Message in a Bottle (1999)

Theresa (Robin Wright) reads the letter in the bottle found in the sands. Photo Credit: IMDB

Message in a Bottle is a movie that I was not really sure I was going to want to watch (or even like) due to the negative reviews and scoring it has received over the years (32% on movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes for instance!).

In the end, I am glad that I finally decided to watch the film, as the cinematography (especially the water scenes) is beautiful. The romance between Garret (Kevin Costner) and Theresa (Robin Wright) was a natural romance. One that while full of heartache was tender, raw, and real. They opened up about their pain and each became a salve to the other's emotional wounds.

I am a sucker as well for any kind of "movie magic" kind of moments that change your life- even if you do not know it at the moment. Case in point: the scene when Theresa finds a half-buried aquamarine-tinted clear bottle buried in the sand while on a morning jog along the shoreline at Cape Cod harbor. Inside the bottle, as we find out later, is an anonymous love letter.

The main con I have in this film is the ending. I have such a love/hate relationship with it. On the one hand, I do not really care for it because I want that happily-ever-after ending, where the couple gets together and lives in bliss. On the other hand, we have the ending here that reflects more of a real-life ending where not everyone gets the ending they wish for.

[spoilers below]

I think the fact that Garret died in the sea was an ending that made the most sense for his story. Garret's life was all about the sea- his boats, & his messages with his lost wife Catherine. He died attempting to save a family who got trapped in a storm- the wife of that family being claimed by the sea as Garret did.

If this movie has taught me anything, it's to take risks, be honest and lead with your heart.

Message in a Bottle is a movie that I was not really sure I was going to want to watch (or even like) due to the negative reviews and scoring it has received over the years (32% on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes for instance!).

In the end, I am glad that I finally decided to watch the film, as the cinematography (especially the water scenes) is beautiful. The romance between Garret (Kevin Costner) and Theresa (Robin Wright) was a natural romance. One that while full of heartache was tender, raw, and real. They opened up about their pain and each became a salve to the other's emotional wounds.

I am a sucker as well for any kind of "movie magic" kind of moments that change your life- even if you do not know it at the moment. Case in point: the scene when Theresa finds a half-buried aquamarine-tinted clear bottle buried in the sand while on a morning jog along the shoreline at Cape Cod harbor. Inside the bottle, as we find out later, is an anonymous love letter.

The main con I have in this film is the ending. I have such a love/hate relationship with it. On the one hand, I do not really care for it because I want that happily-ever-after ending, where the couple gets together and lives in bliss. On the other hand, we have the ending here that reflects more of a real-life ending where not everyone gets the ending they wish for.

[spoilers below]

I think the fact that Garret died in the sea was an ending that made the most sense for his story. Garret's life was all about the sea- his boats, & his messages with his lost wife Catherine. He died attempting to save a family who got trapped in a storm- the wife of that family being claimed by the sea as Garret did.

If this movie has taught me anything, it's to take risks, be honest and lead with your heart.