Message in a Bottle
Short description
A woman leading a quiet life as a researcher for a Chicago newspaper discovers a letter in a bottle that has washed up on a beach. Moved by the words, she sets out to identify the man who wrote them, a boatbuilder still grieving the death of his wife. She finds him in a small coastal community, and the two gradually form a close bond, though he is unable to leave his past behind and open himself to a new life.
Luis Mandoki directed the film, which came after When a Man Loves a Woman and before Angel Eyes in his filmography. The screenplay was written by Gerald Di Pego and Nicholas Sparks, and the cast is led by Kevin Costner as Garrett Blake and Robin Wright as Theresa Osborne, with Paul Newman, John Savage, Illeana Douglas and Robbie Coltrane in supporting roles. Kevin Costner also produced alongside Denise Di Novi and Jim Wilson.
The film carried a budget of 80 million dollars and took in 119 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.3 from around 42,000 votes, and on TMDB it also stands at 6.3, from 856 votes. A critics' rating of 5.4 from 37 reviews places it below both audience scores, which sit closer to the middle of the scale.
What's left behind the scenes
- A significant portion of scenes depicting the protagonist’s hometown were filmed in the coastal villages of Northport and Popham Beach in Maine. Equipping the house in Popham Beach cost over $250,000 (an additional room was added for artwork and an adjoining living room with a fake fireplace). After filming ended, the building owner demanded that everything be restored to its original condition, which cost almost the same amount.
- Initially, the film was planned to be shot in Virginia, but local authorities began to object to the film's content (objecting to scenes with drinking, drugs, and sex) and demanded changes to the script. Then, filming was planned for Massachusetts, but there too, local authorities objected to the construction of a stilted house, as required by the plot.
- When Theresa came to dinner at Garrett’s, the homeowner offered her wine, but Theresa, without taking a glass, went to look around the house. In the next shot, near a painting by Garrett’s deceased wife, we see Theresa with a full glass of wine.
- Filming took place from April 13th to July 28th, 1998.
- The film is based on Nicholas Sparks' novel "Message in a Bottle" (1998).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
