New in Town

My daughter and I really enjoyed this film. We weren't expecting much, but were pleasantly surprised by the humorous take on Minnesota life. Yes, the accents are overdone and no, it isn't really 10 degrees below zero from November thru April here in Minnesota, but those exaggerations aside, it did hit on many "traditions" like meatloaf, polka music, hunting, blizzards, and ice fishing. If you are from Minnesota, Wisconsin or North Dakota, you will most likely understand all of the one-liners and euphemisms. If you haven't experienced life in the frozen tundra of the upper Midwest, this movie will probably not make sense to you. Also, the actors in this film seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. I can't recall ever noticing that in any other movie I've seen. It just seemed very genuine and sincere to me.

Having spent the 1st 22 years of life in Wisconsin, I got all the jokes, I related to the accent, the unpredictable winter weather, (not the moose but I've been sideways in a ditch a few times) and I definitely related to the small town we can do this attitude and yeah, there can be some attitude towards outsiders too. All in all,, the whole cast did a great job and the movie was cute and heartwarming. I got a kick out of it.

As a single independent female i look forward to these types of movies. Some deliver and some do not. If i can come away feeling hopeful and positive then it did its job. And i can assure you this movie did just that for me. It was cute and entertaining. The locations were complete opposites. Hot and humid in Miami and freezing in Minnesota. To see a character adapt to the cold after living in Florida and then also to adapt to the conservative lifestyles portrayed in this particular small northern Minnesota town, challenging. Renee always delivers. Harry Connick Jr. stole the show with his comedic timing. And the Actress playing Blanche and actor playing Stu also very funny. And did i mention the soundtrack ROCKS!

(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)

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.