Where the Sap is

by Jon Chattman

5-4-00

"Star War's" Queen Amidala herself, Natalie Portman continues to amaze in  "Where the Heart Is," a film that has as much sap as it does heart.  The actress, who is coming off of her critical success in "Anywhere but Here," and commercial success in "Episode One," portrays Novalee Nation, a 17 year old pregnant woman from Tennessee who heads for California in a rusty and beat-up car with her boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno), who seeks a singing career.

On their way to California, nature calls for Novalee, who seeks refuge in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart's bathroom-a trip that turns out to change her life forever.   "Willy Jack, who had parked in a spot to wait for her, leaves her stranded in Oklahoma with nothing but a Polaroid camera. 

Alone with nowhere to go, Novalee decides to move into the discount department store, borrowing food, supplies, and testing out their aerobic equipment.  During her stay she meets up with Forney (James Frain), the town's librarian who is caring after his ailing sister, and Moses Whitecotton (Keith David) as the store photographer, who later influences Novalee to pursue a new career path, not to mention a meaningful name for her child. One evening stay at Wal-Mart takes Novalee down a new path-she gives birth on the store floor, and in doing so-becomes an instant celebrity with her newborn, Americus, known simply as the "Wal-Mart baby."   In the midst of the media coverage and balloons from well wishers (as well as some religious groups who condemn her for having a child out of wedlock), Novalee meets several influential people in her life, including her long lost mother (Sally Field, in a superb cameo) who makes a brief appearance to try and steal her thunder-or more specifically, her money (which was given generously by Wal-Mart as a thank you for all the publicity).  Without a mother to help her through the beginning stages of motherhood, Novalee becomes friends with Lexie (Ashley Judd), a nurse who names her children after snacks, (ie. Praline), and Sister Husband (Stockard Channing), a woman whom she had first met at the Wal-Mart, a mother-figure who offers her a place to stay. From there, the film takes Novalee and the film's supporting players on a journey for the next several years to try and grow as people and professionals-Novalee pursues a photography career, and is in turn, pursued by Fornie who wants to take his close friendship with Novalee to the next level; Lexie tries to find Mr. Right in all the wrong places,  and through the hiring of talent agent Ruth Meyers (Joan Cusack), Willy Jack tries to make it as a musician.

Proving that she can carry a film on her own, Portman-with a convincing Southern accent-delivers a touching performance as Novalee.  Like the business' best actors, she makes her character seem real.  The audience can empathize with her character when she is left stranded at the Wal-Mart, and soon-after living there.  Here, Portman shows Novalee to be good-hearted in that she keeps a log of items that she has "borrowed" from the store to survive.  Another scene where Portman delivers is when Novalee is once again left stranded, this time at a hospital, when her estranged mother, who had just told her that she would take care of her and Americus, fails to show up. In a surprising supporting role, Ashley Judd shines as Lexie, a woman who has spent her whole life looking for Mr. Right, but winds up having the gentleman not only leave her, but leave her withchild.  Despite her limited screentime, Judd also has one of her most compelling scenes on camera.  She is heartbreaking when she finds out that a man, whom she met at a gas station and thinks is the perfect guy for her, turns out to be something she never bargained for.

The perfectly cast James Frain, who last appeared in the Ben Affleck-starrer "Reindeer Games," convincingly portrays Fornie as a man who had been wallowing in his own self-pity for having given up college to care after his ailing sister, until Novalee brightens up his life. He also shows the more time he spends with Novalee and Americus, the more he falls in love with the both of them. 

Rounding out the cast are several wasted characters. Despite displaying bitchy-ness at its best, Cusack is wasted as Willy Jack's agent.  Willy Jack's portrayer successfully plays the white trash scum that he is supposed to be, but once again is not given much screen time to establish himself as a good actor. A notable wasted performance goes to Channing who gets this year's "most annoying actress award."  Despite several nice moments, like excepting Novalee in her house and not passing judgement on her, the actress is just plain distracting as Sister Husband. 

The problem with "Where the Heart Is" is clear: the script by the usually reliable and always funny Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel ("Parenthood" and "City Slickers"). The scribes, who adapted the story from Billie Letts' novel, try to do too much by manipulating the audience by tugging at the heartstrings.  They do this by making this dramedy feature unnecessary characters and subplots, ie. if they wanted to kill of a supporting character-why do it with a tornado? It is also not clear why Director Matt Williams or the writers decided to consistantly put several scenes of Willy Jack's quest to become a rock star-perhaps it was just to get Cusack some screen time.  It doesn't work, and is a  total distraction.

Despite Williams, co-creator of such television hits as "Roseanne"  and "A Different World," losing himself in a soapy and flawed story-as many moviegoers will too-he does make a sucessful transition from the tube to the screen by drawing a solid performance by Portman, and doing a nice job with Cinematographer Richard Greatrez, who last filmed "Shakespeare in Love." Both can be credited with adding to the hometown feel of the film. When all is said and done, "Where the Heart Is," is a lackluster film that is only saved by the gifted Natalie Portman, and several noteworthy cast members.  The film has heart but plays like a soap called, "Days of Our Poor White Trash Lives."

Grade: C+