Six years after Richard Gere and Diane Lane witness their marriage fall apart in Unfaithful, the pair reunite for a second chance at love in this Nicholas Sparks story.
Nights in Rodanthe is a classic Sparks tale where he kills off one of the main characters. Some can say this story is tragic, and they could spend hours crying with those left behind. Others may point out that our pair only had a week together, and despite the countless letters sent back and forth, it is hard to believe their connection was so deep. However, love is a funny thing since some feel it instantly, while others wait a lifetime to find it.
In this film, set around a pending hurricane landfall, our two broken characters will rescue a beachside inn and fall madly in love. Adrienne (Lane) is suffering through a separation in her marriage, while her kids are brainwashed by their dad. Paul (Gere) lost a patient on his operating table, and his son stopped talking to him. Both characters need a connection, a real relationship, one they are sorely missing in life.
If you remember, last year on Valentine’s Day, I published my rankings of Sparks movies. Nights in Rodanthe came in 10th place, just ahead of Dear John, and behind Message in a Bottle. After a recent viewing, I stand by that ranking because nothing will ever be as terrible as Dear John. The love story between Paul and Adrienne isn’t one of the strongest that Sparks has created yet, but isn’t one of his worse either. It was good to see two established actors take on these roles, which make this story believable and enticing to watch. 4/10
Ten Stars or Less 