Country Remedy (2007)

Beautiful, moving film.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

this movie helped when I needed something calm simple and nice to watch! I loved everything about it, the place the characters.. I wish it lasted longer! It's about appreciating the simple things! and opening to something new.. and appreciating people, helping them and winning their trust! I don't know why people said it's disappointing, but it's one of the best stories to me! ♥I recommend people to watch it too!

Dr. Evan Gibbs, who just lost his wife to cancer and has a young son Nate, is one of two candidates for head of pediatrics at his Chicago hospital. One of his superiors says in order to get the job, Evan needs to learn to care about people, and he knows of a community in the North Carolina mountains that needs a doctor to run its clinic just for the summer.Nate doesn't like the idea of moving, and once he and his father arrive in Dunn's Rock, Nate really doesn't like this place in the middle of nowhere, where the TV doesn't even work.Evan is not too happy either. The building that is supposedly a clinic is falling apart and inhabited by a raccoon which is not housebroken, and seems to have few if any of the needed supplies or equipment. He meets Terry thinking she is the incompetent nurse, but Terry turns out to be the mayor and won't listen to Evan's demands, thinking he is just uppity and picky. But seriously, this place is a dump and not fit to be a medical clinic.The perky Maggie returns from taking care of her mother, and she seems to know what she is doing and knows where things are. The place is actually better-equipped than we thought.Nate is having trouble adjusting too. Terry's daughter Christina and her friend Freddy who won't talk try to cheer him up. They eventually succeed and play some interesting games involving magic and supernatural fantasies.Darryl is not the handyman assigned to repair the clinic and doesn't take too kindly of being accused of that. He is out of work and his wife Sally has a baby on the way. The handyman is Stan, the town drunk and comic relief. Oh, good, this place will be in shape in no time.Evan must deal with people who can't pay for care and the various problems of being a small-town doctor. And the townspeople don't care for this outsider who seems to think he is better than they are and don't want to listen to his advice. Over time, things get better and Evan learns what makes a small community great. And Terry is pretty and close enough to Evan's age, if you know what I mean.It's a formula we've all seen many times before. Big-city professional gets banished to the boondocks and has to adjust to a new way of life. One could compare it to "Hart of Dixie", though the community in that TV series has a doctor already and is closer to civilization. This movie has one common thread with that series which I won't mention because it's a spoiler, but it does explain a lot.Still, it's not as bad as all that. Evan isn't a pleasant character and it seems unlikely he'll become the beloved doc, but he knows what he is doing and can handle, and has to handle, a number of crisis situations made worse by the fact no hospital seems to be nearby.Edie McClurg stands out from the rest of the cast and has just a delightful personality, and most of the other actors do a good job too. Young Channing Nichols is adorable, nice and intelligent. Mickey Jones is of course a genuine hick and a lot of fun and everything you'd expect in this place, but he turns out to be much more.Still, this is not really a hick town. Terry seems intelligent and so do some of the others. The people in general seem real and not backwoods bumpkins, especially the ones with no lines that are only seen in situations such as town meetings. Based on the credits, I would say these are real people from Transylvania County, and it shows.It is a family movie, but there are some upsetting situations and a medical crisis that involves blood. And this far from a hospital (we're not told, but there's not one in the immediate vicinity), some unpleasant truths have to be dealt with.It's an okay movie.

I laughed and I cried. Not only is this a funny, moving film with believable characters, and beautiful photography, it addresses grief head on. Through vulnerability and community we see transformation and healing take place. Although the screenplay was inspired by the book, Window of Childhood, it has its own story to tell. This is not your predictable tale of widower and son going to a new place to make a fresh start. Unlikely relationships form, people are not always as they seem, and surprises happen. I love this film. The cast is great. Most people will recognize Cameron Bancroft, Mickey Jones, Amber Benson, Edie McClurg, Joshua Leonard, Melissa Fitzgerald, and Bellamy Young. The children, Aiden Mitchell, Zack Gardner and particularly Channing Nichols, are wonderful. Andrew Erin is a young director to watch. If you have never been to Western North Carolina, this film will make you want to go. Country Remedy, the distributor's name for Simple Things, is a beautiful, heartwarming film for all ages. But it may catch you in a deep place in your own life, as well.

Simple town. Simple houses. Simple people who live there. Maybe we all need a little simpler way of life now and then. Seen at the Staten Island Film Festival June 2007, this definitely provides a change of pace to what you'll see in most of today's movie houses. In this movie, a big city high tech. doctor comes to rural America to set up a clinic as a requirement to advance his career. I'm pretty sure if you showed up at this 'clinic' today, you'd probably wonder what in the world you're letting yourself in for. If it isn't gleaming chrome and plastic today, most of us would probably head for the nearest exit. Predictable? Maybe a little, but that doesn't ruin the movie one bit. If you're looking for high speed car chases, this movie isn't for you. No shoot'em ups either. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this movie with the entire family. It also just might restore your faith in people, even though you think of yourself as superior, high tech, or city slicker. Great entertainment.