Lucy (Renee Zellweger) is on the fast track in the business world. She works for a big company in Miami and enjoys all the benefits of city life. Then she gets sent to a small town in Minnesota with a population under 15,000. She is there to change the plant over to automation and downsize the work force, but the townsfolk don’t know that they are about to lose their jobs.
Can a Working Woman From the City Find Love in a Small Town?
The first night there she meets Ted (Harry Connick, Jr.) and they definitely don’t hit it off well at all. First of all, she has a chip on her shoulder and preconceived ideas about people who live in small towns. The evening ends badly but Lucy doesn’t worry about it. She is there to do a job and not get personally involved with anyone.
What she discovers the next day is that Ted is the union representative and the person with whom she will be negotiating. Then she has a run-in with the plant foreman. Doing this job to perfection is her priority and she will do what she has to in order to get the results she desires.
What happens next is the typical romantic comedy flair. The story is predictable and yet the characters are interesting to watch – especially the residents of the town. Actually, watching them isn’t as fun as listening to them. The actors adopted the Minnesota accent to perfection, don’t ya know.
Romance Meets Comedy
As Lucy and Ted face off they also form a different relationship. What would a romantic comedy be without the romance? The strain of her work and the deepening of her relationship come to a head when her boss tells her they will be closing the plant. Forget the downsizing and automation; the entire plant will be shut down.
This leaves Lucy in a quandary as she has formed some good relationships with the people there. Even though they are into scrapbooking and ice fishing and she enjoys the opera and museums, Lucy discovers that the things offered in a small town are not so bad after all.
The DVD Features
The special features on the DVD include a look at the art of scrapbooking and some deleted scenes. There is also a feature about the tapioca pudding that plays an important role in the storyline, and a feature on filming the movie in Canada.
- Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
- Studio: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- Run Time: 97 minutes
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