2/5 Why isn't James Franco listed in the credits?
  by FloridAL (Miami, FL)
I found it quite surprising and interesting that James Franco as
Dr. Fanning's son, Mark, was not listed in the credits at the end of
the movie. The credits list others who had extremely minor walk-on roles but
totally ignore Franco. How can this happen? Is it a huge oversight or
intentional for some reason? Very curious.

5/5 Wonderful romance!
  by Katrina Hanko (Berwick, Pa.)
Romance without being sappy. Great scenery i wish i could rent a place like this for a vacation! Great acting! These two are awesome together!

4/5 Emotionally intense
  by Diana Cochran Johnson (South Carolina, USA)
How can you lose with Richard Gere and Diane Lane? Well for me the location inaccuracies were a bit irritating, cause you don't go over the sound bridge AND take a ferry to get to Rodanthe (on Hatteras Island). AND there are no horses in that part of the Outer Banks. In addition some may find the ending unsatisfying. (Won't put the plot spoiler in here) But aside from those two things, I still have to say I LOVED it! The chemistry, the raw look at deep personal and relationship issues, the sea, sand and a charming inn...good stuff. Also the hurricane scene was overdone and not realistic either. But having been in one and experiencing first hand the strange effects it can have on you (in a hotel very close to this locale)...still found it heartpounding and powerful. So hey, get the movie and escape into a good ole tearjerking romance!

4/5 great movie
  by Billy Joe Dewrock Sr. (michigan)
movie was very good,,,was in good condition, and it stated "new" and I do believe it was,,,and worth the money I paid for it,,

3/5 These nights in Rodanthe can be rather predictable...
  by Andrew Ellington (Mulholland Drive)
One should know walking into a movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks book that they are going to have their emotions manipulated; that is just how he works. I have not read a single novel from the man, although my wife has read them all (and I mean THEM ALL), but I have seen a number of his movies, and they all are pretty much the same. I generally like them (I thought that `A Walk to Remember' was wonderful, `The Notebook' was impressive and `Message in a Bottle' was memorable) and, while I do like `Nights in Rodanthe' it is by far the least successful of the four.

The film, sadly, doesn't know how to make its overwrought cliché seem somewhat inviting. Instead, it winds up feeling like a middle-aged revival of an overly dramatic teen film. It doesn't really make the distinction it needs to in order to create a real feeling of adult love.

The film tells the story of Adrienne Willis, an older mother of two whose husband left her seven months ago for another woman and is now on his knees begging for another chance. While he is away with the kids (manipulating them into taking his side), Adrienne is helping out a friend who owns a sea-side bed and breakfast. Her friend, Jean, is going to be out of town and was going to shut the place down, but Dr. Paul Flanner offered to pay double if he could stay there, so Jean asks Adrienne to watch the place for her. Paul is suffering from his own personal demons, and so it's obvious that they are going to repel and then attract one another, just in time for a storm to wreck the house and throw them into each others arms.

Someone else mentioned the first kiss was laughable, and yes, yes it is.

There are certain acting duos that work really well with one another, and so they show up in more films together, and it just works. Look at Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. Sure, the only worked together twice, but MY GOD were they amazing together. Look at Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany (I know, not a conventional `couple'). Again, only twice, but stellar both times. Certain actors just WORK WELL WITH ONE ANOTHER. Diane Lane and Richard Gere worked together on `Unfaithful', and they did fine. Lane stole the whole show, and appeared in more scenes with her `other' leading man than with Gere, so it really can't be said they worked `together' so much. Here, there is no chemistry, so it leads me to believe that they LIKE working together more than they actually work well together. I blame this one Gere, and here is why...

Diane Lane is amazing. She is really the only reason I'm giving this film three and not two stars. She is just flawless. The fact that this amazing actress only has ONE Oscar nomination (and not even a win when her performance in `Unfaithful' was leagues better than the other nominees; even Moore who was spellbinding for sure) when she has been nomination worthy a few times is just horrifying to me. Even in this regurgitated pulp she is a breath of fresh air, truly engulfing everything that a middle-aged woman at the end of her rope should. The drunk cleanup scene is spectacular for her, showing spunk and wit and a raw sensual appeal that she has always captivated, but it is rather age appropriate. She never tries to play a younger character, instead she is comfortable with playing her age, and in a world obsessed with youth it is nice to see someone who is willing and able to embrace their wrinkles (and that snot on her upper lip).

And Diane, you still rock my world!

Some have balked at the manipulated ending, and yes, it is a tearjerker (although, like some others I did kind of roll my eyes and chuckle while my wife was balling her eyes out), but like I said, this is a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, so you have to expect this kind of an ending. I think that if you walk in knowing what you are getting then you can find some sort of enjoyment out of this film. Viola Davis is great in her role (a truly outstanding supporting actress), Scott Glenn is touching (very touching), and Gere, while a tad bland (I've never really liked him) is serviceable. See it for Lane, please, and then never watch it again. I actually enjoyed the entire beginning, up until the storm, when everything fell off the map with its preposterous overblown predictable clichés.

But, again, this is a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.