Message in a Bottle (film)
A love drama about Theresa, a single mother who tries to move on after her divorce, and Garret, a man who cannot imagine entering a relationship after his wife Catherine died. Catherine's death has an impact on the lives of many people, inflaming the conflict between Garret, who is a boatmaker, and her family, who had wanted her to become a famous painter and now blames the man for her untimely death. Unable to come to terms with himself, Garret writes a letter to Catherine, puts it into a bottle and throws out at sea. After Theresa accidentally finds the bottle, she becomes a private investigation to find the author of the letter, feeling curious about the story behind it.
The film is worth seeing if only for the delightful music, but rather depressing, so the best moment for watching it is when one is already down in the dumps for some reason.
- All Love Is Unrequited: for a long time, Theresa's love to Garret, but it is subtly implied that also Charlie Taschi's love towards her.
- Amicably Divorced: Theresa and David - although their meetings are still a bit awkward.
- Anchored Ship: the reason of the film's dramatic mood.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Theresa towards Garret. It takes them some time to deal with the situation.
- Bar Brawl: between Garret and the brother of Catherine.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Catherine and Garret grew up in the same town.
- Comforting Comforter: the beginning of the complicated relationship between Theresa and Garret.
- "Dear John" Letter: an extremely non-typical example, as the addresee is dead and the author of the letter is conscious about it.
- Diving Save: Garret, near the end of the film.
- Downer Ending: Garret dies just after his decision to move on and enter the relationship with Theresa. She gets to know it only from his last letter to Catherine, in which he tells her about his new love.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Garret's father does that, which makes him close to The Drunken Sailor.
- Dying Declaration of Love: an interesting example, as there are two addresees as the same time.
- "Falling in Love" Montage.
- Feuding Families: Garret vs. the family of Catherine.
- The First Cut Is the Deepest.
- Glamorous Single Mother: Theresa is a classic example.
- Green-Eyed Monster.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Garret's death in the attempt to rescue the family lost at sea.
- Hey, It's That Gal!: In the climax Garret saves the cheerleader years before Claire Bennet was even a cheerleader.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Garret and Catherine.
- Intertwined Fingers: between Theresa and Garret.
- Lost at Sea: three persons met by Garret during his short journey.
- The Lost Lenore: the core element governing the plot.
- Lost Love Montage.
- Love Before First Sight: Theresa. In her quarrel with Garret it is implied that for some tome it may have been Loving a Shadow.
- Melodrama.
- Message in a Bottle: obviously.
- The Mourning After: Garret.
- Parent with New Paramour: Jason must get used to David's partner and then to Garret.
- Poor Communication Kills: Garret. His inability to speak his mind has dramatic consequences.
- Second Love
- Stalker with a Crush: Theresa. She goes as far as to order an analysis of the type of the paper used by Garret so as to be able to find him.
- With This Ring: the symbolic returning of the wedding ring.