Where the Heart Is (2000)

Director:

Matt Williams

Writers (WGA):

Lowell Ganz (screenplay) &
Babaloo Mandel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

28 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Laughter is harder... Friendship is stronger... Trust is deeper... When it comes from the heart.

Plot:

A pregnant 17-year-old rebuilds her life after being abandoned by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma.

Plot Keywords:

Wal Mart | Oklahoma | Pregnant | Birth | Tennessee

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Dec. 18	12:00 AM	CMTV
Fri. Dec. 18	9:00 PM	CMTV

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Novalee Nation
Ashley Judd	...	Lexie Coop
Stockard Channing	...	Sister Husband
Joan Cusack	...	Ruth Meyers
James Frain	...	Forney Hull
Dylan Bruno	...	Willy Jack Pickens
Keith David	...	Moses Whitecotten
Ray Prewitt	...	Tim
Laura House	...	Nicki
Karey Green	...	Rhonda
Mary Ashleigh Green	...	Girl in Bathroom
Kinna McInroe	...	Wal-Mart Clerk
Laura Auldridge	...	Wal-Mart Assistant Manager
Alicia Godwin	...	Jolene
Dennis Letts	...	Sheriff

Also Known As:

¿Dónde quedó el amor? (Mexico) [es]
A Voz do Coração (Brazil) [pt]
Där mitt hjärta finns (Sweden) [sv]
Hvor hjertet er (Denmark) [da]
La fuerza del amor (Spain) [es]
La petite voix du coeur (Canada: French title) [fr]
Où le coeur nous mène (France) [fr]
Onde Mora o Coração (Brazil) [pt]
Qui dove batte il cuore (Italy) [it]
Siellä missä sydän on (Finland) [fi]
Wo Dein Herz schlägt (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material, language and sexual content.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Australia:M | Denmark:A | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The Walmart featured in the movie is in Lockhart, Texas.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: A member of the crews' reflection appears briefly in the mirror when Novalee is shaving her legs in the bathroom at Walmart. It clearly was not Novalee's reflection; as it was the wrong angle.

Quotes:

Novalee Nation: You tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take... and tell 'em to hold on like hell to what they've got: each other, and a mother who would die for them and almost did... You tell them we've all got meanness in us, but we've got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. And that's why we've got to make sure we pass it on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "ER: Where the Heart Is (#7.21)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

There Are You

Excellent film- even for a chick flick.

I have to admit having a bias towards sci-fi, action adventure, mystery, conspiracy films, etc. I have sat through "Steel Magnolias" and "Fried Green Tomatoes" with my wife, and while I can admit they are well made movies, I have never been too keen on movies with an all-female or predominantly female cast. I have also never cared much for Sally Fields movies. Perhaps I always think of her from the "Bandit" movies... My first impression from all the trailers was that "Where the Heart Is" was noting more than another "chick-flik" that I would no doubt find well-produced, but forgettable. I was wrong. Natalie Portman registers a great performance as a meek and down-trodden pregnant teen who learns early in life that "our lives can change with every breath." Ashley Judd puts in an Oscar worthy performance in her supporting role as the older, married friend who has trouble finding the right man to be the father of her children. Stockard Channing plays the unforgettable "Sister Husband" who takes the young girl and her newborn child in, and Sally Fields makes a momentary appearance as the young girl's absentee mother, one of the highlights in the film. Fields has deepened my respect for her as an actress with five minutes of film time like no other actor/actress has in a long time. Joan Cusack appears as a talent manager in the film's sub-plot and is phenomenal in her brief on screen time as well. Yes, there are men in the film, veteran David Keith among them, but for the most part, this film relies on the vision of the world through the eyes of it's female leads. I loved this film- the comedy, the drama, the love story... I laughed, and although I hate to admit it, being a tough guy and all, I cried- several times- during this wonderful film about learning to be content with what we have and learning to appreciate how unique and special everyone and everything is.