Where the Heart Is (2000)

Wonderful character development!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

In this movie, and believe me, I watch this movie every chance I get even though I own the book and the DVD. Ashley Judd is great in her role of Lexie Coop, but in her character, she is so nosy and insists on reading everything Novalee Nation has to read. For example: 1. When Novalee is sitting on the hospital bed after having Americus. Lexie opens all the envelops and reading the letters and doesn't even ask permission from Novalee to read them. 2. Then, after the tornado, Sister Husband has died and Ray delivers Sister's estate envelope to Novalee. She grabs the envelope from Novalee and again opens the envelope without Novalees's permission 3. And finally, when Novalee reads the newspaper about Willie J. Pickens having his wheelchair stolen she grabs the newspaper away from her. To me, that shows just how nosy and wanting to get into Novalee's business all the time. I can understand having a friend accompany her for emotional support, but Lexie Coop seems to dig deep into her business. In the actual book, Lexie is not nosy at all, but the movie really does point it out.

Where the heart is is a very so so just alright at best type of movie. Natalie Portman really isn't that enjoyable in the leading role, she's actually kinda weird and is a little annoying. Ashely Judd was good in this film, I did like her, she was probably my favorite part of the movie. The script is really pretty mediocre, it's poorly and lazily written. Joan cusack was good here, her character was well written and hilarious! This film just comes across as obviously dull and very weak, it got to be very boring and just uninteresting. Where the heart is just is not worth anyone's time, it's not funny or sad or romantic, it's just dull in every faction. 3/10 for where the heart is.

Not going to say much except that if you love romantic, happy ending movies, this one is for you. Starts off kind of somber when the main character is left behind by her worthless boyfriend, is forced to live in a store, and is abandoned by her scheming mother. But then the story does an about turn. Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing, Joan Cusack and James Frain were excellent choices for this warm tale of finding one's place. Just leaves you smiling and feeling great! And Natalie Portman is a great actress. She authentically captures that whole laid back "Southern gal" thing. This movie will make you laugh, cry, sigh with happiness and root for the underdog. 2 Thumbs Way Up!

Well, among all the young actresses in Hollywood, Natalie really leads the pack, ahead of Angelina, Jessica. She has really this fragility and kindness that I crave. That's why the first half-hour of this movie is absolutely extraordinary: a pregnant young mother on her own in a supermarket has the stuff of the best fairy tale: With only a few words and a lot of expressions, Natalie told us her feelings in that hard time for her. This beginning has the same zen spirit as the future "Terminal" and it gave me the opportunity of having a glimpse of one of my dreams: i have always dreamed about getting stuck in a big supermarket and experience it all alone at night! After the birth, the movie loses a bit of its charm: It turns into the life of simple people (rednecks?) in the country. The character of Natalie is mishandled because she doesn't act and have lines of a mother.By luck, she met an extraordinary courteous knight. I didn't know this actor, James Fain, but he is really good and a bit similar to Tobey Maguire. In addition, his care about the single family is exactly what i lived not so long ago. Even as a friend, he is really attached to the child and is deep in love with the mother. The difference is that my story ends in another way because i never had the guts to ask the question as Fain did.