Where the Heart Is
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: April 28, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
30
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
8
Negative:
15
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
In no way is this a serious movie. Still, it's hard to resist. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Had Williams chopped away more pointedly at the rambling script, he might've had something memorable. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Never really feels right. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
So heavy on incident, contrivance, coincidence, improbability, sudden reversals and dizzying flash-forwards (sometimes years at a time) that it seems a wonder the characters don't crash into each other in the confusion. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldPhoebe Flowers
Everything that cynical moviegoers despise and the tender-minded adore. Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Hard-core chick shlock, weakened by odd shifts in tone and a slack pace, but elevated by a luminous performance by Natalie Portman. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Ultimately, it's more an emotional hodgepodge than a compassionate look at real human problems. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Never earns the rollicking life affirmation it's after. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
A top-notch cast compensates for dubious credibility. Read full review
40
Film.comRobert Horton
Serves up the usual homilies, but it lacks the quirky density and cinematic snap. Read full review
40
TNT RoughCutSarah Raskin
Worthwhile performances (including cameos from Joan Cusack and Sally Field) and one-liners, but don't leave your home looking for Heart.
40
L.A. WeeklyJohn Patterson
Although its lushness and penchant for melodrama are the cinematic equivalent of Billy Sherrill's syrupy string arrangements for George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich circa 1973, the movie deftly manages to remain sweet without becoming saccharine. Read full review
40
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
No-Good Men, Foolish Choices and Birth on the Floor of a Wal-Mart. Read full review
38
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
The Wal-Mart of cinematic soap operas. One-stop shopping for your emotional movie needs. Read full review
38
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
Sloshes between comedy and drama, never quite hitting stride as either. Read full review
30
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Home may be where the heart is, but I kept wishing this poor silly girl would up and move. Read full review
30
Film.comSean Means
Recycled "Steel Magnolias." Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineSteve Simels
To be fair, this could have been worse. Read full review
25
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Simply put, it may be the lamest movie ever made about poor white... Southern characters. Read full review
25
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
A particularly egregious array of Kodak moments. Read full review
22
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
A swamp of clichés, contrivances, and cheap ham-and-cheese hero sentimentality. Read full review
20
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Portman and Judd aren't responsible for the mendacious and finally repulsive sentimentality of Where the Heart Is, but by the end their wholesome glow seemed contaminated by it, and that's a shame. Read full review
20
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Banal and trite where it could have been insightful and emotionally truthful, this Fox release is also notable for featuring the first disappointing performance by teen star Natalie Portman. Read full review
20
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Moving in fits and starts, mawkish in its sincerity, and at times disjointed in its lumpy structure. Read full review
20
NewsweekAnn-Rebecca Laschever
Unfortunately, the strong ensemble cast is not able to hold together this often wayward and meandering story. Read full review
10
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
In comparison to Where the Heart Is, the Wal-Mart commercials seem like cinema verite. Read full review
10
Village VoiceJessica Winter
Indulges something of a number obsession, amounting not exactly to a movie but rather a tallying of atrocities. Read full review
10
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Tries to put your tear ducts in a headlock with a litany of catastrophes. Read full review
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