| Director | George C. Wolfe |
|---|---|
| Budget | $30 million |
| Box office | $84.4 million |
Adrienne Willis is in the process of getting a divorce from her husband Jack after he left her for another woman. Their separation has caused a rift between her and their rebellious teenage daughter, Amanda. One morning, when picking up Amanda and their son Danny for a weekend visit, Jack tells Adrienne he still loves her and wants to move back home. She tells him she needs time and space to think.
Adrienne drives to Rodanthe, North Carolina to look after a friend's bed-and-breakfast for a few days. It is a house right on the beach, partially in the surf at high tide. The only guest for the weekend is surgeon Paul Flanner. He suffers from flashbacks of a surgery that ended tragically, which has made him cold and frustrated. A woman with a hemangioma on her face who wanted it removed died on the operating table due to a complication of the anesthesia. The family of the patient who died lives in Rodanthe and is suing for wrongful death.
As a storm arrives, Paul and Adrienne work together to protect the inn. They dine together, share stories, and eventually turn to each other for emotional support. A genuine romance begins and they fall in love. With Adrienne's advice and moral support, Paul finds the courage to visit the deceased patient's widower. He also feels guilty for passing up a relationship with his son Mark in favor of his career. He plans to visit Ecuador, where Mark is working as a physician in an impoverished community.
During their separation, Adrienne and Paul exchange numerous letters expressing their longing to be together again. On the evening that Adrienne and Paul are to reunite, he does not show up. Soon thereafter, Mark arrives at Adrienne's door with a box of Paul's personal belongings. He had been killed in a flash mudslide while attempting to save medical supplies. Mark thanks Adrienne for "giving him back the father he knew when he was a child".
Over the following weeks, Adrienne struggles with the grief of losing Paul. Eventually, Amanda coaxes the story from her mother. A turning point for their relationship, Adrienne begins to deal with her loss. She tells her daughter the story of the very special type of love she found with Paul, and encourages her to seek that out for herself someday.
Adrienne returns to Rodanthe and sees a small herd of wild horses on the beach by the inn. She, her children, and her best friend walk down to the dock where she and Paul once danced there.