Return to Me (2000)

NEUTRAL

Various

71%

2000, Romance, 1h 53m

RT Critics’ Score: 62% (UNBIASED)
RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 2 nominations

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Critics Consensus

David Duchovny and Minnie Driver provide heart-warming romance and comedy in this solid debut by Director Bonnie Hunt

Audience Consensus

Return to Me is a romantic movie that has an unbelievable premise, but it’s still sweet and enjoyable. The chemistry between the main characters, played by David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, is great, and the supporting cast feels like a family. Sure, there are some contrivances, but the movie leads with heartfelt emotions and a homey mood that makes it engaging. Plus, it’s always fun to see Carroll O’Connor, Robert Loggia, Eddie Jones, William Bronder, and Marianne Muellerleile on screen, even if they seem to be aware they’re imprisoned in a subplot of a terrible movie. Overall, Return to Me is a good choice if you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy that touches your heart without being too sappy.

Storyline

The film opens with a loving husband and wife preparing for a very important fund raising dinner. The evening ends with the loss of the wife. In a hospital a weak young woman who may die soon if she can not get a new heart. Jump ahead one year the young woman received a heart and is trying to adjust to a life no longer counted by hours or days, she can actually make plans. The grieving husband and his dog are still trying to adjust to life without his wife. His friends keep trying to pry him from his “work is my life” existence by setting him up on blinds dates. Finally he actually shows up for one at an Irish-Italian restaurant where he finds himself more attracted to the waitress than his blind date. He finds an excuse to return to the restaurant in hopes of seeing the waitress again, there’s just something attractive about her. Unknown to both the attraction they both feel for one another is Grace has the heart of Bob’s dead wife. What can you say after that! Carroll O’Connor says exactly the right thing to Bob after he finds out this ironic coincidence.

Production Company(ies)
Les Films, du Poisson Arte France Cinéma Entre Chien et Loup

Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Release Type
Theatrical

Filming Location(s)
Chicago, Illinois, USA

MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for language and thematic elements

Year of Release
2000

Technical Specs

Color:

Color
Sound mix:

DTS Dolby SR
Aspect ratio:

1.85 : 1
Runtime:

1h 53m
Language(s):

English, Italian
Country of origin:

United States
Release date:

Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 13, 2001

Genre(s)
Romance

Keyword(s)
starring David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Carroll O’Connor, Robert Loggia, Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, Eddie Jones, William Bronder, Marianne Muellerleile, directed by Bonnie Hunt, written by Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Andrew Stern, Samantha Goodman, produced by Jennie Lew Tugend, romance, PG rating, box office gross $32.7M, budget unknown, reviewed by Nell Minow, Steven D Greydanus, Eleanor Ringel Cater, Desson Thomson, Robert Horton, Steven Rosen, Rachel Wagner, Michael Dequina, Brian Orndorf, Mark Halverson, characters, heart transplant, organ donor, car accident, blind date, intimacy problems, recovered, waitress, unusual romance, comedy, heart-warming, solid debut, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Box Office Details

Worldwide gross: $36,609,995
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $63,496,953
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,230
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,924,422

US/Canada gross: $32,722,798
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $56,754,937
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,019
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,820,836
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,564,581
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 840

Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $24,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $41,625,979
Production budget ranking: 919
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,415,589
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$544,615
ROI to date (est.): -1%
ROI ranking: 1,400

Cast & Crew

David Duchovny

Minnie Driver

Carroll O’Connor

Robert Loggia

Bonnie Hunt

Bob Rueland

Grace Briggs

Marty O’Reilly

Angelo Pardipillo

Megan Dayton

David Duchovny – Bob Rueland
Minnie Driver – Grace Briggs
Carroll O’Connor – Marty O’Reilly
Robert Loggia – Angelo Pardipillo
Bonnie Hunt – Megan Dayton
David Alan Grier – Charlie Johnson

Bonnie Hunt

Jennie Lew Tugend

Director

Writer

Producer

Director(s)
Bonnie Hunt

Writer(s)
Bonnie Hunt, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Don Lake, Andrew Stern, Samantha Goodman

Producer(s)
Jennie Lew Tugend

Film Festivals

Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 2 nominations

Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Steven D. Greydanus

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Desson Thomson

Robert Horton

Common Sense Media

Decent Films

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington Post

Film.com

RETURN TO ME
All Critics (100) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (38)
An unbelievable premise, but sweet and romantic.

December 28, 2010 | Rating: 3/5

Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
Characters you can enjoy watching and will care about, places you will enjoy spending time, and a charming, hopeful look at love amid the vagaries of life.

May 8, 2002 | Rating: B+

Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
Return to sender. Except for David Duchovny.

March 21, 2001 | Rating: C

Eleanor Ringel Cater
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TOP CRITIC
As if aware they are imprisoned in the subplot of a terrible movie, actors Carroll O’Connor, Robert Loggia, Eddie Jones, William Bronder and Marianne Muellerleile have a near mutiny on screen.

January 1, 2000

Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Duchovny is surprisingly out-of-joint with the romantic atmosphere.

January 1, 2000

Robert Horton
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
Return to sender.

January 1, 2000

Steven Rosen
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
Driver and Duchovny have such great chemistry and all the supporting cast feel like a family.

February 28, 2019 | Rating: 8/10

Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
Touches the audience’s heart without being sappy.

January 4, 2010 | Rating: 3/4

Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
Contrivances abound, no doubt, but the picture refuses any disingenuous pollutant access to the mix, instead leading with heartfelt, lived-in emotions, enjoying a deliciously homey mood of friendly flirtation and old-world wisdom.

December 7, 2009 | Rating: A

Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 2/5

Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
It works, despite the far-fetched plot, because the characters and the script are fresh and engaging.

September 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/4

Betsy Bozdech
Reel.com
October 31, 2004 | Rating: 3/5

Robert Strohmeyer
Filmcritic.com…

Plot
The film opens with a loving husband and wife preparing for a very important fund raising dinner. The evening ends with the loss of the wife. In a hospital a weak young woman who may die soon if she can not get a new heart. Jump ahead one year the young woman received a heart and is trying to adjust to a life no longer counted by hours or days, she can actually make plans. The grieving husband and his dog are still trying to adjust to life without his wife. His friends keep trying to pry him from his “work is my life” existence by setting him up on blinds dates. Finally he actually shows up for one at an Irish-Italian restaurant where he finds himself more attracted to the waitress than his blind date. He finds an excuse to return to the restaurant in hopes of seeing the waitress again, there’s just something attractive about her. Unknown to both the attraction they both feel for one another is Grace has the heart of Bob’s dead wife. What can you say after that! Carroll O’Connor says exactly the right thing to Bob after he finds out this ironic coincidence.

Trivia