New in Town (2009)

A Miami, Florida businesswoman adjusts to her new life in a small Minnesota town.

Director:

Jonas Elmer

Writers:

Ken Rance (as Kenneth Rance), C. Jay Cox

Stars:

Renée Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., Siobhan Fallon Hogan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Renée Zellweger	...	Lucy Hill
Harry Connick Jr.	...	Ted Mitchell
Siobhan Fallon Hogan	...	Blanche Gunderson
J.K. Simmons	...	Stu Kopenhafer
Mike O'Brien	...	Lars Ulstead
Frances Conroy	...	Trudy Van Uuden
Ferron Guerreiro	...	Bobbie Mitchell
James Durham	...	Rob Deitmar
Robert Small	...	Donald Arling
Wayne Nicklas	...	Harve Gunderson
Hilary Carroll	...	Kimberley
Nancy Jane Drake	...	Flo (as Nancy Drake)
Stewart J. Zully	...	Wallace Miller (as Stewart Zully)
Marilyn Boyle	...	Winnie
Dan Augusta	...	Billy Gunderson

Storyline

A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami, Florida lifestyle is sent to New Ulm, Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities, and finds a way to save the town.

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Plot Keywords:

united states of america | usa | plant | minnesota | small town | 

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Taglines:

She's an executive on the move. But her career is taking her a little farther than she expected.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some suggestive material

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stu Kopenhafer (J.K. Simmons) ordered a "Maker's Mark, up" at the bar. That was what Juno (Ellen Page) said she wanted during the adoption interview in Juno (2007) - in which Simmons played her father.

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Goofs

When Lucy arrives in Minnesota it is supposed to be November but the weather that is shown is consistent of January/February weather. It does not snow that heavily at the beginning of November in Minnesota.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Billy Gunderson: Awesome.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, we're shown what is supposed to be the completed version of the scrapper book that Siobhan Hogan's character gives to Renee' Zellweger's. Various stills from the movie are shown as pictures 'pasted' into the scrapbook, along with humorous tag lines on each (page).

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Connections

References Juno (2007)

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Soundtracks

Life Is Good
Written by Tammy Hyler, Liz Rose and Billy Crain
Performed by Brittini Black
Courtesy of Brittini Black

User Reviews

Underrated

I think this film, while not a classic by any means, is being underrated at its current score. Admittedly, I came close to turning off the DVD ten minutes in, when it appeared to be little more than a cheesy send-up of life in the country. Yes, there are a few slapstick moments. And yes, the plot and its various "twists" are predictable. But if you suspend your cynicism and just take it in, it's not that bad of a way to spend an hour and a half. The film is somewhat unconventional in the sense that, unlike so many recent films set in small-town America, it does not portray residents as narrow-minded people in need of enlightenment. As the film progresses, the residents of New Ulm are increasingly shown as three-dimensional human beings. Their strong sense of family and communal ties is embraced, and in fact, portrayed favorably compared to the stark individualism celebrated by our mass culture. In its own way, the film suggests to the urban, "sophisticated" viewer that perhaps there is something to be learned from such people, or at least, that their cultural traditions should not be dismissed out of hand. A little sappy, yes, and predictable, but also heartwarming and a nice little glimpse into a slice of Americana we don't see portrayed that often on the big screen nowadays.

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate [United States] Vidio [Indonesia]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chilled in Miami

Filming Locations:

225 Manitoba Ave., Selkirk, MB R1A 0Y4 Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,741,530, 1 February 2009

Gross USA:

$16,734,283

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,010,817

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Gold Circle Films, Epidemic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1