Where the Heart Is
Novalee Nation is a 17-year-old Tennessee transient who has to grow up in a hurry when she's left pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend on a roadside, and takes refuge in the friendly aisles of Wal-Mart. Eventually, some eccentric but kindly strangers 'adopt' Novalee and her infant daughter, helping them buck the odds and build a new life.
Critics Sentiment
Novalee gives birth to daughter Americus in the Walmart aisles
Lexie Coop attacked by boyfriend who molested her children
The film drops from the emotional high of the Walmart birth (8.5) to the harsh reality of Mama Lil stealing the donation money (5.8), a 2.7-point swing that shocked viewers.
The film starts modestly but builds to its emotional peak with the iconic Walmart birth scene that reviewers universally praised. It maintains generally positive sentiment through Novalee's journey of self-discovery and community support, though it stumbles with some unnecessary dark subplots that reviewers found heavy-handed. The romantic conclusion provides the uplifting resolution that left most viewers feeling satisfied.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 64
Natalie Portman
Novalee Nation
Ashley Judd
Lexie Coop
Stockard Channing
Thelma 'Sister' Husband
Joan Cusack
Ruth Meyers
Sally Field
Mama Lil
James Frain
Forney Hull
Dylan Bruno
Willy Jack Pickens
Keith David
Moses Whitecotten
Ray Prewitt
Tim
Laura House
Nicki
Mary Ashleigh Green
Girl in Bathroom
Kinna McInroe
Wal-Mart Clerk
Linda Wakeman
Hospital Receptionist
David Alvarado
Cellmate
Mark Voges
Religious Man
Todd Lowe
Troy
Margaret Hoard
Mary Elizabeth Hull
Rodger Boyce
Officer Harry
Gabriel Folse
Policeman #2
Sue McCormick
Cake Supplier
Crew
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