‘Nights in Rodanthe’ | 2 stars
By ROBERT W. BUTLER
The Kansas City Star
Some of us could happily watch Diane Lane reading the
Congressional Record.
But there are limits to that devotion. Like “Nights in Rodanthe.”
The note jotted down during a recent screening of the new film says it all: “Not believing any of this.”
At least the film has two watchable stars — Lane and Richard Gere — whose professionalism makes the yarn seem a tad less heavy-handed.
“Nights” is based on yet another late-in-life-romance novel by Nicholas Sparks, whose The Notebook became an audience-pleasing hit (though this critic likens it to doing laps in a vat of Mrs. Butterworth’s).
In the opening scene Adrienne Willis (Lane) deals with her angry teen daughter (Mae Whitman) and cute/sad younger son (Charlie Tahan), who are struggling with their parents’ breakup. Husband Jack (Christopher Meloni) ran off with another woman (clearly, the man is an idiot) but now wants to return to hearth and home.
Screenwriters Ann Peacock and John Romano and director George C. Wolfe struggle to capture a natural family dynamic, but it ends up feeling forced. Subtlety is not this film’s long suit.
Adrienne has agreed to spend a long weekend baby-sitting the isolated B&B operated by an old friend on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. There will be only one guest, she’s told, so it should be a snap.
Not exactly. Arriving at the island almost simultaneously are handsome Paul Flanner (Gere), a single surgeon, and a hurricane.
Paul has come to talk to a man (Scott Glenn) whose wife died under his scalpel. The hurricane has come so that Adrienne and Paul can be thrown together in threatening circumstances and discover true love.
A weekend with Adrienne, we’re led to believe, spawns not only a world-class romance but transforms Paul from self-absorbed egoist to Third World humanitarian.
Even worshippers of Diane Lane will find this improbable.
‘NIGHTS IN RODANTHE’ ★★
Director: George C. Wolfe
Cast: Diane Lane, Richard Gere
Rated: PG-13 for some sensuality
Running time: 1:37
see SPARKS
Rodanthe author Nicholas Sparks will speak about his new novel, The Lucky One, Oct. 8 at Unity Temple. Info: www.rainyday books.com.
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