Where the Heart Is

25 years later and I feel like this is a heavily overlooked feature Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd co-star in a drama based on the book by Billie Letts by director Matt Williams Portman plays Novalee, she’s a young Tennessee girl traveling with her boyfriend But after stopping at a Walmart he straight up abandons her; she has no job, no money, no transportation, and is pregnant A local librarian Forney then helps her go into labor one stormy night and Novalee becomes a news sensation After a stint with her estranged mother Novalee is forced to start a new life for herself Yet she finds kindness from many people including Lexie, a mother of several other children and neighbor Thelma Novalee is able to grow and heal with her new daughter This is very good even though many critics were mixed on it It’s kinda fascinating how Joan Cusack plays a double role here It’s pretty heart touching as well Natalie Portman's a good role here being a woman seemingly on verge of being alone and helpless She also has this fear of the number 5 being unlucky ever since her mom abandoned her Forney tells her she doesn’t deserve all these bad things though Ashley Judd is a terrific co-star though has not enough screen time and the film does drag a bit in the middle But it shows how one woman can find a new beginning, after all home is where the heart is and where your history begins, it’s also where someone catches you when you fall, you don’t have to hold onto your old life forever, it’s always possible to start fresh, we’ve got meanness in us but also goodness, the only thing worth living for is the good that’s why we have to pass it on, our lives can change with every breath we take, why does anyone lie? It’s more than a typical chick flick as it’s carried by some terrific performances with likable characters with an examination of the human spirit of peace/serenity through love, loss, taking an inspiring journey through the heart, and the greater need for view of modern community We can still be blessed with friends who help pick up the pieces of our lives

I for one love this movie it is very good the cast was good the story was good

I love this movie 🥰

I was surpisingly impressed by this movie. It dives into the concept of found family, and that won me over.

I read the book before seeing the movie, I thought it was a good rendition of the book without many differences.

One of my favourite movies growing up. I know it's not a masterpiece, but I have loved Natalie Portman unconditionnally ever since. Call it imprinting.

I saw a critic's review that the plot is messy. Listen, Honey, that's just the way life is — messy and full of surprises. You can't sanitize it like a clearly plotted hero's journey. Love the "messiness" of the plot. The one clear thread, though, when seeds of kindness are planted in the lives of people, their lives change in the most unexpected ways. In the end, LIFE (Love in Full Expression — thanks, Suzanne Giesemann, for this useful acronym) wins.

This movie has heart and stands the test of time. 23 years later, it still resonates. Still watchable and sweet. Recommend.

All time fav movie if you have the time sit down and watch it very much worth you're time.

Spoilers Below: The only redeeming quality of this movie was the acting of the cast. Natalie Portman (Novalee) along with Ashley Judd (Lexie) portrayed their characters (poorly-written ones at that) convincingly and with true emotion. Stockard Channing (Sister Husband) did a fine job at playing a lovable mother-figure that helped movie the story along. I say story very loosely, because this movie had no discernable plot. It watched like when you have to get to a certain word count so you just keep adding details that really don't connect or make much sense at all. Now, it may just be a terrible novel that the movie was adapted from, but it doesn't negate the fact that the writers made some "interesting" choices when creating this film. The movie was made up of convenient coincidences. Novalee's pentaphobia was written in as an excuse to add dramatic, nonsensical, and atrocious plot points. She gets $5.55 as change? Oh no, her garbage ex abandons her at Wal-Mart! She receives $500? This must mean that her mother, who abandoned her and had no impact on the film other than proving how terrible of a person she is, is coming back around to steal said cash! It's December 5th? This must mean something is wrong with Novalee's baby, Americus! And sure enough, some missionaries from Mississippi kidnap her! These completely illogical events that occur in the movie are flimsily explained by a phobia that, in all honesty, is more premonitory than it is absurd. The writers also should've stopped focusing on Novalee's ex, Willy Jack (played quite well by Dylan Bruno). No morally-correct individual could ever muster up even an ounce of care for Willy Jack. There could be no situation that a watcher could even feel empathy for WJ. Instead of abandoning this character just as he abandoned Novalee at Wal-mart, the writers clung onto him as if he were a saving grace to the story. This movie could've been a half-hour shorter if he were never brought up again. His wild adventures across the Midwest ! were boring, gross to watch, and served nothing other than to convince Novalee to go get her man (!!), which she could've garnered the inspiration to do so from any other garbage character in this garbage movie. Every character faced a tragic moment in this movie, which could've been fine if said moments weren't the most dramatic and incredibly depressing traumatic events a person could face. TW here. Lexie, Novalee's best friend, walked in on her children being molested by a new lover she had. Novalee lost the only mother-figure she'd ever had in a tornado. Forney's sister passed away from complications relating to her addiction that caused Forney to give up on his dreams in the first place. Once again, watchers would have a much lovelier time viewing this movie if even half of these many of these plot points were thrown out. Overall, a 1/5. Terrible writing, terribly developed characters, and a terrible plot all the way through. I could go on, but honestly I don't know if words can quite capture the atrocity this movie truly is. Happy watching !