Oh how love is so beautiful.

A building contractor (David Duchovny) donates his wife’s heart after she’s tragically killed in an accident. A year later, he falls in love with a plucky waitress (Minnie Driver), only to discover she had received a heart transplant at the same time and place. Directed by Bonnie Hunt, this charming romantic comedy about second chances at love – and life.

This film is so resolute old-fashioned and sweet, that I felt like I was going to completely hate every single part of this film. However, that was not the case.

The film is not so funny as it is quite charming and cute. There are little parts in the film that will make you laugh but they are never over-zealous or annoying, there more cute and harmful.

Now with a story like this you kind of just have to go along with it, and forget all teh corny stuff. I found it really crazy since she is trying to hide the scar she has, that they have never slept together after have been going out for months. As I said this film is very harmful, but this is just too sweet to be true.

It incorporates several good laughs and it is not too much of a chick film. It has a lot of good “guy” material. This balance is not easily installed into the first draft of a script, nor are the charming nuances of affection between characters, nor is it easy to make a family style film with a variety of generations so comfortably represented in a cohesive romantic dramedy.

The one thing that makes this film work for me is its genuine chemistry between Duchovny and Driver. Driver in particular, gives a performance that supplies a dimension more deeper than the material suggests. I really felt how vulnerable she really is throughout the film.

But the best thing about the film is that it doesn’t just focus on these two, but also on all the other couples that surround them. Like James Belushi and his wife Bonnie Hunt kept me laughing. And also, the little group of old guys with Robert Loggia and Carroll O’Connor, they all provide good laughs and make some of the dry spots funny.

Consensus: Return to Me is heavily-cliched and not very funny at some parts, but features a genuine chemistry between Duchovny and Driver, and just a sweet and lovely outlook on love.

5.5/10=Rental!!!

IMHO, a grossly underrated movie. Funny, smart, and comically dark in a way I really enjoy.

The Cusacks have some hometown sensibilities I can relate to, and Minnie Driver is fabulously appealing as an actress and sexy thang, and as little as I’ve seen her in “real life,” an equally decent human being.

Hollywood actress Minnie Driver says ””it feels like Christmas”” whenever she is with her one-year-old son Henry.

Driver, 39, who has kept the identity of Henry’’s father a secret, finds it difficult to manage her career with being a parent but says it is just wonderful to be a mother.

“The love, the unquantifiable love, it just takes my breath away. My son’’s face in the morning or if I hear him saying, ”Mama, Mama” and when I go in he’’s just sitting there in his crib… it feels like Christmas,” Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

And she has plans for more kids in future.

She said: “I”ve got to go back to work for a bit, but yeah, I want Henry to have brothers and sisters, or a brother or sister. It would be really nice for him.”

Return to Me

Who knew that when he ordered the special, he d get the dish of his life? David Duchovny (‘the X-Files ) and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) ignite sparks in this warm-hearted winner (JeffCraig, ’sixty Second Preview ) about a widower and a waitress who meet and fall in love. Featuring an incredible all-star cast, this hilarious romantic comedy delivers a lot of laughs, tears and joysthat will make your spirits soar. It took a lot of cajoling to get Bob (Duchovny), a recently widowed architect, to go on a blind date at a quirky Irish-Italian eatery. Once there, he’s smitten instantly not with his date but with the sharp-witted waitress, Grace (Driver). With unsolicitedhelp from Grace’s matchmaking grandfather (Carroll O Connor), Bob asks her out. And as their relationship blossoms, everything seems to be going great, until an unbelievable truth is revealed one that could easily break both of their hearts for good.

Reviews from Customers

“I Never Knew A Heart Transplant Could Mean This Much!”
This is perhaps one of the most underrated movies I have ever seen.
David Duchovny and Minnie Driver star as Gracie Briggs and Bob Rueland, two people who are brought together with more than fate, but also a heart. When disaster and devastation hits Bob, he unselfishly donates his wife’s organs. Gracie is in desperate need for a heart after suffering for many years with heart disease. Her heart finally does come, at the most needed moment, and it is a special heart at that.
It takes over a year for Bob to get back in the dating scene, and that’s only with help from Charlie played by David-Alan Grier. When the date lands them in Gracies grandfather’s (Carroll O’Connor) restaurant, Gracie is their waitress, and it’s love at first sight, and their lives will be forever changed.
There is also great classic songs that sprinkle this movie with class and romance. Songs like “At Long Last Love” by Frank Sinatra and “Tenderly” by Jackie Gleason finish the movie off without any hitches only adding more detail. Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake take their first stab at writing, directing, and starring in Return To Me, and I must say it is one movie that reminds me the most of the classic romances of long ago.
Please note that if you like this film, Bonnie and Don are writing and directing a tv show on ABC this fall, called Life With Bonnie. Bonnie stars in this along with many of the stars from Return To Me. If her show is anything like the movie, then ABC will have a hit for sure!

“An Absoulute Gem From Bonnie Hunt”
Director and co-writer Bonnie Hunt delivers the goods in “Return To Me,” a touching story of two deserving people who are afforded a second chance at love and happiness. When we meet Grace (Minnie Driver), she is suffering with heart disease and awaiting a donor for a transplant. Architect-builder Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) is happily married to Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), they are deeply in love, and Hunt quickly establishes just how perfect their lives are together; so perfect, in fact, it becomes somewhat unsettling because you know that tragedy of some kind or other is imminent. When it comes, the transition is handled succinctly and with the skill of a seasoned professional. When Elizabeth dies, Grace receives her heart. A year later, Bob, still mourning the loss of his wife, meets Grace at the Irish-Italian restaurant owned by her grandfather (Carroll O’Connor), where she works as a waitress. Neither are aware of the intimate link they share to the heart that has given Grace her life. In the hands of a less savvy director, the story at this point could easily go astray and become mired in coincidence and cliche. Hunt never comes close to allowing this to happen, however, and instead hits every note squarely on the head so that the plot fairly resonates with precision and timing. A veteran character actress herself (she plays Grace’s closest friend, Meg, here), she seems to know instinctively just when to add the right light touch to offset the drama, then fleshes it all out with an array of great characters,especially Robert Loggia, as Angelo, the “Greatest Italian chef in Chicago,” and James Belushi as Meg’s husband, Joe. There are no wasted moments in this film; the story moves right along and takes you with it. The dialogue is often witty and always real; in a scene between Grace and Meg that takes place in the hospital (prior to their notification that a donor has been located), in which Grace can barely draw a breath, she looks up at Meg and says one word, “Rosebud.” After Elizabeth dies, when Bob finds himself alone at home and finally breaks down, Hunt gives the scene time to build and play out, so that it rings true instead of being glossed over and simply used as a tool to move the story along. When it happens we, as an audience, are also afforded that time to realize the suffering he’s experiencing, and it allows us to feel it as well. The scene in which Grace, Meg and Joe are at home awaiting a dinner guest (a former priest), is beyond hilarious. Highlighting an exceptional cast, David Duchovny and Minnie Driver are unforgettable as Bob and Grace; and the multi-talented Bonnie Hunt rises to a whole new level of artistic merit for giving us a truly memorable and heart-warming movie that is a joy to experience. Written by Hunt and Don Lake, “Return To Me” is a delight from beginning to end, the kind of film one waits for to come along. Hopefully, in the future Hunt will treat us to even more movies of this caliber.

“An Absolute Gem From Bonnie Hunt”
Director and co-writer Bonnie Hunt delivers the goods in “Return To Me,” a touching story of two deserving people who are afforded a second chance at love and happiness. When we meet Grace (Minnie Driver), she is suffering with heart disease and awaiting a donor for a transplant. Architect-builder Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) is happily married to Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), they are deeply in love, and Hunt quickly establishes just how perfect their lives are together; so perfect, in fact, it becomes somewhat unsettling because you know that tragedy of some kind or other is imminent. When it comes, the transition is handled succinctly and with the skill of a seasoned professional. When Elizabeth dies, Grace receives her heart. A year later, Bob, still mourning the loss of his wife, meets Grace at the Irish-Italian restaurant owned by her grandfather (Carroll O’Connor), where she works as a waitress. Neither are aware of the intimate link they share to the heart that has given Grace her life. In the hands of a less savvy director, the story at this point could easily go astray and become mired in coincidence and cliche. Hunt never comes close to allowing this to happen, however, and instead hits every note squarely on the head so that the plot fairly resonates with precision and timing. A veteran character actress herself (she plays Grace’s closest friend, Meg, here), she seems to know instinctively just when to add the right light touch to offset the drama, then fleshes it all out with an array of great characters,especially Robert Loggia, as Angelo, the “Greatest Italian chef in Chicago,” and James Belushi as Meg’s husband, Joe. There are no wasted moments in this film; the story moves right along and takes you with it. The dialogue is often witty and always real; in a scene between Grace and Meg that takes place in the hospital (prior to their notification that a donor has been located), in which Grace can barely draw a breath, she looks up at Meg and says one word, “Rosebud.” After Elizabeth dies, when Bob finds himself alone at home and finally breaks down, Hunt gives the scene time to build and play out, so that it rings true instead of being glossed over and simply used as a tool to move the story along. When it happens we, as an audience, are also afforded that time to realize the suffering he’s experiencing, and it allows us to feel it as well. The scene in which Grace, Meg and Joe are at home awaiting a dinner guest (a former priest), is beyond hilarious. Highlighting an exceptional cast, David Duchovny and Minnie Driver are unforgettable as Bob and Grace; and the multi-talented Bonnie Hunt rises to a whole new level of artistic merit for giving us a truly memorable and heart-warming movie that is a joy to experience. Written by Hunt and Don Lake, “Return To Me” is a delight from beginning to end, the kind of film one waits for to come along. Hopefully, in the future Hunt will treat us to even more movies of this caliber.

See all detials of Return to Me

Um excelente trabalho de roteiro e, principalmente, de atuação, removem “Incrível Obsessão” (Owning Mahowny, de 2003) do lugar comum e o transportam para um lugar melhor, junto com obras decentes, de construções satisfatórias (direção de arte; fotografia; trilha sonora;), mas que, infelizmente, são esquecidas pelo público. Eu havia assistido ao filme dirigido por Richard Kwietniowski no ano do seu lançamento e somente há pouco eu lembrei da maravilhosa composição de personagem feita por Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Boogie Nights”, de 1997;”Antes que o Diabo Saiba que você está Morto”, de 2007;). Com um ótimo cargo em um banco (o mais jovem gerente da agência!), colecionando elogios de seus superiores, uma namorada linda e apaixonada, Dan Mahowny tem apenas um problema: os jogos – ou um problema financeiro, como ele diz em negação. E não fosse o trabalho do ator, com seus olhares (repare que em alguns momentos apenas um plano detalhe nos olhos do personagem é o bastante para esculpir uma atmosfera de tensão) e gestos expressivos (note seu semblante, sempre curvo, com a cabeça baixa, como se sua mente estivesse em constante preocupação e foco na próxima jogada), Mahowny provavelmente cairia na unidimensionalidade cheia de cacoetes do “jogador alucinado” pelas mãos de outro ator.

Outro grande atrativo, como citado acima, é o roteiro escrito por Maurice Chauvet, com base no livro de Gary Stephen Ross, quegraciosamente apresenta e desenvolve Dan Mahowny sem grandes alardes, nem nunca perdendo tempo em buscar as raízes da sua “doença” – ele é um viciado, e pronto. É o bastante para qualquer um se identificar, mesmo que superficialmente, com sua obsessão. Fora isso, um dos pontos principais do roteiro – a cereja no topo do bolo, a meu ver – seja a atenção dada aos coadjuvantes, mais precisamente ao personagem de John Hurt (“O Homem Elefante”, de 1980; “Os Crimes de Oxford”, de 2008;), Victor Foss, o gerente do cassino. Através dele é possível enxergar o protagonista pela óptica do sistema que o próprio consome tão metódica, compulsiva e arduamente (seu emprego impossibilita o sustento do vício, o que o leva a roubar), e perceber como para o Foss, Mahowny não passa de um investimento, uma máquina de caça-níqueis a ser adulterada, persuadida a sempre voltar com mais dinheiro; algo que se mostra, não só uma decisão acertada por parte do roteirista, como imprescindível para a elaboração de um pequeno, mas significativo quadro sobre o vício. E uma cena que sintetiza perfeitamente essa idéia é quando presenciamos a reação de Foss diante da possibilidade de atrair Mahowny para o seu cassino, após o mesmo ganhar milhões em outro lugar: “Mate-o! Coloque-o para dormir! Quebre suas pernas, o arraste de lá, qualquer coisa, mas não o deixe perder tudo”.

Isolando os ótimos aspectos já analisados, o restante do longa é desvalorizado devido a atuação de Minnie Driver (“Gênio Indomável”, de 1997) e Ian Tracey (“Elektra”, de 2005), respectivamente Belinda, a namorada abobada e ingênua de Mahowny, e Ben Lock, o detetive esforçado e “degustador” voraz de donuts de mel, que se restringem aos maneirismos convencionais que seus personagens proporcionam e criam personalidades rasteiras e simplórias – diferente do trabalho realizado por Philip Seymour Hoffman. No entanto, um outro grande mérito do filme é a trilha sonora composta por Richard Grassby-Lewis, que pontua a trama com leves pinceladas de jazz e acrescenta um ar deliciosamente apropriado de anos 80, já que a trama se passa no início dessa década. No final das contas, “Incrível Obsessão” é um filme que não merece ser esquecido, pois seus méritos são consistentes e invalidam suas falhas, contornando-o, assim, em uma obra interessante e muito bem realizada.

Un film del 2009, regia di Tony Goldwyn, con Hilary Swank / Minnie Driver. Prodotto da ()

Drammatico

La vera storia di una donna che decise di riprendere a studiare, continuando al tempo stesso a lavorare e ad occuparsi dei suoi due figli, per laurearsi in legge e avere la possibilità di rappresentare suo fratello Kenneth in tribunale per difenderlo da un’accusa infondata di
omicidio.

Hallowe’en approche toujours plus vite, et Life nous offre une petite rétrospective de stars costumées.
On y retrouve notamment Kyle MacLachlan, les Hanson, Dakota Fanning, Heidi Klum (dont j’admire le costume de 2007 ), Kim Kardashian et plein d’autres !

>Album Photo<

Jason Biggs est très mignon en Dorothy xD, Kyle avait en 2007 un costume qui pourrait inspirer les scénaristes de Desperate Housewives et Mariah Carey a (étrangement) une tendance à être plutôt décostumée… Oh et Paris Hilton est fidèle à elle-même.

An interesting thing is that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the script of this film.

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus arrives for the gents to consider, unfortunately without much favour. They continue into talks about movie budgets and creativity, scary children’s films and whether there will be a shift in the horror genre on the back of Paranormal Activity. They talk about True Blood, The Shield, Good Will Hunting and Sunshine, before a long trailer round-up taking in everything from The White Ribbon to Black Dynamite.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 39

Show notes to follow, for the last three weeks. Promise…

Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, and Anthony Edwards star in writer/director Katherine Dieckmann’s slice of life indie Motherhood, which follows a hapless mother of two as she attempts to prepare for her daughter’s rapidly approaching sixth birthday party. Along the way, the harried mother is forced to contend with a monumental series of unexpected urban challenges

After spending most of the morning checking out VF’s Best Dressed, I began to wander around the site only to find so many more amazing pictures of great fashion, great actors, and great inspirations.

I love this view of Hollywood, don’t you?

Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Chloë Sevigny, Sophia Loren, and Penélope Cruz, photographed by Annie Leibovitz for the cover of the April 2001 Hollywood Issue.

Sischy writes, “Cruz isn’t cookie-cutter pretty—she even has a bit of a schnoz—but her unusual features come together in a memorable aria of real beauty.” Photographed in Segovia, Spain, by Annie Leibovitz for the September 2001 issue.

Photographed in Segovia, Spain, by Annie Leibovitz for the September 2001 issue.

Shakira

Selma Blair, photographed by Norman Jean Roy at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, near Los Angeles, for the October 2008 issue. Read “Letting Herself Go,” by Jim Windolf. Styled by Jessica Diehl.

Jessica Biel, photographed by Norman Jean Roy in Beverly Hills for the September 2006 issue. Styled by Deda Coben.

Scarlett Johansson, photographed by Annie Leibovitz at Pfeiffer Beach, in Big Sur, California, for the August 2005 issue. Styled by Lori Goldstein.

Isabel Lucas, VF June 2009

Star Trek star Chris Pine, photographed by Mark Seliger at Hinano Cafe, in Venice Beach, California, for the May 2009 issue. Read “To Boldly Star,” by Krista Smith. Styled by David Thomas.

James Franco, photographed by Doug Inglish for the December 2008 issue. Read “Franco cum Laude,” by David Kamp. Styled by Sam Broekema.

Tony Bennett and friends, photographed by Annie Leibovitz at the Loew’s Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey, for the August 2006 issue. Styled by Wendy Schecter.

APRIL 1995: “HOLLYWOOD HIGHEST—THE CLASS OF 2000” Jennifer Jason Leigh, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Patricia Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julianne Moore, Angela Bassett, and Sandra Bullock.

APRIL 1996: “BOYS’ TOWN” Tim Roth, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Rapaport, Stephen Dorff, Johnathon Schaech, David Arquette, Will Smith, and Skeet Ulrich.

APRIL 1997: “THE NEXT WAVE” Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Claire Danes, Renée Zellweger, Minnie Driver, Alison Elliott, Jada Pinkett, Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron, and Fairuza Balk.

APRIL 1998: “THE HOT NEXT WAVE” Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Natalie Portman, Djimon Hounsou, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Claire Forlani, Gretchen Mol, Christina Ricci, Ed Furlong, and Rufus Sewell.

APRIL 1999: “NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK” Adrien Brody, Thandie Newton, Monica Potter, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Stiles, Leelee Sobieski, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Polley, Norman Reedus, Anna Friel, Omar Epps, Kate Hudson, Vinessa Shaw, and Barry Pepper.

APRIL 2003: “ALPHA LIST” Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Jude Law, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Ewan McGregor, and Matt Damon.

APRIL 2004: “SEND IN THE GOWNS” Julianne Moore, Jennifer Connelly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Aniston, Kirsten Dunst, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, Hilary Swank, Alison Lohman, Scarlett Johansson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

MARCH 2005: “NOT SO DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” Uma Thurman, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Claire Danes, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Ziyi Zhang, Kerry Washington, Kate Bosworth, and Sienna Miller.

From writer/director Katherine Dieckmann, the acclaimed filmmaker of DIGGERS and A GOOD BABY, comes MOTHERHOOD, starring Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards and Minnie Driver. Shot entirely on location in New York’s West Village, this bittersweet comedy distills the dilemmas of the maternal state (marriage, work, self, and not necessarily in that order) into the trials and tribulations of one pivotal day. MOTHERHOOD forms a genre of one – no other movie has dedicated itself in quite this way to probing exactly what it takes to be a mother, with both wry humor and an acute sense of authenticity.

Data
Title: Good Will Hunting
Year: 1997
Length: 126 minutes
Director: Gus Van Sant
Writers: Matt Damon & Ben Affleck
Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Minnie Driver
Music: Danny Elfman (mostly non-original music)
Distinctions: Oscars for Best Screenplay (original) and Best Supporting Actor (Williams); currently #226 on IMDb’s Top 250

My reaction
Synopsis: a math genius doesn’t want to do anything
How I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently (rented from Netflix) yesterday
Concept: Indifferent.
Story: Indifferent. This script really is over-rated, isn’t it? It’s the Wait Those Guys Wrote A Movie That Doesn’t Suck effect.
Characters: Indifferent.
Dialog: Great. Some very funny bits, and the dramatic stuff isn’t too bad either.
Pacing: Indifferent.
Cinematography: Indifferent.
Special effects/design: Indifferent.
Acting: Good.
Music: Indifferent.
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay). I guess I just don’t care. There are a couple very good scenes, but much of the rest (and even some of the good bits) is hackneyed.
Objective Rating: 6/10 2.3/4 (Okay).

When you’ve got a movie called Motherhood, it’s naturally assumed the film is mom material only. The Motherhood PR team even made an extra effort to have a number of mom bloggers participate in the roundtables. Yes, Motherhood is about, well, motherhood, but there’s also a much deeper meaning behind the portrayal of a day in the life of mother of two, Eliza (Uma Thurman).

Much of the roundtable questions probed the film’s writer and director, Katherine Dieckmann, about her child raising philosophies and experiences, so I used my one-on-one time to investigate Dieckmann’s implementation of those elements to create an entertaining and meaningful movie.

The interview is fairly long, 18 minutes, so I chopped it up into two pieces. The first half primarily addresses Dieckmann’s inspiration and how Motherhood, contrary to popular belief, can be a movie for anybody. One particularly intriguing portion of this half of the interview is when Dieckmann tells me about the movie poster. As I said in my review of Motherhood, I’m not a fan of the poster. I still think a poster’s effectiveness can be assessed by a person’s initial reaction to the image, but Dieckmann enlightens me on the deeper meaning beyond its face value.

In the latter half Dieckmann goes into detail on the casting process. She tells me a little something about everyone from the film’s leading lady to the talented young actress who plays Eliza’s six-year-old daughter Clara (Daisy Tahan).

Click here to watch the interview.

Just over a year ago, shooting was underway on a Katherine Dieckmann project. Just over a year ago, Minnie Driver was pregnant with her first child. Now not only do we have Motherhood hitting theaters but we also have a mini Driver, Henry.

Dieckmann never planned for Driver’s character, struggling mother Eliza’s (Uma Thurman) best pal Sheila, to be pregnant, but since Driver was sporting a baby bump at the time and since the movie was about motherhood, why not? She admits it was extremely difficult trudging around the set during a New York City heat wave, but is thankful that she can look back on Motherhood and remember this monumental time in her life.

Celebrity babies gracing the pages of tabloids may be all the rage, but paparazzi be aware; if you get in Driver’s way she’ll probably just blog about it, but if you get in Henry’s she won’t take that so lightly.

Click here to read the interview.

Everyone knows the idiom ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ I propose a new version, ‘Don’t judge a movie by its poster.’ For some reason, every time I look at the poster for Katherine Dieckmann’s Motherhood, I can’t help but to roll my eyes in disgust. The poster led me to believe the film would be a pity party for moms. Portions of the film certainly don that party hat, but overall Motherhood is charming and manages to turn the hackneyed concept of the used and abused mother into a fresh and pleasurable film.

Click here to read more.