Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12206 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-01-29
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Italian
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek
• Dubbed in: German, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A romantic comedy vehicle for X-Files star David Duchovny, Return to Me costars Minnie Driver as Grace, an ailing waitress whose life is saved when she receives a heart transplant. Meanwhile, Duchovny's architect Bob is grieving over the death of his zoologist wife and sweetheart since childhood Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), killed in a car accident. A year on, he agrees to go out on a disastrous blind date redeemed by his encounter with the comely and witty Grace. Abetted by her redoubtable Irish Catholic grandfather (played by Carroll O'Connor), they hit it off and start dating. But when Grace accidentally discovers from whom she received the vital organ that saved her life the blossoming relationship is tested to its utmost.

Return to Me is not for the hardboiled cynic-it's a gentle, funny and very charming tragi-comedy. It's sweetly chaste, too, with Grace's self-consciousness about the chest scar from her operation precluding any steamy sex scenes. All this adds to its old-world charm, which is further exacerbated by O'Connor and his ageing restaurant staff's late-night card games, in which they discuss the merits of Sinatra and Dean Martin and generally function as a seven dwarves-type collective to Driver's Snow White. James Belushi also chimes in as the lovably slobbish hubby of Grace's best friend. Ultimately, however, the success of the film is down to the shy chemistry between Duchovny and Driver.

On the DVD: The feature itself is presented in 16:9 widescreen. Numerous extras include trailers, a deleted scene, a music video for the featured big band number "What If You Loved Me", and an audio commentary by writer/director Bonnie Hunt, in which she talks about the unpredictable joys of working with Sydney the Gorilla, whose on-screen performance outshines those of many of the humans. --David Stubbs

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish\Swedish
English\German
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English French German Italian Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1
Deleted Scene
Theatrical Trailer
Music Video What If You Loved Me
Audio Commentary By Bonnie Hunt And Don Lake
Interactive Menu Screen
Chapter Selection
Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Norwegian\Polish\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish

Synopsis
A charming romantic comedy about finding love in the most ironic--and unlikely--of places. Bob Rueland (David Duchovny) is mourning the tragic loss of his wife, who nobly agreed to donate her heart to a needy recipient. When he meets Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), little does he realize that she's the recipient. Eventually, the truth comes out, and Bob must decide for himself which heart it is his heart wants to follow.

Customer Reviews

Charming, Funny and Sweet film
This is a great movie which returns to a time when romantic comedies involved simply that - romance. It is the bitter sweet story of a man who loses his wife, only to unknowingly fall in love with the woman who receives her heart via a transplant. Though this sounds far fetched it is played in a very down to earth, simple way that makes the idea believable. The DVD includes a fasinating (and extremely funny) Directors commentary (which also features the voice of Bonnie Hunts co-writer), a cut scene called "Danny Boy", a music video, and the original theatrical trailer. David Duchovny is great in the part of Bob (who is a builder - obviously they don't get that cartoon in the US!), and plays both comedy and grief very well. Minnie Driver is her normally sweet self and one of the truely great surprises of the film is her relationship with Bonnie Hunts character. The delight of this film is that all its elements work well and realistically. The scenes of Bonnie Hunts character's home and children make real life a beauty to behold. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes a little old fashioned romance :)

One of the most enjoyable films I have seen
This has to be one of the most enjoyable films I have ever seen,
it's funny, sad and an absolutely brilliant soundtrack. A basic old fashioned love story which we don't see enough of in films now, David Duchovny and Minnie Driver look great together, but it's her Grandfather and his friends in their Irish Italian ( yes I'm right!) restaurant that for me, steal the show. The banter between them is hilarious, I've watched this films lots of times and each time I see or hear something new,,,,,especially the sign in the restaurant " Genuine Irishman for hire, for singing, dancing, and geneneral carrying on " !
Don't miss it !!

Serendipity
I stumbled upon the DVD of this film gathering dust in corner of my local video store. When I read the cover I found it hard to imagine that I would enjoy it. It had been released almost 4 years ago, I had never even heard of it and the storyline and the list of actors and actresses, apart from Minnie Driver, did not inspire confidence. However, I decided to rent it and I was very pleasantly surprised. The film is a brilliant, understated, old-fashioned romantic comedy and I am amazed that it is not far better known than it is. The romance between Bob and Grace (Duchovny and Driver) is very believable, which is more than can be said for the leads in many romantic movies. Their budding, bittersweet romance contrasts beautifully with the raucous, stressful, but nonetheless very successful marriage that her best friend Megan (Hunt) enjoys with her husband Joe (Belushi). Bonnie Hunt both co-wrote and directed the film and deserves a lot of credit for this film. If you love watching the romantic comedies of the 1940s and 1950s with their slick dialogue and old-fashioned, rather innocent, romance then this film is for you. However, if your taste runs to the over-the-top characters and crazy hilarity of films such as "There's Something About Mary" then perhaps it is best to rent it first and see if it suits. Personally I will buy this, add it to my "must see" collection and enjoy it for many years to come. A real unexpected treasure.