  
New in Towna.k.a. “32 And Single,” “Chilled in Miami,” “Moonlighting In Minnesota”MPAA Rating:
 for language and some suggestive material.Reviewed by: Misty Wagner Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults, Teens
Genre:
Romance, Comedy
Length:
1 hr. 36 min.
Year of Release:
2009
USA Release:
January 30, 2009
DVD: May 26, 2009  
Relevant Issues
True love
What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer  Hypocrisy in the Church—“I would never be a Christian; they’re a bunch of hypocrites.”
“She’s an executive on the move. But her career is taking her a little farther than she expected.” Lucy Hill (Renée Zellweger) is your average career girl. Designer shoes, clothes and handbags accessorize her busy life. With her upscale city apartment, her expensive car and her classy lifestyle, Lucy believes that her life represents her, well—expensive taste, for a girl on her way to the top. This is why, when sitting in a board room full of men who represent her company, Lucy finds herself volunteering for an assignment that no one else seems willing to take on. Her corporation's Minnesota plant is to begin production of a new health product and Lucy's job is to restructure the plant, decrease it's employees by 50% and have it all running smoothly—as quickly as possible. With her hopeful eyes set on the possible prize of becoming Vice President, if she pulls it off, Lucy relocates from Miami to New Ulm in the dead of winter… Immediately upon arriving in New Ulm Lucy meets Blanche (Siobhan Fallon), a quirky gal who specializes at making a top secret tapioca pudding, is an obsessive scrapbooker and has a knack for bringing Jesus up in even the most casual of conversations. It is Blanche's attempts at playing cupid which first introduces Lucy and Ted (Harry Connick Jr.), two people who—on the surface—couldn't be a worse match… “New in Town” has heart. Typically, most comedy romances tend to lack genuine heart, and even though the basic formula for this film has been done time and time again, I felt that something about this movie really works. Its jokes aren't new, its stereotyping isn't at all ingenious or clever—and yet the audience delivered streams of laughter. Negatives
Positives
Overall, I am surprised to say that I really liked this film. It was touching and engaging. An plot line that somehow works, with a fantastic cast to boot. I recommend this film to those who love comedy/romance. Violence: None / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Mild See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments below:
Positive
Positive - I found this to be a pleasant romantic comedy. The chemistry between Lucy and Ted works. I didn't see Ted buckling his pants when they had to quickly jump off the sofa—just tucking in his shirt. At a time when the country's economy is tough, and people are getting laid off, this was a timely movie about trying to save jobs. Christianity, and Christmas in particular, are presented positively, much to my relief and delight. The audience with me laughed quite a bit. There are some genuinely funny scenes. I found the sexual references or innuendos only marginally offensive. This movie was ok, and I left with a nice feeling. Positive - I went to see this movie with girlfriends and don't think I've ever heard a theater laugh so loudy! It was a cute, romantic movie with a great moral and very little objectionable content. I would recommend this movie for teens and adults. Younger than that may not understand a lot of the humor. Positive - My husband and I went to this movie for a matinee date. We were concerned with the “offensive” rating this Web site gave, but were pleasantly surprised at the decency of the movie. Jesus is mentioned a couple of times, and it is in a sweet and sincere way. Although Lucy and Ted have a somewhat implied “makeout scene,” you don't really ever see it, and the movie never portrays them sleeping together (relief!). It is a sweet story with some good laughs. We really enjoyed it. Positive - I loved this movie! Some seem to find the christians were made out to be hypocrites and poked fun at, I must protest! If you are one of those “christians” who think christians must be perfect people in order to be a follower of Jesus Christ thae I say, DON'T WATCH it. If, however, you have no such silly notions and are not an unrealistic, silly prude who think uncomfortable things never happen in real life, and you like romantic comedy, I can guarantee you will enjoy this film. Its characters are genuine, and although flawed (GOD FORBID, LOL!), are caring and go out of there ways to make a stranger welcome in a “new town.” So, if you are imperfect and make no qualms about being a regular sinner, saved by grace then grab a few friends who are equally aware of their own states and enjoy! Positive - I saw this movie with a group of my girlfriends for my 40th birthday, and I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. I totally disagree with those who say this movie is offensive. In my opinion, this movie does not make fun of Jesus. I think it shows a nice group of small town people being kind to a city girl who thinks she's all that. I thought the way they portrayed the people in this small Minnesota town was very welcoming, and the kindness they showed her changed her attitude in the end. Positive - Except for the fact that Renee annoys me, I love Harry, and this film is cute overall. I don't agree with the reviewer's “offensive” rating. It was cleaner than most out there, and the story was heartwarming and very funny. Positive - Being from the Midwest, now living in sunny California paradise, this was a great “flashback” to what rural small towns are really like. My girlfriends and I really liked this film… lots of great laughs, nothing too suggestive or inappropriate. My favorite character is Blanche Gunderson! Everything she says is SO funny. Touching, heartwarming and a great chic flick. Positive - It's so rare to find a romantic comedy these days with no sex! It was a moving story line of how this little town's charm changes this professional woman, so that she learns what's really important and helps save the town. There is some strong language and she gets drunk to stay warm in a blizzard and there's one scene where they are making out on the couch, but personally I found it generally innocent and appropriate for mature adults. Neutral
none Negative
Negative - I found this movie to be offensive. Soon after coming to town, and wearing a thin material that was not suitable for the cold weather, the camera gets a close up shot to show she is obviously not wearing a bra, showing how her breasts react to the cold. She begins slapping and hitting her breasts to make this reaction stop, in vain. This scene goes on for awhile, letting the audience either squirm with indignation, or laugh. I found it offensive and thought that it was worth mentioning here, because others would probably find this to be the case for them as well. Negative - I find myself in total agreement with what Betty has said here. The talk about Jesus goes completely limp when it’s in a setting of non-Christian attributes! [Titus 1:16] And yes… it is making fun of Christians and what we stand for, which is the worst kind of sin to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and CLAIM to be Christian, when one is really not. Comments from young people
Negative - I went to see this film with a non-christian and christian friend, and, in my opinion, it was offensive. There is a character which is a Christian, but she is used to make a mockery of Christianity. The things she says, such as “you're never alone, Jesus is aways with you” and “have you found Jesus,” and in reply “I didn't know he was missing” are all used to make a mockery of Christians, and many of the audience laughed at these. There is a scene when the main character is basically having sex with a guy on the couch, and they are abruptly interrupted, and he stands up and zips up his jeans, so it is obvious what they have been doing. |
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