Where the Heart Is is a 2000 American romantic drama film directed by Matt Williams and starring Natalie Portman, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd, Joan Cusack, James Frain, Dylan Bruno, Keith David, and Sally Field. The screenplay, written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, is based on the best-selling 1995 novel of the same name by Billie Letts.
The film follows five years in the life of Novalee Nation, a pregnant 17-year-old, who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart in a small Oklahoma town. She secretly moves into the store, where she eventually gives birth to her baby, which attracts media attention. With the help of friends, she makes a new life for herself in the town.
- Starring : Natalie Portman / Ashley Judd
- Genre : Comedy / Drama / Romance
- Country : United States
- Language : English
- Director : Matt Williams
- Production : Twentieth Century Fox / Wind Dancer Productions
- Distributor : Intermedia / Twentieth Century Fox / New Films International / 20th Century Fox / Helkon Filmverleih GmbH / Indies Film Distribution / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) / Capelight Pictures / FS Film / Indies Home Entertainment / Nelonen / RTL Entertainment / Rai Movie / Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Where the Heart Is movie
Where the Heart Is release date
- April 28, 2000 : USA
- August 31, 2000 : Australia
- September 22, 2000 : Spain
- November 9, 2000 : Germany
- November 17, 2000 : UK
- November 17, 2000 : Ireland
- December 7, 2000 : Switzerland (German speaking region)
- January 12, 2001 : Sweden
- February 24, 2001 : Japan
- May 16, 2001 : France
Where the Heart Is cast
- Natalie Portman as Novalee Nation
- Ashley Judd as Lexie Coop
- Stockard Channing as Sister Husband
- Joan Cusack as Ruth Meyers
- James Frain as Forney Hull
- Dylan Bruno as Willy Jack Pickens
- Sue McCormick as Cake Supplier
- Keith David as Moses Whitecotten
- Ray Prewitt as Tim
- Laura House as Nicki
- Karey Green as Rhonda
- Mary Ashleigh Green as Girl in Bathroom
- Kinna McInroe as Wal-Mart Clerk
- Laura Auldridge as Wal-Mart Assistant Manager
- Alicia Godwin as Jolene
17-year-old and seven-months-pregnant Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) and her boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno) are moving from Tennessee to California. Willy Jack abandons Novalee at the local Walmart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma when she uses the restroom and buys new shoes. There, she meets Thelma “Sister” Husband (Stockard Channing) who presents her with a buckeye tree, and Moses Whitecotton (Keith David), a local photographer who advises her to give her baby a strong name. A sickly and homeless Novalee is forced to live in the Walmart, undetected. Novalee also becomes acquainted with surly librarian Forney Hull (James Frain) who cares for his alcoholic sister Mary Elizabeth (Margaret Hoard).
During a thunderstorm, Novalee, alone at Walmart, goes into labor. Forney, who has followed Novalee to the Walmart, smashes through the Walmart window to help deliver her child, whom she names Americus. Novalee instantly becomes a media darling, and while in hospital, is befriended by Nurse Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd). Her estranged mother, Mama Lil (Sally Field), visits after seeing her daughter on television, but disappears with the money donated by well-wishers. Sister Husband arrives and offers to take in Novalee and Americus.
While Christmas tree shopping with Forney, Novalee is reminded that it is Americus’ five-month birthday. Realizing this, Novalee races to Sister’s house to find that Americus has been kidnapped. A couple from Mississippi, who had previously written an ugly letter to Novalee saying that Americus was an abomination because she was born out of wedlock, kidnapped Americus and left her at the church in the nativity scene.
Where the Heart Is made $33,772,838 at the North American box office, and an additional $7,090,880 internationally for a worldwide total of $40,863,718.
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