James-Belushi Movie Reviews

the show was still rolling after it's late 80's high and welcomming new greats such as farley and spade while still enjoying old greats like myers and hartman. this is one of the best times for snl.

I saw this at a friends house. It's pretty funny, but some is not.

This was one of the first DVDs I got, for a reason. I love this movie -- it has energy and panache, not to mention some absolutely fabulous music. As I'm sure some blurb somewhere on this Amazon page mentions, the story concerns two blues-singing brothers who are trying to raise money for a good cause. Along the way, they interact with a ton of interesting people (including Carrie Fisher, Frank Oz, Aretha Franklin, and others), perform a lot of great blues, and destroy a lot of property. Mayhem and hilarity seem to thicken around the two leads, whose chemistry is undeniable. The movie feels nothing like some SNL folks' movies can feel -- it's a movie, with depth. I had no idea the Blues Brothers were a sketch originally!

Since I probably just told you a bunch of stuff you already knew, I'll step along to the DVD itself. Those who already own the movie on VHS might want to consider this addition to their DVD library -- the goodies are lots of fun, including an extensive "making of" feature.

The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

This movie still has me in stitches after all these years. I love the musical numbers with Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The chase scenes are an all time classic, right up there with "Bullitt" and "The French Connection". It's a classic comedy that was not appreciated when it came out the first time in 1980, but it grew as a cult classic!

This was one of the first DVDs I got, for a reason. I love this movie -- it has energy and panache, not to mention some absolutely fabulous music. As I'm sure some blurb somewhere on this Amazon page mentions, the story concerns two blues-singing brothers who are trying to raise money for a good cause. Along the way, they interact with a ton of interesting people (including Carrie Fisher, Frank Oz, Aretha Franklin, and others), perform a lot of great blues, and destroy a lot of property. Mayhem and hilarity seem to thicken around the two leads, whose chemistry is undeniable. The movie feels nothing like some SNL folks' movies can feel -- it's a movie, with depth. I had no idea the Blues Brothers were a sketch originally!

Since I probably just told you a bunch of stuff you already knew, I'll step along to the DVD itself. Those who already own the movie on VHS might want to consider this addition to their DVD library -- the goodies are lots of fun, including an extensive "making of" feature.

The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

This movie still has me in stitches after all these years. I love the musical numbers with Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The chase scenes are an all time classic, right up there with "Bullitt" and "The French Connection". It's a classic comedy that was not appreciated when it came out the first time in 1980, but it grew as a cult classic!

This was one of the first DVDs I got, for a reason. I love this movie -- it has energy and panache, not to mention some absolutely fabulous music. As I'm sure some blurb somewhere on this Amazon page mentions, the story concerns two blues-singing brothers who are trying to raise money for a good cause. Along the way, they interact with a ton of interesting people (including Carrie Fisher, Frank Oz, Aretha Franklin, and others), perform a lot of great blues, and destroy a lot of property. Mayhem and hilarity seem to thicken around the two leads, whose chemistry is undeniable. The movie feels nothing like some SNL folks' movies can feel -- it's a movie, with depth. I had no idea the Blues Brothers were a sketch originally!

Since I probably just told you a bunch of stuff you already knew, I'll step along to the DVD itself. Those who already own the movie on VHS might want to consider this addition to their DVD library -- the goodies are lots of fun, including an extensive "making of" feature.

The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

This movie still has me in stitches after all these years. I love the musical numbers with Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The chase scenes are an all time classic, right up there with "Bullitt" and "The French Connection". It's a classic comedy that was not appreciated when it came out the first time in 1980, but it grew as a cult classic!

This was one of the first DVDs I got, for a reason. I love this movie -- it has energy and panache, not to mention some absolutely fabulous music. As I'm sure some blurb somewhere on this Amazon page mentions, the story concerns two blues-singing brothers who are trying to raise money for a good cause. Along the way, they interact with a ton of interesting people (including Carrie Fisher, Frank Oz, Aretha Franklin, and others), perform a lot of great blues, and destroy a lot of property. Mayhem and hilarity seem to thicken around the two leads, whose chemistry is undeniable. The movie feels nothing like some SNL folks' movies can feel -- it's a movie, with depth. I had no idea the Blues Brothers were a sketch originally!

Since I probably just told you a bunch of stuff you already knew, I'll step along to the DVD itself. Those who already own the movie on VHS might want to consider this addition to their DVD library -- the goodies are lots of fun, including an extensive "making of" feature.

The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

This movie still has me in stitches after all these years. I love the musical numbers with Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The chase scenes are an all time classic, right up there with "Bullitt" and "The French Connection". It's a classic comedy that was not appreciated when it came out the first time in 1980, but it grew as a cult classic!

This was one of the first DVDs I got, for a reason. I love this movie -- it has energy and panache, not to mention some absolutely fabulous music. As I'm sure some blurb somewhere on this Amazon page mentions, the story concerns two blues-singing brothers who are trying to raise money for a good cause. Along the way, they interact with a ton of interesting people (including Carrie Fisher, Frank Oz, Aretha Franklin, and others), perform a lot of great blues, and destroy a lot of property. Mayhem and hilarity seem to thicken around the two leads, whose chemistry is undeniable. The movie feels nothing like some SNL folks' movies can feel -- it's a movie, with depth. I had no idea the Blues Brothers were a sketch originally!

Since I probably just told you a bunch of stuff you already knew, I'll step along to the DVD itself. Those who already own the movie on VHS might want to consider this addition to their DVD library -- the goodies are lots of fun, including an extensive "making of" feature.

The Blues Brothers is a true classic movie, one of the few SNL movies that is actually a good story. Joliet Jake is recently released from prison and picked up by his brother Elwood. The two discover that the orphanage they grew up in is going to be sold to the Board of Education unless they can raise $5,000 to give to the State Assesors office. The Blues Brothers try to get the money by putting their band back together and doing a few gigs. Along the way, they anger the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Nazi Party, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, and a band from Nashville, the Good Ole Boys. This movie is great from beginning to end. The musical numbers are all great including Jake's revelation in the church, Ray Charles singing Shake Your Tail Feather, Aretha Franklin singing in her soul food diner, the peformance in Bob's Country Bunker, and finally the concert at the end including two of their best songs. As well, there is action galore from Elwood jumping a bridge with their 1974 Dodge Sedan to their chaotic ride through a crowded mall to the police chase at the end through the streets of Chicago( especially Lower Wacker Drive) and the chase up the staircase to the Assessor's office. The Blues Brothers has something for everybody and should not be missed.

The Blues Brothers are played to perfection by John Belushi as Jake and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood. The two actors are hysterical together throughout as they anger just about everybody in the city of Chicago. There are far too many lines to mention, but it is obvious that they had fun making this movie. There are plenty of musical cameos also including Cab Calloway, James Brown as a preacher, Aretha Franklin as the owner of a Soul Food diner, Ray Charles as the owner of music store, and John Lee Hooker as a street peformer on Maxwell Street. The film also stars Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, and many more. Also look out for a very funny cameo by Frank Oz and a short appearance by Steven Spielberg. Also worth mentioning is the Blues Brothers band including Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Murphy Dunne, "Blue Lou" Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Alan Rubin, and Willy "Two Bits" Hall. The Collector's Edition DVD offers widescreen presentation, the original theatrical trailer, a making of documentary with interviews with the cast and crew, and footage not seen since the original release in 1980. This is a great movie that all viewers will find something to like in it. Do not miss this classic!

This movie still has me in stitches after all these years. I love the musical numbers with Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The chase scenes are an all time classic, right up there with "Bullitt" and "The French Connection". It's a classic comedy that was not appreciated when it came out the first time in 1980, but it grew as a cult classic!

This movie's great! I'm doing my drama exam this week at school and we are doing a scene from The Little Shop of Horrors. I'm in a group of girls (i'm a girl as well) but most of them are very stubborn and won't play the male part. So i said i'd do it coz i love anything to do with drama. I got to play Orin, the sadistic dentist and i really enjoyed it playing that part. Itz fun playing evil characters and i'm glad my friends didn't want to do it. Even though he's a baddie, he really makes me laugh, especially in that song, Dentist (as well as the scene with Bill Murray). I find it weird that i liked that song coz i despise going 2 the dentist. I haven't seen the whole movie but from what i've seen, it's brill! It's about this nerdy but sweet florist called Seymour (ahhh) who fancies his co-worker Audrey (a girl with a strange but sweet wispy voice) who's dating that crazy dentist who is abusive towards her and treats her badly. Seymour reckons that the only way to make her fall in love with him is because of this amazing plant he gets (who he calls Audrey Two). BUT this plant doesn't feed on water, it feeds on human blood. Audrey Two begins growing, talking and begs for more than just Seymour cutting himself. He bumps off Orin (yeah that was my scene, i had to act completely insane) and his boss. It's a brilliant movie and i'm getting the DVD of it this summer, i can't wait! The acting in it is great (round of applause for Steve Martin especially) and I hope a lot of people will like it, watch it, you won't regret it!
(Personally, i don't mind that the original ending didn't go very well at the start coz i think it would be sad to see such a happy movie go so wrong at the end. I'd like to have seen it though).
My favourite songs from the movie are Downtown, Dentist and Suddenly Seymour.
Oh please hope i do well in my exam!

Later: I'm just editing my review, I got my DVD in July. It was brilliant. Little Shop of Horrors is my favourite film of all time, I love it! The special features were great (shame they took away original ending, I heard they might be putting it back, in colour!), the outtakes were hysterically funny and Behind the Scenes was great (although I would have like to have seen Steve Martin interviewed). My drama exam was fine! My teacher thought it was very funny. I was hoping we'd do it for our school play, but we're not :( I would audition for Orin Scrivello D.D.S definitely even though i'm a girl, I can do the voice! But readers, you have to buy this film coz even though I only found about it back in May when my teacher chose it for our topic, itz the best I've ever seen! Go ahead! Buy it and you will never ever regret it!
You know something, I was at the dentist the other day getting a 'long slow root canal' done! Honestly, ow itz so painful! Thank God my dentist was normal!

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a movie like no other. You're slyly drawn in by a cute little musical that progressivley gets more and more "weiEIeiEIerrRRrd" (to quote Wink the radio guy, played by John Candy.)

Candy, Jim Belushi, Steve Martin and Christopher Guest show up here to add their talents to outstanding performances by Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene.

The music is great! I'm not a huge fan of 50's and 60's style do-wop stuff, but if your feet can stay still during the tunes in this show, forget it--you're dead already and it doesn't matter.

The arrangements are excellent. The Greek Chorus Girls add style, panache and polish as well as harmony.

One of my favorite things about this film is finding someone who hasn't seen it yet and sharing it with them. They always say, "When was this made? How could I not hear about this movie? It's great!"

The DVD version is excellent. I've owned the VHS for years, but the DVD sound and picture are far superior. The documentary on the making of the film is a nice extra and makes you appreciate what you see that much more.

My confession? I've probably watched this movie thirty or more times. If you ask to watch it again tonight, would I do it? You bet.

Just buy it. You won't be sorry. The DVD lets you show off your home theater system with hardly an explosion. It's a gem.

Little Shop of Horrors. Although pieces of the movie omit wonderful little songs ("Call Back in the Morning" "Mushnik and Son" "Finale/Don't Feed the Plants," etc), it does its job at having tongue-in-cheek humor. As a matter of fact, my High School's production of the play finished up last night..I played the role of Crystal. Excellent movie!

(3 1/2 stars)

This is a poignant, romantic comedy that works off the premise that the love of a good heart gone astray will triumph over all obstacles, and find its way back to where it belongs. And yet, in spite of its kitschy premise, this movie works.

David Duchovny (X-Files) plays Chicago architect Bob Rueland, whose zoo-director wife, Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), was killed in a car crash. (Good! The establishing scenes at the beginning, that present the wife as beyond saintly, are the worst part of the film. Diabetics are warned that the first ten minutes may be dangerous to their health.) Minnie Driver is young, aspiring artist Grace Briggs, who will die, if she doesn't get a heart transplant. She gets Bob's late wife's heart.

Bob grieves. His friends (most notably David Alan Grier, as zoo vet Charlie Johnson) grieve. His dog grieves. Even the ape at the zoo grieves.

Meanwhile, Grace may have a heart, but she doesn't have a life. She waits tables for her Irish uncle, Marty O'Reilly (Carroll O'Connor), and his old friend, Angelo Pardipillo (Robert Loggia), at the Irish-Italian restaurant they own together. Grace's extended family tries to set her up, e.g., with a man who tends to lapse back into his former vocation as a priest.

Meanwhile, Bob's friend Charlie sets him up with obnoxious blind dates that make grieving look like fun.

Eventually, the stars cross paths, and -- some complications notwithstanding -- their lives are made new.

But you know what? This movie is so much better than its synopsis. That's because its real star is Bonnie Hunt, the ubiquitous character actress who directed, co-wrote, and (if memory serves) co-produced the movie. (Though it doesn't say so at amazon.com's IMDB, I could have sworn Hunt's credits included producer, when I saw this as an in-flight movie.) Except for the first few minutes, Hunt often comes dangerously close to cloying sentimentality, without crossing the line.

And while the chemistry between the stars is good, David Duchovny and Minnie Driver are no Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Recognizing this, Hunt exquisitely cast a bevy of supporting roles that carry the movie, from David Alan Grier's skirt-chasing veterinarian, Charlie Johnson, to Chicago's own James Belushi, as working-class husband Joe Dayton (whose wife, Megan, is played by Hunt) to the old men of the restaurant (O'Connor, Loggia, Eddie Jones). She even gets dramatic mileage out of the animals. And any moviemaker who can come up with a good, sizeable role for Carroll O'Connor has something on the ball, in my book [this review was originally published in 2000, before O'Connor's death]. The highest compliment I can pay Bonnie Hunt the director, is that she doesn't waste a single scene or role.

The other thing Hunt does well is to present two kinds of romance. There's the falling-in-love kind we expect from this sort of movie, as well as another kind you almost never see in pictures: the wry, wisecracking fell-in-love, stayed-in-love romance of Belushi and Hunt's Joe and Megan Dayton, who by now have a mess of kids.

Hunt and her collaborator, Don Lake, came up with some good lines, and can be forgiven for taking the shtick from Norman Jewison's Moonstruck of using a Dean Martin song ("Return to Me") as a running, romantic theme.

Return to Me is a good choice for the date who's coming over to the house for the first time, or the "date" whose name has shared space on mailboxes with yours for many years.

'Return to Me' is an honest and beliveable film, with an unbeliveable twist at it's heart (pardon the pun). Bonnie Hunt has done something that seems impossible: made an excellent film without cynicsm, without meaness, and without insulting the viewers' intelligence. This movie is incredibly sweet, but never becomes sappy or mawkish. The characters she has created are fully realized human beings, not sterotypes, and you can tell she cares about every single one of them. The supporting cast is excellent, and the extended family they create for Grace (Minnie Driver) and, eventually, Bob (David Duchovny) is full of love, support and hope. I can't recall a film where the love - both friendly and familial - between a younger and older generation was portrayed so well. Minnie Driver portrays Grace as introverted and shy, but with and underlying strength that keeps her from becoming a shrinking violet. David Duchovny proves that he is far more than Fox Mulder, completely inhabiting the roll of Bob Rueland - a man who has never really known loss until his wife dies, and he just can't figure out how to move on. This movie was sheer joy to watch, and I can't wait to see it again.

I was really skeptical about this film at first. It seemed oddly cast, and the story seemed overly cheesy, but I was very surprised. Driver was wonderful and believable; she brought life to a not so likely character and made her a beautiful person and more importantly, a relatable one. David Duchovny had a little more trouble with his role it seemed, but overall his character is enjoyable as well. The real triumph here, however, is the supporting cast. Lead by Bonnie Hunt (whom I love) they were all drop-dead hilarious and loveable. I would strongly recommend this film.

The DVD itself is a little boring, but that is made up by the wonderful film.

(3 1/2 stars)

This is a poignant, romantic comedy that works off the premise that the love of a good heart gone astray will triumph over all obstacles, and find its way back to where it belongs. And yet, in spite of its kitschy premise, this movie works.

David Duchovny (X-Files) plays Chicago architect Bob Rueland, whose zoo-director wife, Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), was killed in a car crash. (Good! The establishing scenes at the beginning, that present the wife as beyond saintly, are the worst part of the film. Diabetics are warned that the first ten minutes may be dangerous to their health.) Minnie Driver is young, aspiring artist Grace Briggs, who will die, if she doesn't get a heart transplant. She gets Bob's late wife's heart.

Bob grieves. His friends (most notably David Alan Grier, as zoo vet Charlie Johnson) grieve. His dog grieves. Even the ape at the zoo grieves.

Meanwhile, Grace may have a heart, but she doesn't have a life. She waits tables for her Irish uncle, Marty O'Reilly (Carroll O'Connor), and his old friend, Angelo Pardipillo (Robert Loggia), at the Irish-Italian restaurant they own together. Grace's extended family tries to set her up, e.g., with a man who tends to lapse back into his former vocation as a priest.

Meanwhile, Bob's friend Charlie sets him up with obnoxious blind dates that make grieving look like fun.

Eventually, the stars cross paths, and -- some complications notwithstanding -- their lives are made new.

But you know what? This movie is so much better than its synopsis. That's because its real star is Bonnie Hunt, the ubiquitous character actress who directed, co-wrote, and (if memory serves) co-produced the movie. (Though it doesn't say so at amazon.com's IMDB, I could have sworn Hunt's credits included producer, when I saw this as an in-flight movie.) Except for the first few minutes, Hunt often comes dangerously close to cloying sentimentality, without crossing the line.

And while the chemistry between the stars is good, David Duchovny and Minnie Driver are no Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Recognizing this, Hunt exquisitely cast a bevy of supporting roles that carry the movie, from David Alan Grier's skirt-chasing veterinarian, Charlie Johnson, to Chicago's own James Belushi, as working-class husband Joe Dayton (whose wife, Megan, is played by Hunt) to the old men of the restaurant (O'Connor, Loggia, Eddie Jones). She even gets dramatic mileage out of the animals. And any moviemaker who can come up with a good, sizeable role for Carroll O'Connor has something on the ball, in my book [this review was originally published in 2000, before O'Connor's death]. The highest compliment I can pay Bonnie Hunt the director, is that she doesn't waste a single scene or role.

The other thing Hunt does well is to present two kinds of romance. There's the falling-in-love kind we expect from this sort of movie, as well as another kind you almost never see in pictures: the wry, wisecracking fell-in-love, stayed-in-love romance of Belushi and Hunt's Joe and Megan Dayton, who by now have a mess of kids.

Hunt and her collaborator, Don Lake, came up with some good lines, and can be forgiven for taking the shtick from Norman Jewison's Moonstruck of using a Dean Martin song ("Return to Me") as a running, romantic theme.

Return to Me is a good choice for the date who's coming over to the house for the first time, or the "date" whose name has shared space on mailboxes with yours for many years.

'Return to Me' is an honest and beliveable film, with an unbeliveable twist at it's heart (pardon the pun). Bonnie Hunt has done something that seems impossible: made an excellent film without cynicsm, without meaness, and without insulting the viewers' intelligence. This movie is incredibly sweet, but never becomes sappy or mawkish. The characters she has created are fully realized human beings, not sterotypes, and you can tell she cares about every single one of them. The supporting cast is excellent, and the extended family they create for Grace (Minnie Driver) and, eventually, Bob (David Duchovny) is full of love, support and hope. I can't recall a film where the love - both friendly and familial - between a younger and older generation was portrayed so well. Minnie Driver portrays Grace as introverted and shy, but with and underlying strength that keeps her from becoming a shrinking violet. David Duchovny proves that he is far more than Fox Mulder, completely inhabiting the roll of Bob Rueland - a man who has never really known loss until his wife dies, and he just can't figure out how to move on. This movie was sheer joy to watch, and I can't wait to see it again.

I was really skeptical about this film at first. It seemed oddly cast, and the story seemed overly cheesy, but I was very surprised. Driver was wonderful and believable; she brought life to a not so likely character and made her a beautiful person and more importantly, a relatable one. David Duchovny had a little more trouble with his role it seemed, but overall his character is enjoyable as well. The real triumph here, however, is the supporting cast. Lead by Bonnie Hunt (whom I love) they were all drop-dead hilarious and loveable. I would strongly recommend this film.

The DVD itself is a little boring, but that is made up by the wonderful film.