Movies

Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) is separated from her husband of whom she has two kids. One weekend, her husband, Jack Willis (Christopher Meloni) picked up their two children for a weekend visit in his place. It was during this encounter that his estranged husband sought for reconciliation. Jack left without getting a positive response but a promise that she will think about it. Jack and his two children left Adrienne at home preparing for her own trip to an inn at Rodanthe, North Carolina, owned by her best friend, Jean (Viola Davis), over the weekend. She has to take charge of the inn and the expected guest while Viola is not around. The old-looking yet romantic inn is found in a lonely place right at the beach. Adriennes stay at the inn was also hoped to be her own retreat.
The expected guest, the only guest, is Dr. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere). He was in Rodanthe to meet the husband of the elderly woman who died at the operation table in a surgery conducted by him. This doctor went to Rodanthe with many emotional burdens  his failing relationship with his son and the lawsuit filed by the family of the woman who died in the surgery.A very strong storm came that made Dr. Flanner and Adrienne work together to protect the inn and themselves. During that dark night, when the two had to fight the storm, they found comfort from each other that led to their romantic relationship. Through the support of Adrienne, Dr. Flanner was able to face and talk to the husband of the woman who died in the surgery conducted by him.
    Dr. Flanner had to leave Rodanthe for South America where his son works as a doctor to help the very poor people of a certain place. It was in that reunion that Dr. Flanner was able to make up for the lost time when he chose his career over his son. Adrienne and Dr. Flanners relationship continued to grow through love letters written in their own hands. They were eager to see each other in person but when that day came, Dr. Flanner did not make it to Adriennes place.
    Adrienne later learned that he died in a mudslide. The news was brought in by his son, Mark, who visited her and handed her a box filled with Dr. Flanners personal belongings. He thanked her for giving him back his father. She had to deal with the grief but she found comfort in her best friend, her children and the beach in Rodanthe.
Characterization
    At the start of the film, Adrienne was seen as a very tired, confused and lonely woman. However, she was portrayed as a very responsible mother to her children. She had to deal with her children and her husband who left them for another woman but was back to try to win her again. She went to Rodanthe and had spent her first few hours in the inn crying. When the only guest of the inn came, she was back to the responsible and industrious woman that she is. Her character has changed because of the responsibility she promised to carry for her best friend thus, she has to stop crying and carry on with the task at hand.  She was able to protect the inn from destruction on the night of the storm. But it was also during that night when she found comfort from Dr. Flanner that led to a romantic evening and a blossoming relationship. They shared time together and enjoyed sharing their stories to each other which led to the showing forth of another side of her. She was able to freely reveal to him her love for the art which made him proud of her. Her character has changed after coming home from the weekend stay at the inn. Adrienne finally had the courage and inspiration to make beautiful pieces out of driftwoods because of the inspiration given by Dr. Flanner. She also had a comfortable and happy disposition as a result of her constant communication through love letters with Dr. Flanner. However, things changed when he died. Adrienne was dealing with even greater grief which changes her character  from a happy and peaceful woman to one who loses hope. But, at the end of the story, she was able to win her daughters affection back and was able to find comfort from the love of his children and her best friend and the memories of the beach in Rodanthe. The story ended with Adrienne winning back her hopeful character.
Film as literature
1. Irony  The irony is that Dr. Flanner wanted to become a good doctor more than a good father and a husband or lover but he ended up thinking that he was not good enough as a doctor and wanted to be a good father for his son.
    The irony is that Adrienne wanted to become a good wife and mother all her life but she felt, while in Rodanthe, that she was not good enough as a mother for failing to be with her son on the night he was rushed to the hospital.
    Ironically, Adrienne uses crooked and rough drift woods for she believes that the more unappealing it looks as a drift wood, the more opportunity it presents to become beautiful and unique when turned into something useful.
    It is ironic that the hurricane that shattered and messed up the furniture of the inn where Adrienne and Dr. Flanner stayed is the same hurricane that brought them together and started to clean up the issues that they were dealing with as separate individuals.
2. Symbolism  The bed and breakfast by the sea in Rodanthe symbolizes the peace and healing that the two burdened soul, Dr. Flanner and Adrienne, wanted to have.
    The dark blue room where Dr. Flanner was assigned to stay stands for the unhappy, frustrated and helpless person that he has become.
    The small chest made of drift wood which was shown by Adrienne to Dr. Flanner at the upper room symbolizes their lives  rugged and crooked at the beginning but had eventually become a beautiful pieces when put together to carry the beautiful memories that they eventually had.
    The herd of wild horses that passed her by at the end of the story symbolizes the hopeful and beautiful life that she still can have with her best friend, her children and the memories, love and lessons that Dr. Flanner left her.
3. Foreshadowing  Adriennes act of throwing all the old canned goods of her best friend foreshadowed her subsequent decision of unburdening her life from the pain caused by her husband and her decision of finally separating from him.
    The scene where a man was playing with his son which Dr. Flanner saw when he left his saw foreshadowed the restored relationship which he eventually had with his son.
4. The four conflicts
A. man vs. man  Adriennes daughter did not understand her mothers decision not to reunite with their father. Her daughter believes that their father deserves to be forgiven and given a second chance while Adrienne, on the other hand, decided to give herself her own second chance in life, love and happiness. 
B. man vs. self  At some point, Adrienne was giving upon her husband and found the courage to separate with him but at the same time she was also considering giving her children a happy and united family.
C. man vs. nature  when the strong storm came and smashed, shattered and destroyed many of the things inside and outside the inn in Rodanthe
    - when Dr. Flanner was killed in a mudslide
D.  man vs. technology  the loud music and the head set that covered the ears of Adriennes  daughter caused a lot of difficulty in communicating with her
Film technique
Playing the audience  During the very strong storm, the audience can see an impending disaster brought about by wind and the simultaneous destruction of the electricity and the telephone lines. The chandeliers and furniture were shown moving violently. When a big cabinet was about to fall on Adrienne, her face showed terror and helplessness. She had no idea that Dr. Flanner was already at her back. The audience is forced to feel like pulling her away from the danger and pushing Dr. Flanner to keep her from danger.
Lighting  That morning, even prior to the pouring of the rain, the lighting depicted a gloomy and sad atmosphere. Brightness was never shown. Its very low lighting led us to foresee the upcoming disaster.
Camera angle  The camera angle used on Dr. Flanner in the flashback of his life as a doctor prior to the operation, which he recollected as he was jogging by the seashore in Rodanthe on an early morning, made him appear high and confident. The shots of him as a doctor were usually from waist up to his face. But at the same time, after every flashback at the same instance while he was jogging and trying to recollect the incident, the angles made him appear differently. There were close up shots that showed his present emotions while jogging which were shown all over his face  a worried and frustrated feature.
Sound  The beating of the drums that overpowered the sound of the strong rain and wind outside the inn tells us of the rising emotion and the fast beating of their hearts prior to their first love scene and even during their passionate kisses.
One shot, two shot, three shot  One shot was used when Adrienne was sitting by the shore after the hurricane, angry and frustrated at herself for not being able to be with her son when he was brought to the hospital the night before. Two shot was used when Mark (Dr. Flanners son) and Dr. Flanner was talking about his concern for his sons decision to work as a doctor in the south. Three shot was used when Adriennes children finally went home from their stay at their fathers place. The two kids found there mother sitting with her legs on the table and looking so miserable.
Transition shot  a picture of a child held by his father in the air fades out as the story continues and fades into Adriennes sleeping face at the start of the film.
Reaction shot  When Mark Flanner came to Adriennes house and introduced himself while carrying some stuff, the camera focuses on Adriennes confused face then to Marks sorrowful face then back to Adrienne who finally understood Marks facial expression. The reactions on their faces showed what happened without the need for any conversation.
Subjective camera shot  When Dr. Flanner was holding on to a photo frame of him and his son, the camera zooms in to his face partly covered by the frame to show how he looks at his son and how much he wanted to be with him again.
Close up shot  The close up shots made when Adrienne first found the letter from Dr. Flanner and when she opened it showed much excitement in her face.
Long shot- A long shot of the road while Dr. Flanner was driving his way out of the community where he was living showed the road he had to travel to get to Rodanthe and symbolically the road to the heling of his broken relationship with his son.
Example of Director intrusion  At the start of the film, the scenes of a young child that fades out then fades into a scene of that child with the father holding her high and then finally fades in to Adriennes face before waking up showed the directors use of special effects to capture the happy memories that Adrienne were carrying with her in her sleep.
The Ending
    The ending is romantic because a myth is perpetuated when a love affair that started over the weekend led to a long and lasting love that caused healing, forgiveness and finding of ones self even after the death of one of the lovers. The realistic ending for the film would have been for Adrienne to become more bitter and miserable in life after losing the man who loved her and made her love herself.
Film Reviews
Manohla Dargis  A hurricane is a-coming and so is Paul (Mr. Gere), one of those lonely Jaguar-driving geniuses of the operating room. I agree with the reviewers view of the presence of Dr. Paul Flanner in Rodanthe and in Adriennes life. His coming was placed at the same plane with that of the hurricane but the effects of his presence, I believe, in the life of Adrienne, was that of a hurricane that started sweeping away the bitterness, loneliness and confused character of Adrienne.
Kam Williams  Other than crows feet caught on close-ups during their steamy   clinches, it doesnt look time has aged either of these matinee idols much, or diminished their ability to generate chemistry. I agree with the reviewer that despite the age, the chemistry between the two leading actors is evident in whole duration of the film. The chemistry that they brought on screen enabled them to reach out not only to adult audiences but also to younger ones.
Reyhan Harmanci  In the final third, though, the movie picks up steam. If Sparks can do anything for his audiences, it would be to restore the power of letter-writing. As with The Notebook, the forced separation of these lovebirds (Adrienne to her home Paul to see his son in South America) is the occasion of a hot epistolary romance. There is joy in watching Adrienne run to the mailbox and rip open the love letters, and then, like a guilty child, hide them from her kids. The portion where the main characters exchanges love letters written in their own hands and vividly expressing how they felt for each other is one of the most romantic parts of the movie. I agree with the reviewer that there is joy in finding Adrienne happily opening a love letter from the mail box considering the advancement of the technology nowadays and her act of hiding it from her child in this modern time.