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A gentle, pleasing romantic comedy, Return t! o Me marks the directorial debut of Bonnie Hunt, an acclai! med actr ess known most famously for her role as Renee Zellweger's sister in Jerry Maguire. A shining, happy bright spot in whatever role she's in, Hunt has also invested the film with her trademark brand of humor: dry but sincere, sarcastic but not caustic, and with a deep current of humanity and romance. In the midst of all the permutations that fate surrounds them with, Driver and Duchovny make a pleasantly low-key couple; the triumph of the film is that despite all the contrived angst, the romance is never overly saccharine. They provide a quiet center in a film that has a fair amount of chaos in it, particularly due to Driver's extended family of Irish and Italian relatives (which occasionally tips the film into cutesy territory) and most hilariously to Driver's best friend, played by director Hunt . As a harried mother with innumerable kids and a likable oaf of a husband (James Belushi), Hunt again steals scenes effortlessly; Belushi is a comic revelation, better ! than he's been in years. You'll have the pleasant memories of both of these couples--one falling in love, one together for years--with you a long while after seeing this film. --Mark EnglehartMinnie Drivers new CD SEASTORIES explores new musical territory, from the rich sonic textures of "Beloved" to the bluesy soul of "Cold Dark River" to the seductive minor key groove of "Mockingbird" to the poetic chamber folk of "Lakewater Hair." Producer Marc "Doc" Dauer and guest musicians Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, Liz Phair and Rami Jaffee (The Wallfowers) match but never overwhelm Driver's vivid lyrics, soaring melodies and spirited performances on this thoroughly pleasing collection of intelligent pop.
"A Triple A Triumph."- Chuck Taylor (Billboard Magazine)
"Driver proves to be Hollywood's soulful surprise." - Gabe Guarente (US Weekly)
"A Minnie-Splendored Thing... Anybody who dismissed Minnie Driver's debut as just the whim of another moonlighting! actress will have a hard time denying her now." - Brian Mansf! ield (US A Today)
"Driver is clearly a confident performer and a songwriter with a style both evocative and economical." - Kevin Bronson (Los Angeles Times)Minnie Driver is hardly the first starlet to dive into pop music, but on her second album she stretches out for Americana credibility--and only partially succeeds. Writing every song on the album (with just a few musical assists from producer Marc "Doc" Dauer), she positions herself somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow, getting help from alt-country and roots-rock illuminati Jonny Polansky, Neil Casal, Eric Heywood, Ryan Adams, and Rami Jaffee. The album has a wafting, acoustic-pop ambience, with a few country rockers driving home her serviceably sexy vocals. The problem is her songs barely rise to the level of a Jewel chapbook. Driver obsesses over her own erotic-spiritual journey, and can often create a plaintive, sensual mood, but the material lacks the universal touch of an inspired singer-songwriter. Head-scrat! ching lines like "If love is the answer you seek, you're asking the wrong kind of questions" and "When my shadow cuts my life in two, I can see the best of me is you" suggest she yearns to make a personal statement. Crafting her stories or honing her hooks would have been more convincing. --Roy KastenWho knew that when he ordered the special, he d get the dish of his life? David Duchovny ('the X-Files ) and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) ignite sparks in this warm-hearted winner (JeffCraig, 'sixty Second Preview ) about a widower and a waitress who meet and fall in love. Featuring an incredible all-star cast, this hilarious romantic comedy delivers a lot of laughs, tears and joysthat will make your spirits soar. It took a lot of cajoling to get Bob (Duchovny), a recently widowed architect, to go on a blind date at a quirky Irish-Italian eatery. Once there, he's smitten instantly not with his date but with the sharp-witted waitress, Grace (Driver). With unsolici! tedhelp from Grace's matchmaking grandfather (Carroll O Connor! ), Bob a sks her out. And as their relationship blossoms, everything seems to be going great, until an unbelievable truth is revealed one that could easily break both of their hearts for good.Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) and Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver) have very little in common. Granted, they both live in Chicago and they're both a bit lovelorn, but that's about it. Still, fate has something in mind for these two somewhat-depressed souls (a construction worker and budding artist, respectively), who've both recently had brushes with death--he's a recent widower, she's just recovered from a heart transplant--and are a little more serious than their friends and relatives. After a series of misbegotten blind dates and almost-meetings, though, these two finally get together, and find that they fit seamlessly with each other. Despite their differences, they have a lot in common--in fact, quite a lot. It seems that the heart that now beats inside Grace's chest once belonged to Bob! 's wife (Joely Richardson), who died in a car crash. Coincidence? We think not.
A gentle, pleasing romantic comedy, Return to Me marks the directorial debut of Bonnie Hunt, an acclaimed actress known most famously for her role as Renee Zellweger's sister in Jerry Maguire. A shining, happy bright spot in whatever role she's in, Hunt has also invested the film with her trademark brand of humor: dry but sincere, sarcastic but not caustic, and with a deep current of humanity and romance. In the midst of all the permutations that fate surrounds them with, Driver and Duchovny make a pleasantly low-key couple; the triumph of the film is that despite all the contrived angst, the romance is never overly saccharine. They provide a quiet center in a film that has a fair amount of chaos in it, particularly due to Driver's extended family of Irish and Italian relatives (which occasionally tips the film into cutesy territory) and most hilariously to Driver's bes! t friend, played by director Hunt . As a harried mother with i! nnumerab le kids and a likable oaf of a husband (James Belushi), Hunt again steals scenes effortlessly; Belushi is a comic revelation, better than he's been in years. You'll have the pleasant memories of both of these couples--one falling in love, one together for years--with you a long while after seeing this film. --Mark Englehart
