers from flashbacks of a surgery that ended tragically, which has turned him cold and frustrated. The family of the patient who died, who live in Rodanthe, is suing him.
A storm arrives in Rodanthe, and Paul and Adrienne team up to protect the inn. They dine together, share stories, and eventually turn to each other for emotional comfort. A genuine romance is born and they fall in love. With Adrienne's advice and moral support, Paul finds the courage to visit the deceased patient's widower. Paul also carries guilt for passing up a relationship with his son Mark (James Franco) in favour of his career and eventually decides to go down to South America, where he is working as a physician, to see him.
During their separation, Adrienne and Paul exchange numerous handwritten letters expressing their longing to be with each other again. On the evening that Adrienne and Paul are to reunite, he does not show up. Adrienne is unable to determine from the airlines if he was on his flight back from South America. One afternoon, Mark arrives at Adrienne's door with a box of Paul's personal belongings. Paul has been killed in a flash mudslide. Mark thanks Adrienne for "giving him back the father he knew when he was a child".
Over the weeks that follow, Adrienne struggles with the unbearable grief of losing Paul. Eventually, Amanda (now wiser and more mature) is able to coax the story from her mother. This is a turning point for their relationship, and Adrienne begins to deal with her loss. She tells her daughter the story of a very special type of love, the kind she found with Paul, and encourages her daughter to seek that for herself someday.
Adrienne returns to Rodanthe and is finally granted a respite from her heart-rending sadness when, during a solitary sojourn along the beach, she looks up to see a small herd of magnificent wild horses thundering by her. She, her children and her best friend walk down to the dock where Adrienne and Paul had once danced, and Adrienne is finally able to say goodbye to him.
Cast
- Diane Lane as Adrienne Willis
- Richard Gere as Dr. Paul Flanner
- James Franco as Dr. Mark Flanner
- Scott Glenn as Robert Torrelson
- Christopher Meloni as Jack Willis
- Viola Davis as Jean
- Pablo Schreiber as Charlie Torrelson
- Mae Whitman as Amanda Willis
- Charlie Tahan as Danny Willis
Post-production
The house was damaged in a hurricane after the movie was filmed.[2] New owners bought the house and relocated it to another part of the Outer Banks. Tourists to the area can rent portions of the house and stay in specific rooms that have been remodeled to appear as they did in the film (actual interior scenes were filmed on sound stages). The name of the house is Serendipity.[3]
Reception
Box office
Nights in Rodanthe has grossed $41,850,659 in North America and $42,524,402 in other territories for a worldwide total of $84,375,061.[1]
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13,418,454, finishing second at the box office behind Eagle Eye ($59,585,930).[1][4] It became Warner Bros.' thirteenth highest-grossing release of 2008.[5]
Critical reception
According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus holds that the film is "derivative and schmaltzy" and "strongly mottled by contrivances that even the charisma of stars Diane Lane and Richard Gere can't repair". The site rates the movie as "rotten", with a score of 30% based on 132 reviews.[6] Metacritic scored the film with a 39/100, or "generally unfavorable", based on 26 critics' reviews.[7] Although the movie was panned, it grossed $84,375,061 worldwide.[1]
The Times included Nights in Rodanthe on its 100 Worst Films of 2008 list.[8] In 2010, Time magazine named it one of the 10 worst chick flicks ever made.[9]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Grownup Love Story | Diane Lane and Richard Gere | Nominated |
Home media
Nights in Rodanthe was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 10, 2009.
References
- "Nights in Rodanthe (2008) - Box Office Mojo". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- "The Inn from "Nights in Rodanthe:" Rescued and Renovated". July 25, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- "Rodanthe R-51 - Outer Banks Vacation Rentals". Sunrealtync.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- Finke, Nikki (September 27, 2008). "Shia's Political Thriller 'Eagle Eye' No. 1: 'Nights In Rodanthe' #2; U.S. Presidential Debate Dampened Weekend Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- "Warner Bros. Box Office Receipts by Calendar Gross". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- "Nights in Rodanthe". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- "Nights in Rodanthe". Metacritic. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- Naughton, Philippe. "Worst Films". The Times. London.
- Suddath, Claire (May 26, 2010). "Top 10 Worst Chick Flicks - Nights in Rodanthe". Time. Retrieved March 28, 2012.