Return to Me

Return to Me
File:Returntomeposter.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bonnie Hunt
Produced by	Jennie Lew Tugend
Screenplay by	Bonnie Hunt Don Lake
Story by	Bonnie Hunt Don Lake Andrew Stern Samantha Goodman
Starring	David Duchovny Minnie Driver Carroll O'Connor Robert Loggia David Alan Grier Bonnie Hunt James Belushi Joely Richardson
Music by	Danny DiMinno Carmen Lombardo Nicholas Pike
Cinematography	László Kovács
Edited by	Garth Craven
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates	April 7, 2000 (2000-04-07)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$24 million USD (estimated)
Box office	$36,609,995

Return to Me is a 2000 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Bonnie Hunt and starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. It was filmed in Chicago in 1999, and released in April 2000. This was Carroll O'Connor's final film before his death the following year.

Plot

Bob and Elizabeth Rueland (David Duchovny and Joely Richardson) both work — Bob as an architect, Elizabeth as a zoologist — at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. One night, after a fundraiser, Elizabeth is killed in a car accident, and her heart is transplanted to Grace Briggs (Minnie Driver), who has suffered from heart disease since the age of 14 and is near death. The surgery is successful and Grace, an artist, is able to live a normal life for the first time. She plans to make her first airplane trip to Italy to paint, and her best friend Megan Dayton (Bonnie Hunt) encourages her to begin dating, although Grace is self-conscious about the long surgery scar on her chest. She also has written a letter thanking the family of their lost love one for the heart she received. It takes her over a year to finally find the courage to mail the letter.

A year later, Bob remains depressed but recognizes that he must resume his life as he becomes frustrated seeing that his dog hasn't gotten over the loss either. His friend, Charlie (David Allen Grier), organizes a blind date for him at a restaurant. Despite the fact that his blind date is a nightmare, he finds that he is more interested in the waitress — Grace, who is also the granddaughter of the restaurant's owner, Marty O'Reilly (Carroll O'Connor).

Although they are both unaware of the connection they have through Elizabeth's heart, Bob and Grace begin to date. As they grow closer together, Grace is reluctant to tell Bob about her medical history. After several months of dating, Grace finally decides to tell Bob about her transplant. However, before she gets the chance, she finds her letter that she had sent several months earlier, in his house. Horrified by the discovery, Grace flees and tells Megan what has happened. Megan's husband (Jim Belushi) becomes infuriated as he has misunderstood the situation and thinks Bob is married. Megan then explains the situation to him in six monosyllables: "Grace has Bob's dead wife's heart!"

When Grace meets Bob again, she tells him the truth. Stunned and not knowing what to say, he leaves. Against Megan's advice to not run away from the situation, Grace goes to Europe alone. Back at home, Bob realizes that although he will always miss Elizabeth, he "aches" for Grace. He decides to go after her, and the two reunite in Italy.

Cast

• David Duchovny as Bob Rueland
• Minnie Driver as Grace Briggs
• Carroll O'Connor as Marty O'Reilly
• Robert Loggia as Angelo Pardipillo
• Bonnie Hunt as Megan Dayton
• David Alan Grier as Charlie Johnson
• Joely Richardson as Elizabeth Rueland
• Eddie Jones as Emmett McFadden
• James Belushi as Joe Dayton
• William Bronder as Wally Jatczak
• Marianne Muellerleile as Sophie
• Dick Cusack as Mr. Bennington

Box office

The film opened at number four at the North American box office making $7.8 million USD in its opening weekend, behind The Road to El Dorado, Erin Brockovich and Rules of Engagement, which opened at the top spot. It would make a total of $32,662,299 USD in its entire box office run.

Production notes

• This film gets its title from the 1957 Dean Martin recording of the same name (the song was composed by Carmen Lombardo and Danny DiMinno). The voices of the female background singers were removed electronically and a jazzier accompaniment was added for the film version.
• This was the last film for both Carroll O'Connor and Dick Cusack.
• Features Hunt's frequent acting collaborators: Duchovny, Grier, Don Lake, Marianne Muellerleile, Holly Wortell, and Hunt herself, all of whom would be regulars or recurring guests on Life with Bonnie.
• Many of the restaurant scenes in the movie were filmed at Twin Anchors, in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood; its plaque with two anchors was retained for filming and is visible on the wall. The hospital scenes were filmed in Michael Reese Hospital and feature Hunt's brother, Dr. Kevin Hunt, and his transplant team as themselves.
• Features the music of the Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra, a swing band still playing every Thursday at the historic Green Mill Lounge in Chicago.

See also

• Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa, a 2004 Bollywood movie with a very similar storyline.

External links

• Return to Me at IMDb
• Return to Me at AllMovie
• Return to Me at the TCM Movie Database
• Return to Me at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Return to Me at Box Office Mojo
• Return to Me at Rotten Tomatoes