Message in a Bottle is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki, based on Nicholas Sparks's novel of the same name, and starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright (under her then-married name Robin Wright Penn) and Paul Newman. It was filmed in Maine, Chicago and Wilmington, North Carolina. The film follows a writer in love with a shipbuilder after finding a letter inside the bottle. The film was released February 12, 1999, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was panned by the critics, but was a box-office hit, grossing $118 million against a $30 million budget.