MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
A solitary woman finds a bottle washed up on an isolated coastline with a message of love and regret that leads to a grieving widower who lives a solitary life in a sleepy seaside village along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If "Message in a Bottle" puts you in a mellow mood that lets your thoughts float as aimlessly as a piece of driftwood on a slow ocean current, only to find them merging with the woman’s, and you’re not bored, then you must have experienced the sweet elixir of romantic love sometime in your life. "Message in a Bottle" is more about mood than plot. And the mood is sustained by the quiet moments about unspoken feelings, from beginning to end.
When you think about all the directions "Message in a Bottle" could have gone, with its subplots about in-laws on the outs, and a father who’s at odds with his grown son, you have to credit the integrity of the filmmakers for sticking to its tug-at-the-heartstrings human story. Kevin Costner and Robin Penn Wright capture all the ambivalence of two wounded people who hesitate to use their feelings as the salve to heal each other’s emotional scars. Costner is widower, Garret Blake, a fixer-upper who knows all there is to know about sailboats. Wright is the divorced, single mother, Theresa Osborne, a researcher for the Chicago Tribune. While on holiday, she finds the love letter to end all love letters that becomes the subject of a news story that captures the public’s imagination. Theresa finds herself doing field research, using all the resources of modern technology at her disposal to find the author of the letter. What she finds is a very private person who cannot let go of the memory of his deceased wife, Catherine. What follows is a story of two people whose attraction for each other allows them to come to terms with their own failings. Garret and Theresa sidestep each other with looks and gestures until they’re sure they’re dancing to the same romantic tune, even if they are occasionally out of step.
It was refreshing to sit through a love story that didn’t have the two leads so hot for each other, they had to jump in the sack as soon as their gazes locked! The relationship that develops between Theresa and Garret never felt rushed. The blossoming friendship and eventual feelings that developed between them springs naturally from their innate curiosity. This made you want to know them as people, in much the same way they wanted to know each other. They may not have always expressed what they felt, but they were never dishonest about their feelings. This honesty, projected in the restrained performances of Costner and Wright, is the heart and soul of "Message in a Bottle."
As perfect at Kevin Costner and Robin Penn Wright are, "Message in Bottle" is not without its faults. There is a wonderful wordless reconciliation scene between Garret and his brother-in-law(John Savage), but it’s built on a shaky foundation. The relationship between Garret and his grieving in-laws seems forced at best. Also, Paul Newman is given some of the ‘best’ lines as Garret’s father, but they seem to come out of nowhere. Not always, but enough to make you think twice about the need for them. If anything, they disrupt the mood of the story. And, as I said before, "Message in a Bottle" is all about mood.
One gem and two relationship films from the director of "Message in a Bottle" - Luis Mendroki.
"Gaby, A True Story" (1987) - A brilliant film about real life author Gaby Brimmer who suffered from cerebral palsy her entire life. Norma Aleandro was nominated for an Oscar as the housekeeper who learns to communicate with the young Gaby after her parents had given up. I would have sworn that the actress, Rachel Levin, who played Gaby, had cerebral palsy. She doesn’t. She showed up in "White Palace" for Mendoki a few years later.
"White Palace" (1990) - James Spader is a rich guy who seeks happiness with waitress Susan Sarandon. The actors make it work.
"When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994) - Meg Ryan is an alcoholic mother whose husband, Andy Garcia, has a few problems of his own. The kids suffer the most and you feel their pain.
The Wright Stuff! - Some early Robin Penn Wright.
"The Princess Bride" (1987) - A hilarious fairy tale told from the point of view of a Jewish Grandfather as bedtime story to his grandson. Robin is the title character.
"State of Grace" (1990) - Robin is in love with undercover cop - Sean Penn - who’s investigating a New York Irish gang. One of my personal favorites. Sean has never been better. With Gary Oldman and Ed Harris. This movie had the misfortune of playing around the same time as "Goodfellas."
"The Playboys" (1992) - Robin is an unwed mother in Ireland who refuses to name the father in the ‘50’s. The performances are the thing. With Albert Finney, Aidan Quinn, and Adrian Dunbar.