A charming romantic comedy about finding love in the most ironic--and unlikely--of places. Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) is mourning the tragic loss of his wife, who nobly agreed to donate her heart to a needy recipient. When he meets Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), little does he realize that she's the recipient! Eventually, the truth comes out, and Bob must decide for himself which heart it is his heart wants to follow.
Two bittersweet story lines intertwine to form the light and touchingly ironic romantic story of director Bonnie Hunt's RETURN TO ME. While architect Bob Rueland (a perfectly chivalrous David Duchovny) enjoys wonderful days with his zoologist wife, Elizabeth, having finally found the funding to build an addition to her zoo, a youthful but suffering waitress, Grace Briggs (a darling Minnie Driver), struggles with heart disease. One April evening, Bob and Elizabeth are in a terrible car accident. Elizabeth passes away in the hospital, and Grace, who has been waiting for a heart transplant, receives the donated organ. Therefore, when over a year later, Bob and Grace meet for the first time and fall in love, they have no idea that their hearts were matched once before.
RETURN TO ME is a moving tale that seems to touch on nearly every topic: from love and death to family and religion to raising kids and caring for gorillas (no joke), without taking anything too seriously. Carroll O'Connor plays Grace's grandfather--a jolly old guy with a chummy bunch of card-playing Italian friends. In addition, Bonnie Hunt and James Belushi play Grace's best friends, and give hilarious performances as the parents of young kids. This film is an excellent choice for the tender-hearted.
Originally released theatrically on April 7, 2000
DVD Features:
Region 1
NTSC
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Letterbox - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Surround - English, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Bonnie Hunt - Director/Screenwriter; Don Lake - Screenwriter
Alternate Scenes: Deleted Scenes
Music Video: Joey Gian - "What If I Loved You"
Director of Photography
Lazlo Kovacs: Hungarian-born director of photography
Executive Producer
C.O. Erickson:
Executive Producer
Melanie Greene: RETURN TO ME
Production Designer
Brent Thomas: Production Designer
Costume Designer
Lis Bothwell: Costume Designer
Review 1:
"...Hunt has brought off a neat balancing act; the movie is a shrewd mixture of salty and sanctimonius moments..."
Source: Movieline's Hollywood Life
pp.36-7 05/??/2000
Review 2:
"...[A] refreshingly zesty script..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.52-3 07/01/2000
Review 3:
"...What gives the movie its gentle charm is not the melodramatic story, but the warmth of the performances..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.29 04/07/2000
Review 4:
"...You'll feel like a valentine's been delivered straight into your living room..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.61 05/02/2003
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