A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Return to Me

Date Viewed: 4/15/00

Details:

David Duchovny

Minnie Driver

Carroll O'Connor

Robert Loggia

Bonnie Hunt

David Alan Grier

Joely Richardson

James Belushi

William Bronder

Marianne Muellerleile

Eddie Jones

Director and screenwriter: Bonnie Hunt

Score: +

The Review:Some of us had the misfortune of watching Duchovny's entree onto the movie marquee with the execrable 1997 Playing God. This time around he's had much better advice, good direction, and a lot of help from a marvelous ensemble cast. The result, the romantic comedy Return to Me, is engaging, moving, funny, and entertaining. Many thanks to Bonnie Hunt.

Duchovny is a Chicago builder, and Richardson his wife, part-vet and part-primatologist. On the other side of town is a famous Irish Italian restaurant (run by O'Connor and Loggia) where Driver is a grand-daughter, waitress. and erstwhile artist. It's difficult to go much farther without giving away critical plot elements, but suffice it to say, along with some tears, a romance develops.

Although the movie revolves around Duchovny and Driver, its focal point and universal center is the card-playing, wise-cracking, match-making, and bowling foursome of O'Connor, Loggia, Bronder and Jones, leavened by Muellerleile (as Sophie). Watching them is like being invited into their home, with much warmth and humor, even if Sinatra or Perry Como do not happen to be your favorite vocalists. Also not too shabby are Hunt and Belushi as a couple with an exciting and loving, if marginally (and amusingly) dysfunctional, family life.

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