Natalie Portman is destined for great things. However, in the long run "Where the Heart Is" will not be considered one of them.
Among the many, unpardonable cinematic crimes this incredibly cluttered and messy tragi-comedy (essentially a big-budget for the Lifetime cable network) commits is mistaking heavy-handedness for warm-heartedness.
And if you're not already put off by the film's constant bludgeoning of its main points, there's also the matter of its wholly inappropriate tone. (It's a huge mistake for a movie that features storylines about teen pregnancy, natural disasters and domestic abuse to address at least a couple of them in a "feel-good" manner.)
That's not to say that the movie doesn't have its moments. But they're outweighed by exasperating plot turns and an awful script that reduces the source material (Billie Letts' best-selling novel) to a series of "snapshots" that never dwell on anything of real substance.
It's also hard to say how wise it is to center an entire film around Portman — at least at this stage in her career. She stars as Novalee Nation, a Tennessee teenager with chronic bad luck.
First, she's literally left barefoot and pregnant at a department store in Oklahoma. Needing a place to stay, she covertly "lives" in the store for the weeks leading up to the delivery of her child.
And when she finally gives birth — in the store — she becomes an instant, short-lived celebrity, though all that does is encourage her estranged mother (Sally Field) to take advantage of her.
Fortunately, Novalee manages to make some new friends, which include Lexie (Ashley Judd), a kind-hearted nurse with men problems of her own, and Thelma "Sister" Husband (Stockard Channing), a recovering alcoholic who takes Novalee and her child in.
Then there's shy librarian Ferney (James Frain, from "Reindeer Games"), who befriends and gradually falls in love with her — though the two of them both begin to wonder whether they're "good enough" for each other.
If that wasn't enough material for one movie, there's a whole lot more to chew on, both thematically and dramatically.
Veteran screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (most recently, "EDtv") should really know better, but their script gets sidetracked and bogged down with subplots involving the child's biological father (Dylan Bruno) and Novalee's mother, neither of which really go anywhere.
Also, first-time director Matt Williams never really settles on a consistent tone, and under his direction, Portman isn't all that convincing playing "poor white trash."
However, good performances by the supporting cast (especially Channing, Judd and, in a too-brief bit, Joan Cusack) do help.
"Where the Heart Is" is rated PG-13 for occasional use of strong language (including one use of the so-called "R-rated" profanity), violence (fistfights), crude sexual innuendo and a brief, discrete sex scene. Running time: 120 minutes.
You can reach Jeff Vice by e-mail at jeff@desnews.com