Return to Me

Last updated
Return to Me
Returntomeposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bonnie Hunt
Screenplay byBonnie Hunt
Don Lake
Story byBonnie Hunt
Don Lake
Andrew Stern
Samantha Goodman
Produced byJennie Lew Tugend
Starring
Cinematography László Kovács
Edited byGarth Craven
Music byDanny DiMinno
Carmen Lombardo
Nicholas Pike
Production
company
Distributed by MGM Distribution Co. (United States)
United International Pictures (International)
Release date
  • April 7, 2000 (2000-04-07)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$24 million
Box office$36 million

Return to Me is a 2000 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Bonnie Hunt and starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. It was filmed in Chicago and was released on April 7, 2000 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was Carroll O'Connor's final film before his death the following year.

Contents

Plot

Bob and Elizabeth Rueland live and work in Chicago. Bob is an architect and Elizabeth is a zoologist at Lincoln Park Zoo.

On the night of her fundraiser for a new primate house, Bob promises Elizabeth that he will finish the building. However, she is killed in a car accident leaving the fundraiser, and her heart is transplanted to artist Grace Briggs, who has suffered from heart disease since the age of 14 and is near death.

The surgery is successful, and Grace is able to live a normal life for the first time. She plans to take her first airplane trip to Italy to paint. Grace's best friend Megan Dayton encourages her to start dating in spite of her self-consciousness about the long surgical scar on her chest.

Grace writes a letter to the donor's family after the surgery, thanking them for the heart she received, but it takes her more than a year to find the courage to mail the letter. Bob works to build the primate house for which Elizabeth raised money, but he is still depressed a year after her death and recognizes that he must resume his life.

A friend organizes a blind date for Bob that goes badly, as his date is very obnoxious, petty and self-absorbed. However, Bob is drawn to the waitress, Grace, who is also the granddaughter of the restaurant's owner.

Although they are both unaware of the connection they have through Elizabeth's heart, Bob and Grace begin to date. As they grow closer together, she is reluctant to share her medical history. After several months of dating, Grace finally decides to tell Bob about the transplant. However, before she can do so, she finds the letter that she had sent several months earlier in Bob's house.

Horrified by the discovery, Grace flees and tells Megan what has happened. Megan's husband Joe becomes infuriated because he has misunderstood Grace's panic and thinks Bob must be married. When Grace meets Bob again, she tells him the truth, leaving him speechless.

Against Megan's advice to face the situation, Grace travels to Italy alone. Back at home, Bob realizes that although he will always miss Elizabeth, he pines for Grace, so he reunites with her in Italy. They return to Chicago for the dedication of the new primate house.

The characters, including a pregnant Megan, dance at a wedding reception.

Cast

Reception

The film received generally mixed reviews. Based on 100 reviews, it has a score of 62% at Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads: "David Duchovny and Minnie Driver provide heart-warming romance and comedy in this solid debut by director Bonnie Hunt." Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle stated, "Old-fashioned as all get-out, Return to Me is swathed in an unabashed feel-good tone." [1] Roger Ebert called the film "so innocent, so naive, so sweet and sincere, that you must leave your cynicism at the door or choose another movie." [2] Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum awarded the film a C+ grade and stated that "the alluringly deadpan Duchovny can make no headway with Driver." [3] Jay Carr of The Boston Globe called the film "ultimately too bland and safe." [4]

The film opened in fourth place at the North American box office, earning US$7.8 million in its opening weekend, behind The Road to El Dorado , Erin Brockovich and Rules of Engagement . [5] It returned $32,662,299 during its entire box-office run. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Hunt</span> American actress and director

Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress and director. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Hunt</span> American actress and comedian (born 1961)

Bonnie Lynn Hunt is an American actress, comedian, director, producer, writer and television host. Her film roles include Rain Man, Beethoven, Beethoven's 2nd, Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, The Green Mile, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Graham</span> American actress (born 1970)

Heather Joan Graham is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy License to Drive (1988), followed by the critically acclaimed film Drugstore Cowboy (1989). She then played supporting roles on the television series Twin Peaks (1991), and in films such as Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and Swingers (1996). She gained critical praise for her role as "Rollergirl" in the film Boogie Nights (1997). This led to major roles in the comedy films Bowfinger and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

<i>Pay It Forward</i> (film) 2000 American drama film by Mimi Leder

Pay It Forward is a 2000 American romantic drama film directed by Mimi Leder. The film is based loosely on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It is set in Las Vegas, and it chronicles 11- to 12-year-old Trevor McKinney's launch of a goodwill movement known as "pay it forward". It stars Haley Joel Osment as Trevor, Helen Hunt as his alcoholic single mother Arlene McKinney, and Kevin Spacey as his physically and emotionally scarred social studies teacher Eugene Simonet. The film was released on October 20, 2000 to mixed-to-negative reviews and was a box office disappointment, grossing $55.7 million worldwide against a $40 million budget.

<i>Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!</i> 2004 film by Robert Luketic

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Victor Levin and starring Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace, Josh Duhamel, Gary Cole, Ginnifer Goodwin, Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane. The film follows a small-town girl (Bosworth) who wins a contest for a date with a male celebrity (Duhamel) and a love triangle forms between the girl, the star and the girl's best friend (Grace).

<i>Guinevere</i> (1999 film) 1999 film directed by Audrey Wells

Guinevere is a 1999 American drama film about the artistic and romantic relationship between a young student and her older mentor.

<i>Blood Work</i> (film) 2002 film by Clint Eastwood

Blood Work is a 2002 American mystery thriller film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also produced. It co-stars Jeff Daniels, Wanda De Jesús, and Anjelica Huston. It is based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Michael Connelly.

<i>Under the Tuscan Sun</i> (film) 2003 film by Audrey Wells

Under the Tuscan Sun is a 2003 American romantic comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Audrey Wells and starring Diane Lane. Based on Frances Mayes' 1996 memoir of the same name, the film is about a recently divorced writer who buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim, hoping it will lead to a change in her life. Lane received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her performance.

<i>Prime</i> (film) 2005 American film

Prime is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Uma Thurman, Meryl Streep, and Bryan Greenberg. It was written and directed by Ben Younger. The film grossed $67,937,503 worldwide.

<i>Reign Over Me</i> 2007 US buddy drama film by Mike Binder

Reign Over Me is a 2007 American buddy drama film written and directed by Mike Binder, produced by his brother Jack Binder, and starring Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Saffron Burrows, and Mike Binder himself. The film follows the story of former college roommates and old friends Alan and Charlie, the latter of whom is struggling with depression after the death of his wife and daughters in the September 11 attacks. This was also Melinda Dillon's final film acting role before retiring from acting later that same year and her death in 2023.

<i>Blue Steel</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Kathryn Bigelow

Blue Steel is a 1990 American action thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver and Clancy Brown. The film is about a police officer who shoots and kills a robbery suspect on her first day of duty and then becomes involved with a witness of the shooting.

<i>All the Pretty Horses</i> (film) 2000 film

All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American Western film produced and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name, and starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. It premiered on December 25, 2000 to mostly negative reviews. It grossed $18 million worldwide on a $57 million budget.

<i>Take Me Home Tonight</i> (film) 2011 film by Michael Dowse

Take Me Home Tonight is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Dowse and starring an ensemble cast led by Topher Grace and Anna Faris. The screenplay was written by Jackie and Jeff Filgo, former writers of the television sitcom That '70s Show, of which Grace was a cast member. The film follows a recent college graduate who wants to change his career plans after his old high school crush invites him to a party. It was released to mixed to negative reviews and was a box office bomb.

<i>Transporter 3</i> 2008 French film

Transporter 3 is a 2008 French action film directed by Olivier Megaton. It is the final installment in the original trilogy of the Transporter franchise. Jason Statham and François Berléand reprise their roles as Frank Martin and Inspector Tarconi. Frank Martin returns to France in order to continue his low-key business of delivering packages without question. Transporter 3 grossed $112.9 million, making it the highest-grossing film in the trilogy.

<i>When in Rome</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Mark Steven Johnson

When in Rome is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Steven Johnson, co-written by Johnson, David Diamond and David Weissman. It stars Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. It was released by Touchstone Pictures in the United States on January 29, 2010. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, it was a small box office success, opening at number three in the U.S. behind one other new entry and ultimately grossing $43,042,835 worldwide against a $28 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Duchovny</span> American actor and writer (born 1960)

David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer, producer and musician. He portrayed FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series The X-Files and played the writer Hank Moody on the television series Californication (2007–2014), both of which have earned him Golden Globe awards. Duchovny appeared in both X-Files films—the 1998 science fiction-thriller of the same name and the supernatural-thriller The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008). He executive-produced and starred in the historically based cop drama Aquarius (2015–2016).

<i>Remember Me</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Remember Me is a 2010 American coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Allen Coulter and written by Will Fetters. It stars Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Lena Olin, and Pierce Brosnan. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, with much of the criticism centered on its twist ending which divided audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Lopez filmography</span> Filmography

Jennifer Lopez has starred in over thirty feature films in a career that spans four decades as actor Lopez rose to become the highest paid actor of Latin descent in Hollywood, and one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood during the late-nineties and into the current millennium, making in the region of US$20 million per film role. She is also the richest actress in Hollywood, with an estimated net worth of $400 million.

<i>Goats</i> (film) 2012 American film

Goats is a 2012 comedy-drama film directed by Christopher Neil and written by Mark Poirier based on his 2000 novel Goats. The film stars David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Keri Russell, Justin Kirk, and Ty Burrell. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2012, and was given a limited release in the United States on August 10, 2012, by Image Entertainment.

<i>Beyond the Lights</i> 2014 film

Beyond the Lights is a 2014 American romantic drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Machine Gun Kelly, and Danny Glover. The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 14, 2014. In 2015, the song "Grateful" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

References

  1. "Return to Me". Rotten Tomatoes .
  2. Ebert, Roger (7 April 2000). "Return To Me". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (7 April 2000). "Return to Me". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. "Return to Me - Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  5. "The Top Movies, Weekend of April 7, 2000". The Numbers. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  6. "Return to Me". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 19 June 2020.