The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Return to Me
Romance · Comedy · 2000
Dragged out on a blind date a year after his wife's tragic death, grieving architect Bob Rueland finds an unexpected spark not with his date, but with Grace, the sharp-witted waitress at a lively Irish-Italian restaurant. Unbeknownst to Bob, Grace is the recipient of his late wife's donated heart. As they grow closer, their romance offers the promise of healing and the weight of a secret that could tear them apart.
Movie details
Return to Me
“A comedy straight from the heart.”
2000 Romance · Comedy 1h 56m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.7 / 10
Community rating
Dragged out on a blind date a year after his wife's tragic death, grieving architect Bob Rueland finds an unexpected spark not with his date, but with Grace, the sharp-witted waitress at a lively Irish-Italian restaurant. Unbeknownst to Bob, Grace is the recipient of his late wife's donated heart. As they grow closer, their romance offers the promise of healing and the weight of a secret that could tear them apart.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Return to Me?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Bonnie Hunt
Written by
Samantha Goodman · Don Lake · Bonnie Hunt · Andrew Stern
David Duchovny
Bob Rueland
Minnie Driver
Grace Briggs
Carroll O'Connor
Marty O'Reilly
Robert Loggia
Angelo Pardipillo
Jim Belushi
Joe Dayton
Bonnie Hunt
Megan Dayton
David Alan Grier
Charlie Johnson
Court is in session
Put Return to Me on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.