"Return to Me" will fulfill the craving of the most devoted sweet tooth. Utterly predictable and often insipid, this movie will make its way into the hearts of many viewers only because it is so darn cute.
David Duchovny discards Mulder's suits to play Bob Rueland, who loses his wife in a car accident. At the same time Bob mourns for his late wife, Grace (Minnie Driver with an American accent) receives a desperately needed heart transplant, ostensibly the heart of Bob's dead wife. The two meet a year later, neither knowing about their connection.
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Driver and Duchovny act their parts well, almost making the audience believe the film's assertion that people can actually have flawless beauty and personality. With that couple putting the romance into the romantic comedy, the supporting cast provides the guffaws.
Carol O'Connor avoids going over the top as Grace's devoted Irish grandfather, Marty. The supporting cast also includes Robert Loggia, David Alan Grier, James Belushi and Bonnie Hunt. Hunt is great as Megan, Grace's best friend, a role for which the actress has demonstrated her proficiency time and again. Megan's scenes with husband Joe (Belushi) provide many of the film's highlights.
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What Hunt should not have done is direct - a job at which she is not nearly as graceful. The first part of the film flashes between Grace's and Bob's separate lives with no flow; the scene changes are very abrupt. Furthermore, Laszlo Kovacs' camerawork cuts from one face to another at a dizzying pace within a scene; it is almost like watching a ball bounce at a tennis match. One would think Hunt could have thought of a way to get two people in a shot at the same time.
Even if someone more qualified had directed the film, it still would be lacking, given the predictably sappy plot. Will the knowledge that Grace received Bob's wife's heart cause problems for the darling couple? Will Bob and Grace find happiness together? The major plot twists are really not at all intriguing, producing no fiery outbursts of emotion by the characters.
Another problem with the script (written by Hunt and Don Lake) is that it takes a while for the main plot to manifest itself; the first half-hour is unnecessarily absorbed in the marriage of Bob and his first wife. It seems to have no other purpose than to continue Hollywood's love affair with the widower (à la "Sleepless in Seattle") and to show that Bob had a great marriage cut tragically short. Though heartbreaking, the film should have relied on Duchovny to relay that.
Another issue some may take up with the movie is that it is completely oblivious to its own weirdness. After the initial shock, the knowledge that Grace has Emily's heart does not seem to faze the couple. Their perfect life resumes, even though they never really discuss the strange coincidence.
Another bizarre moment backfires when Belushi yells curse words that his son promptly repeats. It's really not funny; actually, it's rather awful.
Whatever the film lacks in plot or directorial finesse, it tries to make up for with saccharine. Bob and Grace are sweetly inexperienced (Bob and his wife were apparently childhood sweethearts). On top of that, Marty's restaurant plays host to a cinematically stereotyped mix of old Irish and Italian men whose sole interests in life are poker, bowling and Grace and Bob's relationship. Even Bob's dog is adorable.
To enjoy this film, one must overlook the weak plot and poor direction, as well as be able to digest a good amount of cloying cuteness. What undemanding audiences can expect from "Return" is a cute but bland love story with some tears and chuckles.
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