Nights in Rodanthe

    This re-creation through celluloid of the New Bern, NC native Nicholas Spark's novel, of the same title, was a major disappointment for a variety of reason s - so many, I don't know where to begin. Spending as much time as I do on North Carolina's beautiful Outer Banks, I was happy that Hollywood would do a film with this storied archipelago as its backdrop. What is also wonderful is that Director George Wolfe was mostly faithful to the logistics of this sandy land that runs very short distances to the east and west of US Hwy. 12. He also used local musicians, including some members of Molasses Creek, reviewed in the Music Review column within this publication, as the musical act for a post hurricane party at the pier in Rodanthe. Regardless of these accuracies, I was still disappointed.

    I enjoyed "The Notebook," even though it was the perfect proverbial "chick flick." "Nights in Rodanthe" works diligently for that same "chick flick" jugular, and for me, misses due to its lack of a developed story that would drag us into the lives of the characters. It was more like; come get to know the characters a bit: now cry! Cry now damn it!

    This form of condescension in story telling is what I so vehemently disliked. I did not read the novel, so I don't know whether to blame Nicholas Sparks, or screenwriters Ann Peacock and John Romano. I can't blame the acting: Richard Gere and Diane Lane were competent enough. Scott Glenn and James Franco, in under utilized roles, were fine enough. So it is either the director or the purveyors of the story at fault, and what we have here is a film, that really did not have to be made. Unless you just need a good cry, and you don't mind some "cheesy" Hollywood production telling you when and how, you may well be better served finding some other way to spend the 97 minutes it took to tell this tear jerk of a tale.

    For me, I'd rather spend more time exploring the activities of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and at Rodanthe, North Carolina.

    Rated PG13. Released on DVD February 10, 2009.