The Movie Guys: Romance is the 'Message' in new Costner movie

Synopsis:

A woman on a beach is about to fall in love with a man she has not met yet. Theresa (Robin Wright Penn) is walking along a deserted stretch of coastline when she discovers a bottle containing a sentimental love letter, simply signed "G." Her search for the author eventually leads her to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to a sailboat builder named Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), who has led a solitary existence since the death of his wife. Now Theresa appears in town and slowly opens Garret's heart.

Jeff: "Message in a Bottle" is just what I've been waiting for: a good, old-fashioned Hollywood love story. I say Hollywood because the passion and romance displayed in the film reminds me of the great love pairs of the cinema -- Bogart and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy ... Martin and Lewis.

Anyway, just in time for Valentine's Day is a perfect movie for you and your special someone to hold hands through, and to conclude a night of walking in the moonlight, a candle-lit dinner for two, and dozens of red roses.

Dave: It is rare to see this romantic side of you, Jeff. Believe me, faithful readers, this comes from the man who trashed 1996's "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet," the quintessential love story of all time.

However, this time, I have to agree with Jeffrey on the fact that the relationship that stems from a bottled, passionate letter washed up on the beach is reminiscent of the romantic genre of yesteryear.

Jeff: Kevin Costner is finally in his element as a romantic lead. No futuristic catamaran or fish gills pasted to the back of his ears, and absent are scores of postal carriers delivering letters of hope which must get through, even though the world's nations have come to a untimely demise. Kevin, thanks for dropping the post-apocalyptic themes and returning to familiar territory.

Costner gives the powerful and subtle performance of a man who has loved and lost and can never love again. He does, however, love again, slowly coming out of his shell and learning to trust and know the importance of living in the present and not the past -- a timeless theme.

Dave: The perfect match for Costner is the underrated Robin Wright Penn (best known as Tom Hanks' love interest, Jenny, in "Forrest Gump").

As a single mother whose only concerns in life are her son and job opportunities at the Chicago Tribune, Wright Penn exudes as much sincerity as she does beauty in her role of Theresa Osborne. Her entire portrayal shifts from the humdrum lifestyle she has accepted to an uncontrollable, emotional affair, sparked by one person's heartache for another.

During a vacation, she becomes enamored by her discovery of the sea-traveled love letter and needs to find the man who could write such distraught poetry. After researching the note's origin, she makes her way to the coastline of South Carolina, where she meets the difference that will soon be in her life. Always real, always convincing and always an outstanding performance.

Jeff: Theresa's dilemma -- and ours -- is that she is in love with Garret, but she is there under false pretenses. There's a small part of her that is curious about the man who wrote the letters, but she actually is there for her newspaper, to find out who the mystery writer is, what makes him tick and who Catherine is, much to the curiosity of the thousands of Chicago Tribune readers.

Once the relationship begins between Garret and Theresa, she tries to tell him why she is there, but the words can't come out soon enough. We know that she is going to get caught at some point, when Garret sees his most personal, intimate thoughts plastered over the front page of the Chicago Tribune. Tragedy strikes in the film. I watched through my fingers. That's what love is about -- the good times and the bad, I guess. It would be wrong to discuss the lamentable elements of the film. You'll just have to see it for yourself and cry along with the rest of us.

Dave: And how could anyone forget to mention the legendary Paul Newman? He may finally be looking and acting his age, but he still possesses that enigmatic charm that is Newman's own.

The veteran star is the comic relief planted throughout the film, and the father-and-son relationship between him and Costner is quite touching. As the two sit in a diner, quarreling over personal affairs, Newman delivers his own message in a bottle: a confession of regret that he has carried for several years.

Complementing the cast and Gerald DiPego's screenplay is director Luis Mandoki ("When a Man Loves a Woman"). The filmmaker continues to show his ability for romantic dramas and allows for incredible performances by his talented cast -- incredible enough to impress Jeff, who has openly proclaimed his dislike for Oscar-winner Costner. Trust me folks, that is impressive!

Jeff: Just call me an old softie, Dave.

VIEWPOINT

They're here -- the nominations for the 71st Academy Awards! And like the true film fans we are, we woke up at 5:38 a.m. Tuesday to watch the reading of the nominations live on CNN. Afterward, we had felt like we were hit in the face by a rotting piece of codfish.

If we could ask the Academy one question, it would be: What do you have against comedies? Is laughing a crime? One of the most incredible performances of the year, by Jim Carrey in "The Truman Show," was overlooked for an acting nomination, but his co-star, Ed Harris, grabbed a nomination for best supporting actor. Huh?

Where was Bill Murray's nomination for his magnificent performance in "Rushmore," or Lisa Kudrow and Christina Ricci for "The Opposite of Sex"? Do Academy members only consider the sophisticated humor that only Woody Allen can provide? The joke is on you, Academy members, because we're laughing at your nominations. For shame.

Yes, Roberto Benigni deserves his nominations for best director, actor and original screenplay for "Life is Beautiful." But for best picture? It was also nominated for best foreign film. Why does it get to be nominated in the best picture category, shoving out potential nominees such as "The Truman Show," "A Simple Plan" and "Gods and Monsters"?

Also absent are acting nominations for Joan Allen in "Pleasantville," Michael Caine in "Little Voice," Ben Stiller in "Permanent Midnight," Cameron Diaz in "There's Something About Mary" and John Goodman in "The Big Lebowski." Where were the nominations for the supporting cast of "Saving Private Ryan," and Steve Martin for "The Spanish Prisoner"? We could go on all day.

It's going to be a dull year with so many Europeans and three World War II epics fighting it out on the front lines to win the golden statue on March 21. Our orders for Oscar night are as follows: Mr. Spielberg, prepare your men for a front line assault. Crush the independent filmmaker and bring home the gold! Over the top! That is all.

NAME THAT FLICK"I understand now! ... It's not height I'm afraid of! It's parents!" We had a lot of response to last week's quote, and we gave you a hint that it had to do with Alfred Hitchcock. We had some good guesses, from "North by Northwest" to "Vertigo," but it was a trick question. Our congratulations go out to Audrey Rager, who correctly guessed actor/director Mel Brooks from his Hitchcock comedy spoof "High Anxiety." Way to go, Audrey!

For this week, who said this and in what film? "You better watch out, McPherson, or you'll end up in a psychiatric ward. I don't think they've ever had a patient who fell in love with a corpse." Does it sound familiar? (Here's a hint: Dana Andrews.) If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Be sure spell your name and leave your daytime phone number, and if you're the first correct caller/e-mailer, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.

Before we forget, be sure to pick up the latest issue of Las Vegas Weekly to check out our exclusive interview with Nicholas Sparks, author of "Message in a Bottle." See you next week!

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