18 Interesting Facts About Where the Heart Is

Interesting Facts (14)

1. #001

   In this film, Novalee's unlucky number is 5; in the book it was 7.

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2. #002

   The Walmart featured in this film has since been converted into a county judicial facility, after most small-town Walmarts were eliminated in favor of nationwide Super Walmart stores. The supercenter is extremely close to the location of the Walmart featured in the film.

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3. #003

   The trailer contains many alternate takes of different scenes. Most notably, the Sister's daily prayer asking forgiveness for "fornication" with Mr. Sprock was changed to "whoopie."

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4. #004

   Jolene is 14 years old in the scene. Alicia Godwin was only 11 years old when this film was shot.

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5. #005

   It contains Natalie Portman's first on-screen love scene.

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6. #006

   The university that is supposed to be on the East Coast at the end of this film was actually Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

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7. #007

   The Walmart featured in this film is in Lockhart, Texas.

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8. #008

   Joan Cusack does not appear in the television version.

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9. #009

   In several scenes, Novalee Nation is seen carrying a potted tree. In Natalie Portman's first film, Léon: The Professional (1994), Léon carried his Chinese evergreen plant in a pot with him.

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10. #010

    Ashley Judd does not appear until the 28th minute of the film, nearly a quarter of its running time.

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11. #011

    Number of pregnancies: 3; Novalee-1, Lexie-2.

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12. #012

    Richard Andrew Jones plays a character named Mr. Sprock who resembles Mr. Spock from the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek (1966). James Frain (Forney) played Mr. Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek, in the prequel Star Trek: Discovery (2017). Ashley Judd (Lexie) played Robin Lefler, a crew member of a different Starship Enterprise, in Darmok (1991) and The Game (1991).

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13. #013

    Dylan Bruno was 27 years old when the film was released.

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14. #014

    The Italian censorship visa # 94733 was issued on August 18, 2000.

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Characters & Cast (2)

15. #015

    Claire Danes and Sarah Michelle Gellar auditioned for the role of Novalee Nation.

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16. #016

    It is one of two completely unrelated films with the same title released a decade apart, and as of 2022 it will belong to The Walt Disney Company. Produced by what was then known as 20th Century Fox, this film was integrated into Disney's library in 2019. The other, the 1990 film starring Dabney Coleman, Joanna Cassidy and Uma Thurman, among others, was developed in-house at Disney's then-newly created Touchstone Pictures.

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Deeper Meaning (1)

17. #017

    5 is Novalee Nation's unlucky number. While walking to give birth at Walmart, she walks down aisle 5, which has a huge price tag of $4.96. Mathematically, 49+6=55.

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Career & Awards (1)

18. #018

    The cast includes two Oscar winners: Natalie Portman and Sally Field, and two Oscar nominees: Stockard Channing and Joan Cusack.

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