Where the Heart Is (2000 film)

Where the Heart Is is a 2000 American romantic drama film directed by Matt Williams and starring Natalie Portman, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd, and Joan Cusack with supporting roles done by James Frain, Dylan Bruno, Keith David, and Sally Field. The screenplay, written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, is based on the best-selling 1995 novel of the same name by Billie Letts. 
The film was released on April 28, 2000.
== Plot ==
17-year-old and seven-months-pregnant Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) and her boyfriend Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno) are moving from Tennessee to California. Willy Jack abandons Novalee at the local Walmart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma when she uses the restroom and buys new shoes. There, she meets Thelma "Sister" Husband (Stockard Channing) who presents her with a buckeye tree, and Moses Whitecotton (Keith David), a local photographer who advises her to give her baby a strong name. A sickly and homeless Novalee is forced to live in the Walmart undetected. Novalee also becomes acquainted with surly librarian Forney Hull (James Frain) who cares for his alcoholic sister Mary Elizabeth.
During a thunderstorm, Novalee, alone at the Walmart, goes into labor. Forney, who had followed Novalee to the Walmart, smashes through the Walmart window to help deliver her child, whom she names Americus (Mackenzie Fitzgerald). Novalee instantly becomes a media darling, and while in the hospital, is befriended by Nurse Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd). Her estranged mother, Mama Lil (Sally Field), whom Novalee has not seen in over 12 years, visits her after seeing her on television, but disappears with the money donated by well-wishers. Sister Husband arrives and offers to take in Novalee and Americus.
While Christmas tree shopping with Forney, Novalee is reminded that it is Americus' five-month birthday. Realizing this, Novalee races to Sister's house to find that Americus has been kidnapped. A couple from Midnight, Mississippi (Mark Vogues) and (Angee Hughes), who had previously written an ugly letter to Novalee saying that Americus was an abomination because she was born out of wedlock, kidnapped Americus and left her at the church in the nativity scene.
Three years pass and Novalee, with Moses' help, learns to be a photographer. After a spell in prison and traveling to Nashville, Willy Jack becomes a one-hit-wonder after a slow start with "Beat of a Heart," a song he wrote in jail. He teams with cranky music agent Ruth Meyers, who gives him a makeover and the stage name "Billy Shadow."
When a tornado blows through Sequoyah, Sister Husband is killed. In her memory, Novalee shoots a picture of Americus and the still-standing buckeye tree amidst the damage from the storm. After the funeral, Novalee finds out that she is the beneficiary of Sister's estate, totaling around $41,000. Novalee builds a new home for herself and Americus on Sister's land. At first, Novalee didn't feel right about it as she felt it should've been left for Mr. Sprock, Sister Husband's companion, but he tells her all he wanted was the kitchen table.
Novalee arrives in Las Vegas, Nevada to accept an award for a photo contest she has won, narrowly missing Willy Jack, who happens to be in the same hotel. Willy Jack looks at her as she's heading to the contest but does not recognize her. As Willy Jack was bringing a woman into his hotel room, Ruth later breaks into his hotel room, kicks out the woman, then informs Willy Jack that his old cellmate Tommy Reynolds is suing him, claiming that he, not Willy, wrote "Beat of a Heart". Willy Jack tried to explain to Ruth that he really did write the song and got beaten up by Tommy for it, but Ruth does not believe him and she drops him as a client. Willy Jack follows Ruth to the elevator, begging her not to leave him, nearly flirts with her, then she punches him in the face just before the elevator door closes.
Upon her return to Sequoyah, Novalee discovers Lexie has been attacked by a new love interest who molested her two eldest children, nearly beating her to death as she attempted to protect them. Lexie's injuries hinder her nursing job, and she and her children have to move in with Novalee and Americus. Lexie breaks down, feeling guilty and angry, tearfully regretting her choice in men.
Forney's sister, Mary Elizabeth, later passes away. When Forney does not appear at the funeral, Novalee finds him in a hotel and comforts him. They act on the feelings they have denied for so long and spend the night together. Forney confesses his love for her, but Novalee confides in Lexie that she has never considered herself good enough for Forney and is confused about her feelings for him. Her continued feelings of unworthiness become overwhelming when he says that he intends to stay with her rather than resume his studies at Bowdoin College in Maine. Believing that his life would be a dead end with her in Sequoyah, Novalee struggles to lie to Forney, saying that she does not love him. Heartbroken and rejected by Novalee, Forney returns to Bowdoin.
Novalee learns that Lexie is seeing Ernie, an exterminator who does not possess the physical attributes that have attracted her interest in the past, but she falls in love with him after learning that he gave his ex-wife his restored 1967 Chevy Camaro in exchange for custody of his stepdaughter, whom he adopted as his own. The couple marry, and Lexie tells Novalee that she's pregnant.
Severely depressed at his ruined career following the lawsuit, Willy Jack becomes a depressed alcoholic while driving across the country with a woman. He wanders off drunk and collapses on a railroad where he is unable to move as a train approaches.
On Americus' 5th birthday, Novalee picks up a newspaper and sees an article about Willy Jack having lost his legs 4 months earlier and recently being robbed of his wheelchair. Novalee visits Willy Jack in the hospital and he confesses that his whole life would've been different if he hadn't left her. She sees how Willy Jack is a changed man and is able to finally forgive and let go of him, but she warns him never to contact Americus.
After driving Willy Jack home in Tennessee upon his release from the hospital, Novalee realizes that her lies are similar mistakes with Forney. She then drives to Maine to find Forney at Bowdoin. Novalee tells him that she really does love him and they return to Oklahoma and marry. Lexie is seen carrying her new baby, her first with Ernie.
The final scene is of their wedding, which takes place in the Walmart.
==Theatrical Trailer==
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Category:2000 films
Category:20th Century Fox films
Category:Rated PG-13