As my title for this weeks blog suggests, Nights in Rodanthe is one of the least well known Nicholas Sparks movies. As someone who has seen the movie, I do not believe this is for lack of quality or intriguing of a story. If I am being honest with the females of my generation it is because the couple in Nights in Rodanthe is simply old. Mirroring a similar theme to A Message in a Bottle, this movie shows to people saving each other after they lost themselves to unfortunate events in their life. While I understand the average girl my age could be less interested because it is harder for us to relate to, I hope you will still hear me out and get something out of this story.

The 2008 Nights in Rodanthe takes place again in North Carolina and stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane. The basis of the plot is the story of separated mother Adrienne and big time divorced doctor, Paul. Adrienne needs a break from her husband who now wants her back, so she agrees to run her friends Bed and Breakfast for a couple weeks. Paul conveniently is the only guest staying at this B&B during that time period, as he is looking to get away as well since he has finally quit being a doctor. As the only two in the house they manage to connect through late night dinners, walks on the beach, and story telling.

When a storm moves in they let their emotions take the best of them and finally get together. Through being together they both realize that their whole lives they were really looking for each other and that their previous marriages didn’t work out because those people were not able to bring out the best in them. Seeing this on screen is simply beautiful to watch. The acting between Diane and Richard is outstanding.

Now unfortunately once they’ve realized they have saved each other and our completely in love, Paul has motivation to reconnect with his estranged son and save his relationship with him. While Adrienne encourages him, this means six months of him gone in South America where his son is doing a physicians program. Over the course of the time they share love letters and connect even more during their time apart. However, going into typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, a tragic event occurs.

Paul’s son shows up on Adrienne’s door step to inform her he has died in a mudslide during a storm. Adrienne is completely heartbroken and feels like she has lost everything. She is only comforted by his son’s words that she was the person who gave him his dad back. As she copes with the loss, she shares her experiences with her daughter and is finally able to move on with her life, always keeping Paul’s memory with her.

Obviously this is typical of Sparks to destroy the love story he worked so hard to create, but as usual it teaches us life lessons. Enjoy the time you have with people because you don’t know when it will end and take advantage of the people in your life that bring out the best in you. The most important thing is to hold on to that version of yourself even after they are gone.