Where the Heart Is (2000)

34% of critics liked it
(96 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(61,875 ratings)

Pregnant 17-year-old Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) runs away from her Tennessee home toward the bright lights of California, accompanied by her boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno). But Willy gets cold feet and abandons her at a Walmart in Sequoyah, OK. Novalee's life savings amount to… More Pregnant 17-year-old Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) runs away from her Tennessee home toward the bright lights of California, accompanied by her boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno). But Willy gets cold feet and abandons her at a Walmart in Sequoyah, OK. Novalee's life savings amount to $5.55, so she moves into the Walmart, sleeping there at night and venturing out during the day. With the help of the eccentric Sister Husband (Stockard Channing), and Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), a nurses' aide, Novalee tries to get her life in order for the sake of her expected child, Americus Nation. Based on a novel by Billie Letts, Where the Heart Is also features Keith David, Joan Cusack, Richard Nance, and Heather Kafka. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr.
Directed By: Matt Williams
Written By: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 28, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Sep 26, 2000
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Not possessing much in the way of a character arc, saints are boring to watch and impossible to act.
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The scenes feel forced, producing episodic plotting and calling attention to the characters' superficiality.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Where the Heart Is has a screenplay like that, zigging and zagging and wildly careening from one melodramatic development to the next.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Banal and trite where it could have been insightful and emotionally truthful.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
The movie isn't all that much -- it's too cloyingly ramshackle -- but Portman isn't playing down to her character this time around.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Has enough humor and polish to gull you into enjoying its jest-folks fakery. But you may hate yourself in the morning.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
A chick flick that's as yummy as eating bon-bons.
Betsy Bozdech, Reel.com
Predictable, schmaltzy, and knock-you-over-the-head obvious in its attempts to be endearingly offbeat.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... a great big ol' commercial for the Wal-Mart
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
The script, based on a novel by Billie Lett, is sprinkled with phrases meant to be poignant and funny, but sound like repackaged cliches.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...enjoyable enough.
Chris Gore, Film Threat
This is as irritating as chick flicks come and it's a real disappointment since Portman's talents are totally wasted.
Kay Dickinson, Sight and Sound
Unfortunately, the spirited performances (notably Stockard Channing as the benevolent Sister Husband) buckle under the weight of the implausibly overloaded script.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

An all time favourite - still as good 11 years later as the first time I watched it. This really is the ultimate girl movie - good story to it and great cast. This is one of those rare movies where the movie is better than the book. After seeing this, i got it, and I was really… More
An all time favourite - still as good 11 years later as the first time I watched it. This really is the ultimate girl movie - good story to it and great cast. This is one of those rare movies where the movie is better than the book. After seeing this, i got it, and I was really bored by it. This movie really bought the story to life and the people they chose to play the characters are perfect. The only thing that constantly bugs me is the artwork - why has Ashley Judd got dark hair when she is blonde in this!!!
Cassie H

A heart warming movie. I really enjoyed this movie & Natalie Portman was excellent in it. I love it :) Just a great movie :) Natalie Portman is just so adorable & sweet & so is James Frain :) A movie that I can watch over & over again :) Natalie Portman is an amazing… More
A heart warming movie. I really enjoyed this movie & Natalie Portman was excellent in it. I love it :) Just a great movie :) Natalie Portman is just so adorable & sweet & so is James Frain :) A movie that I can watch over & over again :) Natalie Portman is an amazing actress :) :) :)
Spencer S

It starts off slow and steady, but suddenly gains momentum. Nice premise, and good acting.
Keysha H

So very good!
Bobby H

This movie is really good. While there is really no huge actors and it seems low budgeted at points, it's unique in the sense that it still can reach out to nearly everyone who watches it - most hollywood movies fail miserbly at that as they are aimed at one group. Positives:… More
This movie is really good. While there is really no huge actors and it seems low budgeted at points, it's unique in the sense that it still can reach out to nearly everyone who watches it - most hollywood movies fail miserbly at that as they are aimed at one group. Positives: Actors are not so popular but there good actors, portman for some reason comes off as super-cute in this film too! The storyline while it skips around a little bit and does not really focus on one single concept, it's lifelike. That's what makes this movie so good. It's reality and it has the potential to reach out to any viewers. Negatives: The only real negative is it some of the less seen characters are really bad actors and typically there were some scenes that I seen no reason for beyond stretching the movie out. The positives out weigh the very minor negatives in this film by far and fun to watch actors with a life like plot makes a super good movie!
Rachel F

This is definitely one of my favorite movies of all time. It tells a great story and Natalie Portman is brilliant as always.
Kylie B

The usual fluff. A shame, since Portman is such a good actress.
Drew S

Occasionally clever, but a mountain of wretched sap.
Michael G

If I didn't get to look at Natalie Portman throughout this movie I'd have been really pissed. I was pissed off anyway when I watched it, but at least she was there.
Leigh R

Very well done by both Portman and Judd.
Dean M

I love this drama movie of an innocent southern pregnant teen given baby birth at Wal-Mart and become friendly to strangers.
Naughtia N

I've never heard about this movie before, it was running on tv so I decided to watch it. I was really pleasantly surprised. This is such a sweet movie about a 17 year old girl called Novalee. Novalee is pregnant and moves with her self centered boyfriend to California where he… More
I've never heard about this movie before, it was running on tv so I decided to watch it. I was really pleasantly surprised. This is such a sweet movie about a 17 year old girl called Novalee. Novalee is pregnant and moves with her self centered boyfriend to California where he can pursue his music career. On the way to California they stop at a Walmart so she can use the bathroom and buy some things, but things take a drastic change when she discovers that he has left her there. She feels terrible and has little other choice than to stay at the Walmart night and day. Every person in her life has let her down and in this place she finds some real good people she can call friends. A very touching movie.
Christopher H

Dated and blatant, Where The Heart Is basically tries too hard and mish-mashes far too many events and ideas into one film. A critic said it best when he referred to it as "a great big ol' commercial for the Wal-Mart".
R?o?d?r?i?g?o? R

It's a bad love story with an irresponsible father, a suggestion on a number, and many, many references and promotion to Wal-Mart
Alice S

Slightly amusing series of events ilustrating (with or without intention) some biblical precepts like 'look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your havenly Father feeds them' and 'do not let your left hand know what your… More
Slightly amusing series of events ilustrating (with or without intention) some biblical precepts like 'look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your havenly Father feeds them' and 'do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing'. I loved the name Americus for a girl. John would have been not only meaningless, but intolerably insipid.
Sunil J

Some parts are like a Lifetime movie but its very watchable.
Marion R

A cute story about a pregnant 17 who is ditched at a Wallmart by her boyfriend/baby's father. It's a bit ridiculous at time at certain scenes but overall it was a neat film.
Lee K

This was a very good movie for a chick flick, makes you want to kick the shit out of portmans love interest in it however.
Janice :

You truly have to either like this film or have a heart yourself to appreciate and <i>understand</i> where the heart is. A film I never get tired of watching. Never.
Leo L

A personal favorite! Love the book!