Where the Heart Is (2000)

Where the Heart Is is definitely one of the sadder movies I've seen and it's also one of the more "true to life stories". Emotionally effective teen girls, teen pregnancy, lost hope, and lack of parental support is sadly a part of today's society and this movie shows life isn't A-OK all the time. There are downsides, upsides, and even a zig-zagging path that comes along in life. This movie shows that something good can lead to something bad in a heartbeat, and while tragic, the movie sometimes eases up, but you can tell simultaneously really wants to have a good story and scenes that stay true to life's unpredictable set up.

Natalie Portman is amazing in this. No other female actress could portray a role of gratitude, emotion, and bring life to the character in a way she did on screen in this. Her acting skills flow fluently throughout this movie and it makes you cringe at points when stuff goes unexpectedly. Its a sad movie. But it's a beautiful sad movie, not like a movie that is so miserable its unenjoyable. Where the Heart Is also doesn't establish a droning effect which most movies include now. Its fluent and highly realistic.

Novalee Nation (Portman) is a pregnant 17 year old fleeing with her boyfriend from Tennessee to California. When Novalee stops at Wal-Mart, her boyfriend abandons her and leaves her stranded. Novalee makes Wal-Mart her shelter after being locked in after closing when going in the bathroom because of sickness due to her pregnancy. She lives undetected for an unbelievable six weeks. Novalee meets a young man named Forney (James Frain) who's life was in jeopardy because of his alcohol addiction and his choice to dropout of college.

Novalee goes into labor and gives birth in the Wal-Mart and becomes a celebrity for her actions of sheltering in the store. Novalee wakes up in the hospital where she names her baby Americus showing she is a strong women of many talents. Much to her surprised, Novalee gets an unexpected visit from her mother (Sally Field) who agrees to hold to the $500 given to Novalee from the president of Wal-Mart and to have them both share an apartment. However after agreeing to pick her up the next day, the mother flees with the $500 leaving Novalee and Americus stranded.

The events go on and on to the point that its hard to leave off on just one without spoiling something else. Its definitely a movie with twists and turns of the many, but the twists and turns never go the way you'd expect. For an underrated, solemn drama it has great potential which it lives up too. It also goes on the record for being one of the saddest movies I've seen next to Bicentennial Man and My Girl. Where the Heart Is has a heart and it's not afraid to use it at all in this film.

Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing, Sally Field, and Joan Cusack.

Fmovies: For the first 1:15 or so, I was really enjoying this sweet and funny movie about a young girl (Novalee, played by Natalie Portman) dealing with being pregnant and unmarried, who is abandoned by her boyfriend (Dylan Bruno) and takes up residence (unknown to anyone) in a local Wal-Mart. After giving birth to the baby in the store, she is swindled and abandoned by her mother (Sally Field) but survives and flourishes thanks to the kindness of some rather eccentric strangers.

So far, so good. Very enjoyable. But the last 45 minutes or so really unravelled rather quickly. I questioned the need to continually bring us back to Willie Jack's (the baby's father) attempts to get a singing career going. None of his scenes really served to advance the plot in any way, and quite frankly, the guy was a loser who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend. I didn't care what happened to him - even though some of what happened was poetic justice - and the movie could have been shortened by 20 or 30 minutes - without losing a thing - if all his scenes had been simply cut. I also felt that it was totally unnecessary to include (albeit - thankfully - only for a few minutes) a theme about child molestation. Where did that come from and why? It made a relatively enjoyable movie very heavy, and it was a heaviness that - for me at least - never really disappeared. The end of the movie (revolving around the relationship between Novalee and Forney (James Frain) was also telegraphed quite early on.

Having made those criticisms, the real highlight of the movie for me was Natalie Portman as Novalee. I wasn't familiar with this young actress until now, but she was marvellously cast as the sweet, innocent, naive young Novalee, and then showed a wonderful capacity to show her character evolve into a mature and independent young woman. (I have to say that, while the movie seemed to be trying to say she was a great mother, she seemed to spend a lot of time away from little Americus, but that's a minor point.) Portman was excellent, and I will look forward to seeing her again.

This rates a 6/10. Would have been higher, except for the weak second half.

What can really be said about a movie that can alter your world in just a few short hours? I went into this movie not exactly expecting much, mainly there because the amazing and beautiful Natalie Portman was starring in it. What I soon saw was a harmonious blend of love, sadness, hardship, and every human emotion I can even imagine. The only thing that eclipses the intense emotions you feel in this movie are the performances turned out by a perfectly assembled group of some of the finest actors out there. Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing, Joan Cusack, just to name a few. The only thing that should be keeping you from seeing this movie is...well, I can't even think of an excuse that should be keeping you from seeing this heart-warming and enchanting story. This movie has changed my life, as I am sure it will any others who are fortunate enough to view it.

Where the Heart Is fmovies. A harmless little "chick flick"? Nothing more than an attempt by Natalie Portman to try anything before she's pigeon-holed in her Star Wars persona and can't get other roles because of it (a la Mark Hamill)? No, on both counts. Where the Heart Is will surely be labeled as a "chick flick", but the truth is that a good movie is a good movie, and a bad one a bad one, regardless of what its target demographic is. Where the Heart Is is nothing short of a very, very good film. The story is original and the acting and dialogue are outstanding. Natlie Portman may best be known as Queen Amidala, but she should be known as one of the best young actresses in the business. She simply shines in this movie. I recommend this film to everyone.

This film is a bittersweet human-interest story with a side order of romance. The story has a country flavor, plenty of country music and a story that could serve as the film version of the typical lyrics of any country music CD. It is replete with bad decisions, bad luck and tragedies at every turn. It is sappy, corny, stereotypical, and unfortunately full of the types of things that really happen in rural America. Despite this seething despondency, it has an upbeat fatalism that suggests that at least for some of the people, the struggle against bad breaks and hard times pays off.

The story follows the life of Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), poor young girl setting out to start a new life with her no account boyfriend. When Novalee makes a rest stop at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma, he ditches her, literally leaving her there barefoot and pregnant. Having only five dollars to her name, she takes up residence in the Wal-Mart and ultimately has the baby there. She becomes a minor celebrity and she is adopted by the Welcome Wagon lady. The remainder of the film examines the various relationships and experiences she has in this small town over the next seven or eight years.

The story is charming and steeped in sentiment. The character development of Novalee is excellent, although Director Matt Williams could have spent more time on some of the supporting characters, especially Sister Husband (Stockard Channing). To his credit, the film was nicely shot, and the tornado scene was fabulous.

Natalie Portman's performance was her best to date. She played the part with a near helpless determination that made her a very attractive and lovable character. Her southern accent was terrible, but her portrayal of the rural southern attitude was on target. Though the part didn't have a lot of range, she was extremely effective with the emotional element, and elicited great sympathy and admiration for her response to her desperate situation.

Stockard Channing was wonderful as the eccentric Welcome Wagon lady. I would have liked to see this part expanded, just to see more of Channing. She was enchantingly warm and peculiar. James Frain was also very good as Forney. He made the character very interesting and affable. He continues to be a solid supporting actor who has shown himself to be extremely versatile (Hilary and Jackie, Reindeer Games, Titus). Ashley Judd added another fine performance to her resume, with a free spirited portrayal of Lexie.

This was a nice story with an agreeable and upbeat ending. I rated it a 7/10. Add a point if you are a woman or if you have ever lived in a mobile home. It will find its most enthusiastic audience with women due to its extreme sentimentality, but it is not so `female' that it can't be enjoyed by men, making it a good date movie.

i love this movie so much. I thought it was gonna be a funny but stupid film. but it was totally opposite of it. The movie was very sweet and touching. people say that it's a fantasy movie or it's a really fake movie. but forget whole walmart and #5 thing. this movie is about relationship between people and people get what they deserve!