The last time we saw Richard Gere and Diane Lane, in 2002's "Unfaithful," they were running off together after covering up Gere's murder of Lane's young Parisian lover. Ah, those were the good old days.

Their latest pairing, "Nights in Rodanthe," finds them falling for each other under circumstances that are even more contrived.

Gere plays a stoic surgeon on a mission to right a wrong; Lane plays an earthy mother of two who has separated from her cheating husband. Gere is the only guest at a remote coastal North Carolina inn; Lane just happens to be there at the same time, overseeing the place as a favor to a friend.

And wouldn't you know it? There's a hurricane on the way. You see where this is going -- and because "Nights in Rodanthe" is based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, you know it can't end happily. As unexpected lovers Paul and Adrienne, Gere and Lane make the first half of director George C. Wolfe's movie surprisingly tolerable, simply because they have such obvious comfort with each other (they also co-starred in "The Cotton Club" back in 1984). Both have been around long enough to find some nuance within the potentially sugary script.

But then the storm comes and washes away all that good will. By then, Paul and Adrienne have gotten to know each other a little bit, exposed their histories and insecurities over too much wine, and even had enough time to suffer a misunderstanding. The torrential winds and rain cause them to reconnect and realize what's important.

- By Christy Lemire / Associated Press

Nights in Rodanthe

Rating: 2 stars (out of four)

Cast: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Scott Glenn, James Franco, Christopher Meloni, Viola Davis, Mae Whitman, Pablo Schreiber.

Running time: 96 minutes.

Rated: PG-13; some sensuality.