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the audience applauded

Thanks for the memories!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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.

here we are with small pleasant story , though not pleasing to be believable , the pregnant teen ( Natalie portman )who was dumped by her boyfriend in Wall - mart . she would live there for 6 weeks till at one night , will deliver . with miraculous jump through the glass of accidental watcher who saw her once , then the story will go on and on with cliché and humane effect which look absurd with all coincidences and surprises you will see . difficult to swallow , Natalie though she is cute , doesn't appeal , the acting was cold and i wonder what she was doing during all these 6 weeks apart from eating and sleeping , remember no body notice of the store personnel . it s crap .

This is one of my favourite films of all time period. This is one of those movies where someone could argue with me up and down how bad it is and I wouldn't care because I adore it. I've seen it dozens of times but it had been awhile so watching it again was a delight all over. I read the book years ago too and the film is very close to the book. The characters and story and drama and comedy and romance is near perfect. It is just completely entertaining and touching and so well acted. I am certain that this will be a classic in the years to come. Films to me are meant to be entertainment. That is the ultimate goal. There are exceptions to that of course (art, education, theories, knowledge) films can be all these things but I love when a movie is just simple and entertainment and Where The Heart Is is exactly that. I love these characters and their interaction and the things that happen to them over the course of the film. The soundtrack is also very good and the setting of the small town just really warms your heart. It is everything you could expect and then some and always leaves me smiling.Natalie Portman is a star. She has been a star since she was just a little girl and she is still a star today. This was when I really noticed her for the first time as an actress because she is absolutely endearing in this role. She is simple but so far from stupid and her characters goes through such an incredible arc through the course of the film. She might be one of my favourite movie characters. Ashley Judd is fantastic as Portman's best friend and a struggling single mother. She actually gets a huge story arc herself and its often moving and hard to watch and uplifting in the end. Their chemistry is terrific and Judd is phenomenal. Stockard Channing adds a level of expertise to the film as the lovable Sister Husband. She becomes a surrogate mother to Portman and although her role is less substantial, its important and a great part. James Frain is fantastic in a subtle brooding sort of way as the brilliant and tortured soul Forney. Frain also has a great story arc and his chemistry with Portman seems odd at first and then completely wins you over. Joan Cusack and Dylan Bruno round out the supporting cast and both are truly outstanding. Some might say these characters are a little cookie-cutter but the film covers such a wide span of time and they go through so much that you'll become completely attached to them.Considering how much happens and how much time the film covers, the pacing is near perfect. It never feels rushed and makes sense and is believable even in the most ridiculous sense. The film feels genuine and honest and fun and you can't ask for more than that from a movie like this. I think its a complete shame that Matt Williams, best known as a producer, didn't do a lot of directing after this. He holds everything together and keeps everything flowing nicely and while the film doesn't exactly stand out in style, it is still no small feat to hold it together with very bold characters. If you have not seen the "Wal-Mart Baby" movie...please see it. It is one that I cannot recommend enough. You will laugh, cry, rejoice and meet some really cool folks. A simply amazing film. 10/10

This is an inspirational movie about a young woman, Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), who had 17 became pregnant but ended up being abandoned by boyfriend Willie Jack Bruno (Dylan Bruno) at an Oklahoma Wal-Mart. Void of a job, necessities and money, she secretly lives in the Wal-Mart until she gives birth to a girl. Novalee then decides to raise her daughter and rebuild her life in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, when she meets a group of kind townspeople, including Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), who helps her move on with her life.A solid drama with some descent acting, this movie tells a great overcoming-the-odds story, where a person could start out with misfortune but end up rising to the occasion through determination, love and acts of kindness from other people. It gives an important message that everybody faces obstacles and adversaries, and it is up to him/her how he/she wants to deal with one's own problems. And, no matter how independent you can or want to be, somebody is always out there to lend a helping hand.Portman and Judd did great in their roles, delivering a combination dose of drama and comedy. At two hours long, there are quite a few fillers in this film, which dragged the plot somewhat. But overall, it's a feel-good movie that is perfect for drama-lovers.Grade B