New in Town"" is the perfect film to enjoy if you aren't in the mood to think. The plot is simple and very predictable, and even though you will probably know how the film is going to end after the first 20 minutes, it's entertaining to watch the romance and character developments unfold.
Renée Zellweger plays Lucy Hill, a career-driven woman looking to work her way up the corporate ladder as she volunteers to restructure a manufacturing plant in New Ulm, Minn. The freezing winter weather in this small town is about as cold as Lucy's heart. She has every intention of cutting jobs and has no interest in making friends with the townies. She thinks she is better than everybody she meets and finds it hard to adapt to the laid-back lifestyle in the small town.
Lucy also seems to have all the material possessions she needs and a near-to-perfect life when she is living down south and working within an urban surrounding, but she notices that something is missing in her life: love.
It is the little things in life that Lucy has always taken for granted. She soon learns that the key to happiness can't be bought, nor can it be found without the help of friends along the way.
Lucy's first night in New Ulm is spent at her quirky, scrapbook-making, tapioca-loving assistant Blanche's house, where she has dinner with some true Minnesotans and meets the union leader, Ted (Harry Connick Jr.).
Lucy and Ted appear to be complete opposites with only stubborn attitudes in common. Inevitably, they wind up arguing and eventually leave the dinner table after barely touching their meatloaf.
To successfully complete her job, however, Lucy must gain the cooperation of Ted and the union. After realizing this, she attempts to make peace with the man.
Ted slowly begins to warm up to Lucy, and when he realizes he needs the help of a woman to get his daughter ready for a school dance, Lucy does not hesitate to put her superior sense of fashion to use. While Ted's daughter is at the dance, Lucy gets a deeper look into Ted's soul and realizes there is more to him than flannel shirts and a scruffy chin.
Lucy eventually lets her guard down with Ted and tries to put herself in the boots of a Minnesotan, and they even go bird hunting together.
""New in Town"" has scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny, especially when Lucy's big-city attitude is mixed with the small-town humor. At one point in the film, Ted tells Lucy to wear something that she can get dirty. As a result, Lucy puts on a thong because she thought he meant something sexually 'dirty.' The majority of the humor is right on the surface so viewers won't have to look too hard for laughs.
Additionally, it's entertaining to watch Lucy and Ted's relationship unfold, as they initially appear to have nothing in common, wind up hating each other but eventually fall in love. Lucy evolves into a lady who sees the importance of friendship, and after developing strong relationships with the townspeople, her heart thaws out and she is able to save the New Ulm branch and move up in the corporate ranks.
""New in Town"" reveals the importance of not taking people at face value. To gain a true understanding of who a person is, you must look past first impressions and be open to a life outside of your comfort zone. Only then will you figure out who people truly are, and only then will you find your true self.
Grade: B
