Director presents stock story with heartwarming twist
FILM: Romantic comedy celebrates love, joy of life in realistic, eccentric style

By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Staff
"Return to me" was almost a thriller about transplanted body parts and psychic links, but one would hardly think that from the current, off-beat romance. It was only first- time director Bonnie Hunt's unique vision that turned a stock-situation crime story into a quirky comedy.
"The studio had a concept in mind" said writer and director Hunt during a press junket for the film at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel. "They wanted more of a 'Body Parts' sort of movie where someone gets a transplant, starts getting flashes of the donor's feelings, and eventually uses that insight to solve crimes."
The studio spoke with her about directing that film, but Hunt ("Jerry Maguire") turned down the project, pitching her own twist as an alternative.
"I said, 'No, if I wrote it I'd do it like this.' " recalled Hunt, who also plays the best friend to Minnie Driver's character. "I'm pretty lucky to have the studio stand behind me as a new director."
Opening this Friday, "Return to me" stars David Duchovny (TV's "The X-Files") and Minnie Driver ("Good Will Hunting") as Bob and Grace, a couple each given a second chance at life and love. While Bob is still recovering from the death of his first wife but is ready to love again, Grace has just undergone a life-saving heart transplant.
"There's so much laughter, but not laughing at anything funny. They're laughing because they can identify," said Hunt.
Hunt's unusual look at modern love attracted such diverse actors as film veteran Carroll O'Connor (who plays Grace's Irish father) and TV idol Duchovny.
"I heard Bonnie was going to do a sad, sentimental love story," Duchovny said. "That's not really my thing but I knew that Bonnie was really wry and funny. I thought, put together, -- Bonnie's vision and this script -- and I knew it had to be good."
Duchovny was pleasantly surprised to find that his instincts were right. The movie's positive message also attracted Duchovny.
"It's not a Pollyanna deal," he said, but "Every relationship in the film has a lot of love. Bonnie Hunt and James Belushi play a married couple who are bickering constantly, but you can tell that they still really love each other. It's actually a more realistic portrayal of love than most movies."
Other actors also found the film's uplifting attitude to be a deciding factor. Although dubious at first, O'Connor, best known as Archie Bunker on "All In the Family," liked the script enough to make this his first return to the movies in 20 years.
"We met for dinner, and, at the end, he said, 'You know, I think I'm going do your picture,'" Hunt said.
She originally planned on playing Grace herself but found the perfect lead in Driver. Hunt wrote the role as the sort of part that she would love to play - funny, strong and poignant.
Before accepting the part, Driver researched the experiences of different women who had undergone heart surgery.
"They each had a very sweet sense of gratitude," Driver said. "They'd been through an amazing grieving process for the lost heart and also for the person who died so that they could live."
"It's very conflicted, but their appreciation for the fragility of life is very acute," Driver continued. "Paying attention to people you love, just being around is enough. (You) don't need to be doing anything spectacular to be living well."
The epitome of this feeling, as Driver pointed out, is a scene in the movie when a recovering Grace rides a bicycle down the street.
"This is just a little something that you can tell she's not been able to do before," said Driver.
Hunt found that recruiting actors was one of the only stressful aspects of directing. Used to being in front of the camera rather than behind it, Hunt embraced the new challenges of the different role.
"Directing is a great job; you get to be the ultimate storyteller," said Hunt, "You get a captive audience of people who have chosen to come and listen to your story. It's incredible to see it come full circle."
Despite being new to the craft, Hunt had no nightmares on the set; the crew understood her inexperience and made every effort to make filming go smoothly.
"I was emotionally moved on a daily basis by the teamwork that's involved," Hunt said. "The people working on this had all made a million more movies than I had, and it seemed like sometimes they were all there just to make sure I looked good."
Hunt was excited that the studio had allowed a new director so much freedom, and is eager to begin work on her next project, a film called "Anniversary," about a divorced couple who pretend to still be married for the husband's parents' wedding anniversary.
"It's not difficult to direct when you're in the movie yourself. It's just one less person to order around."
FILM: "Return to me" opens in
theaters nationwide this Friday.