TED DEMME

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BB.5

USA, 1996.  Miramax, Woods Entertainment.  Screenplay by Scott Rosenberg.  Cinematography by Adam Kimmel.  Produced by Cary Woods.  Music by David A. Stewart.  Production Design by Dan Davis.  Costume Design by Lucy W. Corrigan.  Film Editing by Jeffrey Wolf.  

A giant cast of appealing actors do a lot for this odd but enjoyable film. Timothy Hutton returns to his hometown for the first time in years only to realize how much he has outgrown it.  He’s also as big a moron as his small town drinking buddies (Michael Rapaport, Matt Dillon, etc.), none of whom deserve the beautiful women (Uma Thurman, Mira Sorvino, etc.) who populate their lives, so really, how much has he changed?

Rosie O’Donnell is hilarious as a mouthy town resident who has an opinion on every subject (and is welcome to share it every time), but the film completely belongs to Natalie Portman: though Hutton’s character is expected to go after the lovely Thurman, the real chemistry is in the shy friendship that develops between him and Portman as a nosy neighbour with an infectious smile.