“Nights in Rodanthe”

Warner Brothers Pictures

Directed by George C. Wolf

Starring Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Christopher Meloni, Scott Glenn, James Franco and Viola Davis

Rated PG-13

3 Stars

Most Hollywood romances are light and frothy, filled with youthful passions and a boundless optimism for the future. That’s all well and good for the twenty-somethings out there, but audiences of a certain age may have a difficult time buying into the naiveté of young love. Romantic fantasies can be exciting for the kiddies, but they seldom ring true to people with actual life experience under their belts.

Which is probably why I so enjoyed “Nights in Rodanthe.” This is a grown up love story for those of us who have been singed by love, but still want to believe in Cupid’s magical powers. Of course it helps if you castDiane Lane and Richard Gere as the not-so-young lovers. These two may be middle-aged, but they both still pack plenty of sizzle. And unlike most Hollywood romance couples, they both know how to act.

Lane plays Adrienne, a woman who agrees to manage a beachside inn while she reevaluates her life and her unfaithful husband (Christopher Meloni). Gere plays Paul, a big city doctor who comes to stay at the inn while wrestling with his guilt over having recently lost a patient on the operating table. The third character is Mother Nature, who sends a storm crashing in to the mix, pushing Paul and Adrienne into each other’s arms.

So far so good, but life doesn’t just end after a night of romance. Adrienne has kids to raise, and a husband who wants to come home. Paul has his own grown son (James Franco) to deal with, as well as a grieving widower (Scott Glenn) who’s suing him for the wrongful death of his wife. These are big, dramatic problems that give “Nights in Rodanthe” plenty of realistic heft.

The downside is that the real-world problems do tend to mute the film’s passions, but Lane and Gere have such a nice, easy-going chemistry that they smooth over most of the film’s rough patches. “Nights in Rodanthe” is short (98 minutes) and sweet, but not too sweet. With apologies to grown up Goldilocks, this film is just right.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published Wednesdays and Fridays in The Port Arthur News. He can be found weekly on KAVU-TV, KFDM-TV, and KVIC Radio. Additional reviews can be found at www.rottentomatoes.com, www.panews.com or at www.myvictoriaonline.com. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.