After reading the book (which was OK), and seeing a list of cast members (Natalie Portman, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd, Sally Field), I thought that this movie had some potential. Boy, was I wrong! It was awful from the start. In fact, it was so bad in so many ways that I started fast-forwarding in the hope that I'd get to something at least watchable. I never did. The acting was crummy, and the story didn't translate very well. I noticed that this movie got a one-star rating in my local paper, and I can definitely see why. Don't rent Where the Heart Is under any circumstances!