Reel Critics

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Reel Critics column features movie critiques written

by community members serving on our panel.

Audiences will wonder ‘Where the Heart Is’

“Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: Wal-Mart will be closing in minutes,”

resounds over the intercom of the Sequoyah, Okla., Wal-Mart, signaling

the end of another day.

Clutching an I-owe-Wal-Mart list, Novalee Nation has found a new home,

complete with all the necessary amenities. However, it’s not the end but

a new beginning for pregnant 17-year-old Novalee. She’s about to give

birth in Aisle 6.

“Where the Heart Is,” based on the novel by Billie Letts, tells the story

of Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), a pregnant teen who, while making a

cross-country journey from Tennessee to California, is abandoned in a

Wal-Mart parking lot by her selfish, domineering boyfriend, Willy Jack

(Dylan Bruno).

Even though no traditional families are depicted in the film, the

importance of love, home and family, regardless of their dynamics, is

emphasized. Over the next five years, Sequoyah’s eccentric citizens

become Novalee’s surrogate family and are instrumental in her growth from

a naive teenager into adulthood.

The first person Novalee meets is Sister Husband (Stockard Channing), a

loving, nurturing, mother-type who happens to be the town’s “Welcome

Wagoneer.” Sister generously invites Novalee and her daughter, Americus,

to live with her, an apparent necessity because we seldom witness Novalee

actually taking care of Americus.

She’s befriended by Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), a perpetually pregnant

single mom who has named her five children after snack foods such as

Praline, Brownie and Baby Ruth.

Forney Hull (James Frain), as Novalee’s love interest, is a brilliant but

reserved librarian hiding his aristocratic background and feelings who

introduces her to the world of books.

Notoriety comes with the birth of the “Wal-Mart Baby.” Newspaper

headlines create celebrities, attracting the attention of Novalee’s

opportunist mother who had abandoned her 12 years ago (Sally Field in a

brief but convincing cameo).

As an award-winning novel for young adults that has been translated into

12 languages, “Where the Heart Is” reveals the social intimacy found in

small-town America. In terms of social commentary, the novel shrewdly

bolsters Letts’ relevant concerns and issues without preaching.

Director Matt Williams’ vision emerges unfinished. When given the

opportunity to tell an in-depth story regarding the triumph of the human

spirit against adversity, why make safe choices? Was it a reticence to

tackle a controversial subject? Commercialism? Hollywood pressure to

sugar-coat?

In her novel, Letts’ characters are poor, uneducated, without power and

physically unattractive. For the film they undergo a metamorphosis so

they’re more appealing. Novalee no longer has an elbow-to-wrist scar,

received while tending bar. Charismatic Willy Jack no longer flashes his

stained-Steinway smile. The underaged hitchhiker who accepts a ride from

Willy Jack, resulting in his jail time, is no longer missing her two

front teeth.

Unfortunately the film’s morsel offering of rich characters and moments

of laughter just whet the appetite. Needlessly superficial on the

surface, “Where the Heart Is” will leave you hungry. So where is the

heart? It’s in Billie Letts’ novel.

JULIE LOWRANCE, 40, is a Costa Mesa resident who works at a Newport Beach

overnight aircraft advertising agency.

‘Heart’ is enjoyable, not memorable

In “Where the Heart Is,” Novalee Nation and Willie Jack are driving to

California from Tennessee in a junker car with no floorboards. He is a

no-good country singer with a mean streak. Novalee is a very pregnant

teenager and has never known family or support.

In Oklahoma, Willie ditches Novalee in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart,

leaving her with a Polaroid camera, $2 plus change and no shoes.

Incredibly, she takes up residence in the friendly confines of Wal-Mart,

keeping meticulous records of all the merchandise she consumes or uses.

But with the birth of her daughter, Americus, Noavlee becomes an instant

celebrity, and good people come into her life.

There’s Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), a decidedly fertile free spirit with

five children, each named after a snack food. There’s Sister Husband

(Stockard Channing), a wonderful character who thanks God daily for all

her blessings. Joan Cusack is a wasted walk-on.

Willie is reintroduced time and again. They should have let him go in the

first five minutes.

Novalee, as played by Natalie Portman, is luminous. This is not a

memorable movie. But it has wonderful moments of humanity, humor and pure

corn. I enjoyed it.

ELAINE ENGLAND, 65, lives in Newport Beach and owns a gift-basket

business she operates out of her home.

Find big acting in ‘The Big Kahuna’

In the “The Big Kahuna,” actor and co-producer Kevin Spacey gives us a

performance that is, well, vintage Spacey. In his follow-up to “American

Beauty,” Spacey shows us that he has indeed perfected playing the

cynical, sarcastic, acerbic-tongued, middle-class and middle-aged white

American male.

“The Big Kahuna” was adapted from Roger Rueff’s 1992 award-winning stage

play, “Hospitality Suite,” which debuted in Costa Mesa at South Coast

Repertory Theater.

While watching “Kahuna,” you definitely get the sense that you’re viewing

a stage drama. Nearly the entire film takes place over the course of one

evening in a hospitality suite on the 16th floor of a Witchita, Kan.,

hotel, during an annual Midwest Manufacturer’s Assn. convention. Within

this setting, and with only three characters, it’s easy to see how the

film began as a play.

“The Big Kahuna” is a black comedy that explores themes of friendship,

honesty, loyalty, religion, regret and the meaning of work in relation to

life.

The “Kahuna” in question is the president of a large Midwestern

manufacturing company. With assistance from a wet-behind-the-ears

research assistant named Bob (Peter Facinelli), Larry (Kevin Spacey) and

Phil (Danny DeVito), two veteran manufacturing lubricant salesmen, are

attempting to land “The Big Kahuna” (or “El Kahuna Grande” as Larry puts

it), which would be the biggest account of their careers.

We’ve seen Spacey play characters like Larry in a half-dozen films

already. After climbing the corporate ladder and finding it leans against

the wrong wall, Larry somehow feels short-changed and cheated of life’s

promise.

Based on a first impression, you’d believe him to be a pretty amoral and

disagreeable individual. But at his core is a more decent person than

you’d think. Unable to deal with his feelings of disappointment and

regret, he handles it by belittling people and cutting them to ribbons

with his sharp tongue and rapier wit. Phil understands this. Bob, in his

youth and inexperience, does not.

It’s hard to find fault with Spacey for donning this familiar character

once again simply because he’s just so darned good at it. The real

surprise here, though, is DeVito’s stand-out performance. He plays Phil

with just the right amount of sincerity, understanding and depressed

reflectiveness to provide balance and serve as a go-between to Larry and

Bob.

I found “Kahuna” pretty entertaining overall. The only problem I had is

that at times it dragged a little. I think a live performance would have

made it more lively (so to speak).

Rated R for language, on the Brunette scale of “pay full price,” “bargain

matinee,” “video rental,” “wait for cable” or “I’d rather be a

manufacturing lubricant salesman than watch this film again,” I’d give

“The Big Kahuna” a rating of “bargain matinee.”

RICHARD BRUNETTE, 36, is a recreation supervisor with the city of Costa

Mesa and a Costa Mesa resident.