DVD Review - Home Is Where The Heart Is

Home Is Where The Heart Is 
Director: Rajeev Dassani
Starring: Bailee Madison, Laura Bell Bundy, John C. McGinley, Conrad Goode, Jonathan Banks
Studio: ARC Entertainment
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Retail: $20.99
ASIN: B00KITEHI4
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday August 19th, 2014 from ARC  Entertainment is the drama Home Is Where The Heart Is, starring country singer and actress Laura Bell Bundy (FX's Anger Management), Bailee Madison (Wizards of Waverly Place), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), Conrad Goode (Con Air) and Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad). The film is directed by Rajeev Dassani. There are no bonus features or extras featured on the DVD, but there is a VUDU Digital Copy.

Filmed in 2012 under the original title "Watercolor Postcards," Home Is Where The Heart Is centers on the prodigal daughter, Sunny (played by Laura Bell Bundy), returning home to visit her dying mother in Bent Arrow, Texas, but she arrives too late. Her mother leaves her custody of her 10-year-old sister Cotton (played by Bailee Madision), while the house is left to Cotton.

Sunny had no intention of ever returning to her small hometown after failing in California; she has no other choice, but to stay and raise her sister. She quickly befriends their ex-football player neighbor, Butch (played by Conrad Goode, who also wrote the screenplay), whom tries to make a living hand-painting postcards.

Bent Arrow is slowly dying out and jobs are shorthanded, leaving Sunny to take a job washing cars at a car dealer, who happens to be owned by her ex-boyfriend. Ledball (played by Jonathan Banks) is barely keeping the door to his bar open, but he tries his best too look after Cotton and Sunny.

Thenfuture starts to look bright when a romance blooms between Cotton and Butch, but fate has a different plan for the two.

Home Is Where The Heart Is is an independent film that was picked up by ARC Entertainment for the DVD release, which explains the title change. Actually, I think Watercolor Postcards is a better title for the film. Despite the cute DVD jacket, this isn't exactly a family drama, but instead it is a drama with a little bit of romance mixed in. Laura Bell Bundy, Bailee Madison and Jonathan Banks all do a great job with their characters, whereas Conrad Goode's acting is a little bit wooden. Yes, the film's plot sounds like another Hallmark movie of the week, but the film is better than I thought it would be. There are a few predictable moments here and there, but overall, Home Is Where The Heart Is is a heartfelt drama about going home and taking a second chance on life. 

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.