Love Lost and Found
Message is a Bittersweet Tearjerker

Just in time for February 14, Hollywood has delivered a beautiful valentine to lovers across the country. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, Message in a Bottle is a compelling story of love, discovery, and obsession.

Robin Wright Penn plays Theresa Osborne, a Chicago newspaper researcher who finds an old bottle along a Cape Cod beach while on a weekend getaway. Inside, the bottle contains a beautiful letter of sadness and lost love, written by a man to his wife, Catherine. After Charlie (Robbie Coltrane) -- a columnist at the paper -- prints the letter, it becomes Theresa's quest to find its enigmatic author.

Using resources available from the newspaper, Theresa manages to track down the stationary used for the letter. Flying to a small, North Carolina harbor town, she meets Garrett Blake (Kevin Costner), a man who restores boats and still grieves for the loss of his wife, dead two years.

The characters in Message in a Bottle are complex, and there is enough background to make them seem real. The characterization of Garrett is especially haunting, and Costner's portrayal is deeply moving. Closed from the world, he is a man of few words, having spent so much time alone after Catherine's death.

Paul Newman gives a great performance as Garrett's gruff father, Dodge. After goading his son into seeing Theresa again, he later becomes a friend to the young woman, helping her to understand his son's pain. Newman's deep timbered voice and bright eyes make him instantly likeable, and he is a wonderful addition to the cast.

Aside from the wonderful storyline and good acting, Message in a Bottle also offers some breathtaking scenes of the coastline and the sea. The harbor sunsets, clear ocean water, and sandy beaches help transport the audience completely into Theresa world. For someone who loves the ocean, and can't find it from the prairie states, it is a beautiful escape.

Message in a Bottle is a great movie, with everything a true romantic expects. Although the story is pretty straightforward, there are one or two twists that will surprise viewers. Of course, like most love stories, it has moments that will sadden the tender hearted.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 126 min.

Love Lost and Found Message is a Bittersweet Tearjerker

Love Lost and Found
Message is a Bittersweet Tearjerker