Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

padawanmovies *Spoilers?* this is one of the 1st movies I watched with my new best friend in college. That was 10 yrs ago, pretty sure I fell asleep while we watched it, too much Chinese takeout lol. I liked the idea of this movie and I thought it was trying to deliver a good message, albeit, slightly misguided attempt. I thought the acting was pretty good given the scattered material. I jus don't understand how Lexie, a nurse, didn't understand how birth control works. I mean 6 kids by 5 different dudes?? I mean even a person who doesn't believe in birth control would find this CA-RAZY. I also feel Willie's whole storyline was completely disjointed from the rest of the movie; he was garbage so there was no reason to continue following his storyline (minus Cusack who was really good). If the content had been tweaked this could've been way better; instead we got a step up (barely) version of a Lifetime TV movie

SnoopyStyle Pregnant Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) leaves the trailer park headed for Bakersfield with her inconsiderate boyfriend Willie Jack. She has a fear of the unlucky number 5. He abandons her at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma with $5.55 in her pocket. She is mistaken by eccentric local Sister Husband (Stockard Channing) for somebody else. She is befriended by photographer Moses Whitecotton (Keith David) and Forney Hull (James Frain). She starts living in the Wal-Mart and her daughter Americus is born in the aisles. She becomes an instant celebrity and befriends her nurse Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd). Her mother Mama Lil (Sally Field) comes to steal her money and abandon her a second time. She finds shelter with Sister Husband and a job at Wal-Mart. Meanwhile Willie Jack is arrested with a minor and writes a hit song. He becomes a music sensation until it all crashes down.Natalie Portman is adorable but this movie is overloaded with random quirky characters and wacky incidents. This movie needs a great deal of simplification and my first cut would be Willie Jack's story. There are some endearing moments. I love Lexie's story about her new boyfriend Ernie who gave up his 1967 Chevy Camaro to gain custody of his stepdaughter. It's a simple story that tells so much. This is one movie where a cold-hearted hand needed to take control of the novel's conversion onto the big screen. It's trying to squeeze too much into the movie.

Python Hyena Where the Heart Is (2000): Dir: Matt Williams / Cast: Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing, James Frain, Sally Field: Unfocused drama about the important things in life. Natalie Portman stars as a pregnant woman abandoned by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart. She stakes out there until the baby is born then she awakens in a hospital. Her mother appears just long enough for her to steal the money given to her by the good people of Wal-Mart but she finds friendship with Stockard Channing who opens her home. Useless subplots involve her boyfriend being arrested and struggling to become a musician; massive storms; baby stealers; abusive husbands; weddings. The only thing missing is the kitchen sink but even that couldn't save this travesty. Director Matt Williams fails to gain hold over the action. It begins with promise before falling into formula. Portman is subdued within the idiotic subplots. Channing's role is pretty much standard issue. Ashley Judd comes off too foolish. James Frain as the librarian who delivers the baby also gets locked into romantic clichés. Sally Field plays Portman's stooge of a mother who sees her on TV and makes an appearance long enough to make off with her money. The Wal-Mart location was great but once Portman left there then locations became pretty drab. Theme of starting over gets sidetracked and lost in this numbingly dull film. Score: 1 / 10

Whirlwind201 his movie is shoddy. It took a decent premise and distorted it into a misguided, oversimplified yet somehow horribly contrite and contrived outing that should be left to the bargain bin. The warning signs appear early, as we find Portman's character knocked up by her AGGRESSIVELY distasteful beau, who couldn't be more stereotypical white trash if he wore confederate flag underwear. The audience is clearly supposed to dislike the guy, but the amazing part is how much this movie dislikes him and prevents him from any sort of happiness at every turn. Oh, but it actively dislikes all the other characters as well, and it TRULY despises the audience. Let it be quite clear: Novalee Nation is a Saint. Everyone she meets immediately loves her (not counting her immediate family), she effortlessly balances her job and raising her child with pursuing her love life, and to top it all off, she looks like Natalie Portman without any effort. IN SPITE OF THIS, life hits Novalee and those around her with tragedy after tragedy for no apparent reason other than to bring some life to this limp, monotonous film. Not that any of these tragedies have any IMPACT on Novalee, OH NO. She is a plucky go-getter (who doesn't real go-get anything) who just plows on and lives her puny little life as if we're supposed to care. The most laughable example of the moronic melodrama she's put through is the tornado scene, which is drawn out far too long and features the worst CGI tornado in recent memory. The 'disaster' serves no real purpose other than to give one character an off-screen death and show off Novalee's impressive upper arm strength. I don't really blame Portman for any of this, I blame the insipid writing, amateurish directing and horrendous editing. As this film approaches the two hour mark (an hour and a half too long, if you ask me), it hits a cacophony of barely related scenes that never congeal to form a coherent picture. Portman is just stuck in this perfect storm of agony and makes due. The only inspiration evident in this film is the beginning, where Novalee is stranded at a Wal-Mart by her baby's daddy (can you GET more classy?), and must scavenge for supplies in the untamed aisles of the store. Its a fun for a little while, but it all comes crashing to a halt with the delivery of her child, "AMERICUS" Nation. Why this name was chosen never becomes clear, as it has no significance to anything or anyone beyond inducing a snicker every time its used on screen. Far from an inspiring tale of survival and recovery, Novalee is shown essentially riding on everyone else's coattails and somehow profiting from disaster. These disasters include: Americus being kidnapped by religious fundamentalists for some reason (she turns up fine within minutes), Novalee's best friend beaten, and her daughter raped (both recover just fine, and the friend ends up marrying a guy later on), and her pseudo-boyfriend's sister's death, which is arguably an good thing and somehow ends up in a romantic tryst in a motel room. Sprinkled amid this tragedy salad are stale croûtons depicting the scuzzy impregnator who abandoned Novalee as he raises to meteoric heights as a country music singer (which isn't saying much) only to crash down again for no apparent reason. The ending to his (unnecessary) saga must be seen to be believed. His legs are cut off by a train and he ends up in a hospital where Novalee shows up and forgives him, then he's never heard from again. THERE, I saved you the pain of seeing it for yourself. Aside from being ridiculous, none of this has ANY bearing on the story other than to have somebody ELSE to dump tragedy upon.Ugh, I could mention the laughably stilted "romance" between Novalee and and James Frain, which spends most of the movie going NOWHERE and when it finally gets where it was going, you wish it would go back where it came from. All the side characters are either despicable pricks or angelic saints, and the only way to tell them apart are whether they are nice to Novalee or not. None of these characters are deep, they have no background, no purpose, and most of them aren't likable. It is bad, VERY bad when you're laughing at the pain a character is experiencing.I really could go on, but I can hardly bear the strain. This movie has no moral, no direction, no purpose to the goings on. It has bright patches but they are so few and far between its like they don't exist at all. Characters come and go and the whole film is literally DROWNING in melodrama. If you like Natalie Portman, you MIGHT be able to bear this cross with a straight face, but I'm pretty sure viewing this movie is considered cruel and unusual punishment.Out of respect for yourself, your loved ones, and for decent movies everywhere, DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE.