Message in a Bottle is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and based on Nicholas Sparks's novel of the same name. The film stars 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 by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 12, 1999. It was panned by the critics, but was a box-office hit, grossing $118 million against a $30 million budget.