Où le coeur nous mène

It is not that a movie such as "Where The Heart Is" comes along and makes an impression so huge that you don't want to see it end. This is exactly what happened to me when I sat down to watch "Where The Heart Is."

Within the first few moments of the film, I knew it would be special; this reason is Natalie Portman. Portman has a unique look of innocence that cannot be pulled off by many actresses as she does with her character, Novalee Nation. I couldn't wait for the next scene she would be in because of the physical beauty she possesses and the beauty in the performance she gives.

Complimenting the performance of Portman is that of Ashley Judd. As I was watching Judd and Portman, I could tell that these are two actresses who knew exactly what the other would say and do the moment before it was actually done. Ashley Judd lights up the screen every SINGLE time she arrives in a scene. It is a no wonder she is the best at what she does.

Another reason I liked "Where The Heart Is" relates to the double story lines of Portman's character determined to raise her daughter by herself while trying to make a career in photography. The other storyline revolved around the ex-boyfriend trying to make a name for himself in country music.

The cool thing is that these are hobbies of mine and whenever I saw a camera or heard country music it brought a smile to my face. Not only are these hobbies of mine but they are both testaments to what can be done if one works hard enough to attain a specific goal.

The story is one that will take you on a journey through the depths of your heart, soul, and end up in your head relaying the message that "Where The Heart Is" is a phenomenal movie.

"Where The Heart Is" is not only my favorite film but the best film of 2000. GO SEE THIS WONDERFUL WORK OF ART.

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.

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.

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.

The journey that Natalie Portman's role makes in this film, from start to finish, is an inspiring one. The movie isn't a light comedy or a cheesy chick flick, but it also isn't too deep and dark either; it finds a middle ground. There's romance, the struggles of life, the deep issues of self worth, and people being there when you need them most. This film will leave you with a good feeling at the end!