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Romantic drama

Message in a Bottle (1999): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Message in a Bottle (1999) movie poster

Message in a Bottle is a 1999 romantic drama directed by Luis Mandoki, starring Paul Newman, Kevin Costner and Robin Wright. It is based on Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. It runs 2 hours 11 minutes and earned $118.9 million worldwide on a $80 million budget. Critics gave it 32% on Rotten Tomatoes and 40 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
32%
worldwide gross
$118.9M
Metascore
40
budget
$80M
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Message in a Bottle (1999) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 11m (131 min)
Director
Luis Mandoki
Genres
Drama , Romance
Original language
English
Budget
$80M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Message in a Bottle About?

The premise of Message in a Bottle without spoilers, adapted from Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A heartfelt letter discovered on a beach sparks the interest of Theresa Osborne, a journalist known for her investigative work. The letter's author, Garret Blake, is a man struggling with immense grief following the loss of his wife. As Theresa seeks to learn more about him and his story in coastal North Carolina, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Garret's vulnerability and emotional pain, blurring the lines between professional inquiry and personal involvement.

Message in a Bottle Themes & Keywords

· 40 tags
  • letter
  • sex
  • grief
  • airport
  • mirror
  • fight
  • journalist
  • chicago tribune the newspaper
  • bottle
  • love
  • message in a bottle
  • beach
+28 more
  • jogging
  • vacation
  • shoreline
  • seaside
  • researcher
  • painting
  • outer banks north carolina
  • note
  • north carolina
  • divorce
  • chicago illinois
  • boat
  • boat designer
  • boat building
  • wine
  • typewriter
  • ship
  • shipbuilding
  • news reporter
  • mother son relationship
  • loss of wife
  • father son relationship
  • compass
  • boat ride
  • virginia
  • new york
  • boat accident
  • based on novel
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Cast & crew

Message in a Bottle Cast

Paul Newman leads the cast, with Kevin Costner and Robin Wright. Directed by Luis Mandoki.

From the director

More from Luis Mandoki

More films directed by Luis Mandoki, best-rated first: White Palace, Innocent Voices, Trapped and Angel Eyes.

Full filmography
Ratings

Message in a Bottle Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Message in a Bottle 32% on Rotten Tomatoes and 40 on Metacritic.

Plot

Message in a Bottle Plot Summary

What happens in Message in a Bottle from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Theresa Osborne, an experienced journalist turned researcher for the Chicago Tribune, unexpectedly discovers a mysterious, handwritten love letter inside a glass bottle while wandering the sun-drenched beaches of Cape Cod. This poignant letter, addressed to Catherine, captures her imagination and prompts her to share it with her colleagues. However, without her consent, the newspaper decides to publish the letter, triggering an overwhelming wave of responses from its readers.

Full summary

The whole story of Message in a Bottle, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Message in a Bottle Box Office & Budget

Message in a Bottle grossed $118.9 million worldwide on a $80 million budget, 1.5 times what it cost. $52.9 million came from the US and Canada and $66 million (56%) from the rest of the world.

1999 box office

Worldwide gross

$118.9M

1.5× its budget

US & Canada
$52.9M
International
$66M
Budget
$80M
US & Canada 44% Rest of the world 56%
Videos

Message in a Bottle Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Message in a Bottle.

Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Message in a Bottle?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What profession does Theresa Osborne pursue?

Cars

Cars in Message in a Bottle

16 cars on screen, including the 1964 Chevrolet C-Series and the 1983 Ford Ranger.

All 16 cars
  • 1964 Chevrolet C-Series in Message in a Bottle 1964 Chevrolet C-Series Important role
  • 1983 Ford Ranger in Message in a Bottle 1983 Ford Ranger Important role
  • 1997 Toyota Camry in Message in a Bottle 1997 Toyota Camry Important role
  • 1997 Buick Century in Message in a Bottle 1997 Buick Century Minor role
Details

Message in a Bottle Also Known As

28 alternative titles, including “Message in a Bottle - Der Beginn einer großen Liebe” and “Mensaje de amor”.

Also known as
  • Message in a Bottle - Der Beginn einer großen Liebe
  • Mensaje de amor
  • Le parole che non ti ho detto
  • Aşk Mektubu
  • Une bouteille à la mer
  • Mensaje en una botella
  • As Palavras Que Nunca Te Direi
  • 瓶中信
  • Üzenet a palackban
  • Послание в бутылке
  • Brevet i flasken
  • Flaskeposten
+16 more
  • Vzkaz v láhvi
  • Mesaj de departe
  • Žinutė butelyje
  • Χαμένες Αγάπες
  • Viesti mereltä
  • מכתב בבקבוק
  • Uma Carta de Amor
  • Kärleksbrev
  • List w butelce
  • Missatge en una ampolla
  • メッセージ・イン・ア・ボトル
  • Писмо в бутилка
  • 병 속에 담긴 편지
  • Správa vo fľaši, გზავნილი ბოთლში
  • 一樽濃情
  • Послання в пляшці

Seen Message in a Bottle?

FAQ

Message in a Bottle FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of Message in a Bottle, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Message in a Bottle?

Message in a Bottle runs 2 hours 11 minutes (131 minutes).

When was Message in a Bottle released?

Message in a Bottle was released on February 12, 1999.

Who directed Message in a Bottle?

Message in a Bottle was directed by Luis Mandoki.

More films by Luis Mandoki

Who is in the cast of Message in a Bottle?

Message in a Bottle stars Paul Newman, Kevin Costner and Robin Wright.

How much did Message in a Bottle make at the box office?

Message in a Bottle grossed $118.9 million worldwide ($52.9 million domestic, $66 million international) on a budget of $80 million.

How is Message in a Bottle rated?

Message in a Bottle has 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, 40 on Metacritic and 63% on TMDB.

Is Message in a Bottle based on a book?

Yes. Message in a Bottle is adapted from Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks.

Does Message in a Bottle have a post-credit scene?

No. Message in a Bottle has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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