Message in a Bottle

1999 • 131 minutes
4.5
222 reviews
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, Message In A Bottle stars Robin Wright Penn as Theresa Osborne, a writer for the Chicago Tribune. While her son visits her cheating ex-husband, Theresa goes on a vacation by herself. One day, while running on the beach, she finds a bottle washed up on the shore. She opens it and inside finds a love letter unlike any she's ever read. Captivated by the author's words of love, she returns to her job at the Tribune where she convinces her boss to run an article about the mystery writer, known only as "G." He approves, and Theresa begins her hunt. Scrutinizing every physical detail of the letter and the path the bottle may have taken, she eventually locates Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a North Carolina boat-restorer who has not been the same since the tragic death of his beloved wife Catherine. Since her death, Garret has written several letters to his dead wife, put them in a bottles, and let them loose in the sea. As Theresa spends time with Garret, she quickly falls in love with him, though she neglects to tell him she knows about the letters. Garret, prodded by his cantankerous, no-nonsense dad, Dodge (Paul Newman), emerges from his shell of grief and develops an interest in Theresa as well. Theresa returns to Chicago and Garret soon visits her; he meets her son, Jason (Jesse James), but also discovers her knowledge of the letters. Eventually the two, who have both lost love, must cast off their emotional baggage and decide if they will pursue love even if it can't always last.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.5
222 reviews
Brenda Register (Faith Highlander)
April 8, 2019
I really did enjoy the movie and cried, but the ending snatch the rug right out from under my feet, so to speak. It didn't seem to belong. It left me stunned and nothing to hold on to. The ending didn't fit. It changed the whole perspective of the movie. It felt like the drama was a needless waste of time. Even though life is unpredictable and we never know from one minute to the next how things will be, but still this is a movie & fantasy sort of, to escape reality.. Not all the time but sometimes. This was the sometimes. Still a movie not to forget. It does touch your heart .
7 people found this review helpful
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R C
November 23, 2019
It's sad and it's an okay story. I just hated the sad ending. I guess not every movie has a happy ending. I dont recommend this movie if you struggle with depression. The ending will make you more depressed! Maybe that's why I like comedy much better! Since Maria mentioned a book I dont think I'll bother why get more depressed!
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Ellie Freeman
July 15, 2017
IT IS SUCH A GOOD MOVIE, OMG, PLEASE WATCH IT IF YOU HAVENT. ITS SUCH A ROMANTIC STORY AND SO EMOTINAL
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