New in Town

(Synopsis) Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) is a high achiever shooting to become a Vice President. To show the President that she has the ability, she takes an assignment to restructure one of their small manufacturing plants in Minnesota. From the high life in Miami to the bitter cold, snow, and icy roads, Lucy must endure these hardships to succeed. Lucy is treated as an outsider when she arrives, and the locals give her a week before she leaves. Lucy is a fighter and wants to win. She meets Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick, Jr.) who is the union representative. At first, she has some conflicts with the workers, but soon they begin to accept her. The new product line is a bust, and she is ordered to close the plant and fire everyone. However, she has a better idea of making money for the company and saving everybody's job.

(My Comment) This is your typical chick flick, girl meets boy, she thinks he is a loser, and he thinks she is too. After a few disaster type dates which should have ended the whole thing, you guessed it, they get involved. Along the way, they save the company, and both become heroes. Renee Zellweger did a fine job of being the outsider in the small Minnesota town and getting them to accept her. What do you think, who wouldn't accept Renee Zellweger. I know the women will like Harry's performance as well. Even though you know how the story will end, you will still enjoy the movie. You will love listening to the Minnesota accents that were used, and seeing some of their customs. (Lionsgate, Run Time 1:36, Rated PG-13)(5/10)

Guess what is not new in town at your local movie theatre? Another formulaic romantic comedy. This one is called "New in Town" but old in design. Not new= a female protagonist trying to prove that she can tackle any challenge. In this case, a once again mediocre Renee Zellweger plays Lucy Hill; an executive living in sunny Miami who is ordered to reside in cold Minnesota for a few months to play efficiency expert at a company plant. Not new= independent girl bickers with hometown boy and eventually fall in love. In this case, a once again mediocre Harry Connick Jr. plays Ted Mitchell; a Minnesota labor union rep who fights with Lucy and then … well, do I have to repeat myself? Not new= Female protagonist is seen by small town residents as an unruly big city tyrant and then eventually changes her ways because of unforeseen circumstances. In this case, Lucy is seen as the "mad slicer of jobs" by the plant workers until …….. well, do I have to repeat myself again? To say the least, Director Jonas Elmer fuddles and struggles to provide creativity in "New in Town" and does not give Minnesotans justice by copycatting the "Fargo" character playbook. Jonas my brother, sorry to share! Screenwriters Ken Rance and C. Jay Cox did not interject any verbose ingenuity in "New in Town"; in fact, everything sounded kind of old. Now there is something that kind of salvaged the film from the boring cold! That came in the form of another spectacular (also not new, but we like this one) acting performance by the underrated J.K. Simmons as a Plant Foreman. "New in Town" should not be deported from your movie wish list, thanks to Simmons, but then again it is far from being the best new movie in town. *** Average

Though its payoff scenes are as predictable as could be, this entertaining romantic comedy is an effective vehicle sure to please Renee Zelweger fans. Well-timed to a winter release (the film's heartwarming Xmas scene occurs early in the story as an intended anticlimax preceding the plot complications to come), this modern fable set in a small town in frozen Minnesota is well-photographed on atmospheric Manitoba locations. Zellweger top lines as the fish out of water, volunteering in her high-profile Miami based conglomerate to head north to makeover a tiny food plant, cut its workforce by half and retool for an automated new product launch. She's the typical jargon-laden, fast-track advancement type, dreaming of CEO-hood and sorely lacking in empathy or any recognizable people-to-people skills. Strutting around in inappropriate high heels (closeups of which are a bit overdone by Danish director Jonas Elmer making his Hollywood debut), she quickly alienates every Minnesotan in sight and looks to be headed for disaster in a hopeless hatchet-woman assignment. Led by a warm & funny supporting turn by Siobhan Fallon Hogan (who channels the local persona even better than Frances McDormand's Oscar-winning stint in Fargo), as her local assistant, a tapioca pudding whiz who spends equal time on scrapping (making scrapbooks) and religiosity, the very cute cast of hayseeds play off hard-bitten Zellweger quite well in a time-honored clash of city smarts vs. folksy wisdom. Sure it's very, very corny, but fun all the same. Harry Connick Jr. plays the area union chief who is always in view as Renee's romantic interest, and there is also a dynamite turn by J.K. Simmons (fresh from his triumph in Juno) as the plant foreman who runs afoul of Renee's plans. New in Town is not in the league of the great old movies of Riskin and Capra, but is genuinely amusing and a fine platform for Zellweger to display both physical & romantic comedy skills. The spectre of layoffs and disappearing companies we are currently living through was probably not in mind when this light feature was scripted and shot, but it resonates as a timely, escapist treatment of all-too-painful realities.

I think this film, while not a classic by any means, is being underrated at its current score. Admittedly, I came close to turning off the DVD ten minutes in, when it appeared to be little more than a cheesy send-up of life in the country. Yes, there are a few slapstick moments. And yes, the plot and its various "twists" are predictable. But if you suspend your cynicism and just take it in, it's not that bad of a way to spend an hour and a half. The film is somewhat unconventional in the sense that, unlike so many recent films set in small-town America, it does not portray residents as narrow-minded people in need of enlightenment. As the film progresses, the residents of New Ulm are increasingly shown as three-dimensional human beings. Their strong sense of family and communal ties is embraced, and in fact, portrayed favorably compared to the stark individualism celebrated by our mass culture. In its own way, the film suggests to the urban, "sophisticated" viewer that perhaps there is something to be learned from such people, or at least, that their cultural traditions should not be dismissed out of hand. A little sappy, yes, and predictable, but also heartwarming and a nice little glimpse into a slice of Americana we don't see portrayed that often on the big screen nowadays.

This film is about a business woman from a big city who got transferred to a small town. She encounters much trouble adjusting to the small town life.

"New In Town" is another romantic comedy with Renee Zellweger as a person who achieves despite her mischievousness. She is already heavily typecast, but then she really is adorable and likable so it is OK. The plot is very predictable, but is enjoyable mainly due to the small town warmth. Seeing acquaintances and colleagues help each other out, and giving hand made gifts is refreshing. It enhances the positive spirit of the film, and makes the characters more engaging.

"New In Town" is a heartwarming comedy, I enjoyed watching it.