Where the Heart Is (2000 film): Difference between revisions
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starring = [[Natalie Portman]]<BR/>[[Ashley Judd]] <BR/> [[Stockard Channing]]<br />[[Joan Cusack]] | |
starring = [[Natalie Portman]]<BR/>[[Ashley Judd]] <BR/> [[Stockard Channing]]<br />[[Joan Cusack]] | |
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director = [[Matt Williams (producer)|Matt Williams]] | |
director = [[Matt Williams (producer)|Matt Williams]] | |
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producer = Susan Cartsonis (producer)<br>Carmen Finestra (executive producer)<br>Gerrit Folsom (co-producer)<br>Rick Leed (executive producer)<br>Diane Minter Lewis (co-producer)<br>David McFadzean (producer)<br>Roz Weisberg (associate producer)<br>Patricia Whitcher (producer)<br>Matt Williams (producer) | |
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cinematography = Richard Greatrex | |
cinematography = Richard Greatrex | |
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distributor = [[20th Century Fox]] | |
distributor = [[20th Century Fox]] | |
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Revision as of 16:16, 27 February 2010
 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (June 2009) |
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| Where the Heart Is | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Matt Williams |
| Written by | Billie Letts (novel) Lowell Ganz (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Susan Cartsonis (producer) Carmen Finestra (executive producer) Gerrit Folsom (co-producer) Rick Leed (executive producer) Diane Minter Lewis (co-producer) David McFadzean (producer) Roz Weisberg (associate producer) Patricia Whitcher (producer) Matt Williams (producer) |
| Starring | Natalie Portman Ashley Judd Stockard Channing Joan Cusack |
| Cinematography | Richard Greatrex |
| Music by | Mason Daring |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | April 28, 2000 |
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Language | English |
Where the Heart Is is a 2000 drama/romance film directed by Matt Williams and produced by Susan Cartsonis, David McFadzean, Patricia Whitcher and Matt Williams. The film stars Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. The screenplay, written by Lowell Ganz, is based on the best-selling novel by Billie Letts.
The film follows Novalee Nation, a pregnant 17-year-old girl from Tennessee, who sets out for California with her boyfriend. Who's also superstitious about the number 5. When they stop in Oklahoma at the local Walmart, her boyfriend abandons her. Since Novalee has only a few dollars, she secretly moves into the Wal-Mart store. She gives birth to her baby, attracting media attention, and she sets up a new life with the help of new friends. The film was released by 20th Century Fox on April 28, 2000. It was filmed in Waco, Texas.
Plot synopsis
| This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (January 2010) |
Seventeen and pregnant, Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) sets off on a road trip from Tennessee to California with her boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno). In Oklahoma Novalee asked her boyfriend to stop at Wal-Mart so that she could go to the bathroom and get shoes. When Novalee comes back out of the Wal-Mart, she finds that her boyfriend has left.
For the rest of the afternoon, Novalee browses Wal-Mart and she meets Sister Husband (Stockard Channing), who mistakenly believes Novalee to be her long lost relative, Ruth Ann, and gives her a buckeye tree. Later on that evening, Novalee feels sick and runs into the bathroom to vomit, and when she comes out again she discovers that the store is closed, locked and dark and She soon figures out how to live undetected in the Wal-Mart.
Novalee visits the library and there, she met Forney Hull (James Frain) who works at the library while caring for his sister (the librarian), whose health has been ruined by alcoholism. Over time, Forney reveals that he dropped out of Bowdoin College in Maine and tells Novalee that he had wanted to be a history teacher before he had to leave school. Also, Novalee goes to Sister Husband's house and explains that she is not Ruth Ann. However, Sister Husband invites her in to stay for some cornbread and buttermilk, and Novalee plants the buckeye tree in Sister's yard.
That night in the Wal-Mart, Novalee goes into labor. Forney, who watched her go into the store at closing time, jumps through a plate-glass window and helps deliver her baby. The next morning, Novalee wakes up in the hospital, an instant celebrity after giving birth in a Wal-Mart, and is stalked by several newscasters all day. After being asked by her nurse Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd) what she will name her baby girl, Novalee decides to name her baby Americus. Novalee gets to know Lexie, who reveals that she has had four children, all by different men. While in the hospital, Novalee gets a visit from her mother (Sally Field), whom she has not seen since she was a child. She asks her mother why she left, but her mother states that, "That is all water under the bridge; I didn't drive ten hours to reminisce with you." Her mother asks if she has a place to live. Novalee says no, and her mother says that the two women can get an apartment together. Novalee hands over the $500 that she was given by the president of the Wal-Mart chain to her mother. Novalee agrees that her mother can come pick her and Americus up at 9:00 a.m. the next day. The next morning, Novalee waits for almost three hours in the lobby, but her mother never shows up. "Five hundred dollars, I should have known," she states. That afternoon, Sister Husband offers Novalee and the baby to live at her house.
A few years pass, and Novalee begins pursuing a career as a photographer with the help of her friend Moses Whitecotton (Keith David), whom she met at the Wal-Mart the day she was left behind. One day, when a tornado blows through the town, Novalee and Americus hide in an underground shelter, but Sister is out running an errand and does not make it back in time. Sister is killed and their trailer is destroyed. After the funeral, a lawyer approaches Novalee and informs her that she is the beneficiary of Sister's estate, worth around $41,000. Novalee proceeds to build a home for herself and Americus on Sister's land.
One day, Novalee receives a call from Brownie, Lexie's oldest child. Novalee cannot hear what he is saying, and eventually perceives that something bad has happened so she drives to Lexie's house, to find the house in utter disarray and she goes into Lexie's bedroom, finds her sitting on the floor with Brownie and Praline, covered in blood and bruised. Novalee permits Lexie and her now five children to live with her and Americus in their new house. Lexie tells Novalee that her new boyfriend had gone to her house and raped her two oldest children, Brownie and Praline, but Lexie returned home from work early and caught him. She "flew at him" and attacked him, hitting him twice before he knocked her out and seriously injured her. Lexie is at first devastated, but as time passes she and her children begin to heal, and she eventually marries the dull but reliable "Ernie the Exterminator" and has another child.
When Forney’s sister passes away due to alcoholism and he does not appear to be at the funeral. Novalee finds him in a hotel and she comforts him. Novalee and Forney end up having sex, after which he tells her he loves her and she doesn't reply. Forney returns to Maine to bury his sister, and the town's people make comments about how he can finally leave town and have a real life. When Forney comes back, he talks about visiting Bowdoin, and Novalee realizes that he could now finish his education. Forney says he loves her and wants to get a factory job and stay with her, but Novalee lies, saying she does not love him, and he leaves.
On Americus's 5th birthday, Novalee picks up a newspaper and reads a story about a double amputee being robbed of his wheelchair, the man happened to be Willy Jack, her now ex-boyfriend. She visits Willy in the hospital and he came back to admit that he lied to her when to told her that he didn't feel the baby's heart beat the day he left her behind. Willy says he wishes he could go back and undo the lie, because of how one lie can change your whole life. Novalee realizes that she made a similar mistake lying to Forney. She drives Willy Jack home to Tennessee and then continues to Maine to find Forney and Novalee admits that she lied and that she really loves him and they return to Oklahoma to get married in a Wal-Mart.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Natalie Portman | Novalee Nation |
| Ashley Judd | Lexie Coop |
| Stockard Channing | Thelma 'Sister' Husband |
| Joan Cusack | Ruth Meyers |
| James Frain | Forney Hull |
| Dylan Bruno | Willy Jack Pickens |
| Keith David | Moses Whitecotten |
| Sally Field | Mama Lil |
| Margaret Hoard | Mary Elizabeth Hull |
| Mackenzie Fitzgerald | Americus Nation |
| Ray Prewitt | Tim |
| Cody Linley | Brownie Coop |
Music
Original music for the film was produced by Mason Daring. A soundtrack was released by RCA Records.
That's The Beat of A Heart was performed by The Warren Brothers and featured Sara Evans, the videoclip for the song featured a number of scenes from the film.
"Flies on the Butter" is played during the end credits and was written by Austin Cunningham.
Reception
Natalie Portman was given credit for her portrayal of Novalee Nation, put simply by Roger Ebert, that "Portman is quite an actress",[1].
The film opened in theatres in the United States on April 8, 2000. Where the Heart Is accumulated (USD)$8,292,939 in its opening weekend, opening at #4.
The film went on to make $33,772,838[2] at the United States box office, just over twice its budget. It made $7,090,880 in international box office, for a worldwide total of $40,863,718.
References
- ^ "Where the Heart Is". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 15 April 2006.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ "Where the Heart Is". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 15 April 2006.
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