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Where the Heart Is

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for Where the Heart Is PG-13 2000 2h 0m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
34% Tomatometer 94 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
After Tennessee teen Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) is left literally barefoot and pregnant in a Walmart parking lot by her no-good boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno), she manages to live within the mammoth megastore until her baby's abrupt arrival makes her a media darling. After this, Good Samaritan nurse Lexie (Ashley Judd) takes in Novalee and her newborn daughter. Before long, Lexie and Novalee form a life-changing bond of friendship and sisterhood.
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Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart Is

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Critics Consensus

Poor script and messy plot undermines the decent cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Dec 29, 2010
3/5
A chick flick that's as yummy as eating bon-bons. Go to Full Review
Rick Groen Globe and Mail Apr 25, 2003
2/4
Not possessing much in the way of a character arc, saints are boring to watch and impossible to act. Go to Full Review
Kay Dickinson Sight & Sound Dec 2, 2002
Unfortunately, the spirited performances (notably Stockard Channing as the benevolent Sister Husband) buckle under the weight of the implausibly overloaded script. Go to Full Review
Mark Halverson Sacramento News & Review Aug 7, 2008
2/5
Betsy Bozdech Reel.com Sep 1, 2006
2/4
Predictable, schmaltzy, and knock-you-over-the-head obvious in its attempts to be endearingly offbeat. Go to Full Review
Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion Jul 24, 2006
B
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Audience Reviews

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Jaymie H @PurplePeopleEater83 Oct 23, 2026 I’ve loved this movie for 26 years! Is it the best movie, No. But the message of overcoming the bad parts in life is strong. Her life foundation is horrible and leads her to start out with only $5.55 in the middle of nowhere with no one. But, with the help of kind strangers & strong relationships in life, she grows to be a strong person as well! 💜💜 See more Meri S @mschroeder Aug 13, 2026 Loooooved this movie. See more Cynthia D. @Cynthia93 Feb 6, 2026 One of my top favorites See more Dang J @RT69570906 Jul 22, 2025 It’s a feel good movie that hits hard the older you become. Was everything in the movie realistic? Probably not. But that doesn’t make it less of a good movie! It’s a kind of movie that I turn on when life gets so hard, I start to lose faith in everyone and everything I do. It’s a simple movie with a happy ending but it was definitely not simple how the main character gets to where she is. It takes years and it starts with a simple but kind gesture from someone who believes in her. Isn’t that all we need? For someone to believe in us when we doubt ourselves the most? See more Yadira T @RT12905838 Jul 12, 2025 A very heartfelt movie about a young woman over coming life's hardships, I appreciated how the movie touches on tough topics without digging too deep. See more Rami A @Bunt101 May 31, 2025 Has enough potential not to make a good movie, but a mediocre one. See more Read all reviews
Where the Heart Is

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis After Tennessee teen Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) is left literally barefoot and pregnant in a Walmart parking lot by her no-good boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno), she manages to live within the mammoth megastore until her baby's abrupt arrival makes her a media darling. After this, Good Samaritan nurse Lexie (Ashley Judd) takes in Novalee and her newborn daughter. Before long, Lexie and Novalee form a life-changing bond of friendship and sisterhood.
Director
Matt Williams
Producer
Susan Cartsonis, Carmen Finestra, David McFadzean, Patricia Whitcher, Matt Williams
Screenwriter
Billie Letts, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Wind Dancer Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 28, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$33.8M
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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