good film but with many flaws

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film takes place in 1978 in the small mining town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. It centers on Ave Maria Mulligan who is "the town spinster" and owns the pharmacy. Her boyfriend is Theodore Tipton (John Benjamin Hickey) an outsider. It is clear her heart is with Jack MacChesney (Patrick Wilson) who likewise had loved her since the sixth grade. Jack works in the mines and is dating Sweet Sue (Jane Krakowski) a single mom who oozes with love and affection. The deck is stacked against them.The film had its mildly humorous moments, but is clearly not a romantic comedy. It is a feel good formula romance. It won't win any awards, but there was nothing bad about the feature. Whoopi Goldberg had a role slightly less than her billing, but was still entertaining. Dagmara Dominczyk who plays Elizabeth Taylor in the film is Patrick Wilson's off screen wife.If a simple small town formula feel good romance is what you want to watch, look no further.No swearing, sex, or nudity.

It's 1978. Big Stone Gap is a coal mining town in the mountains of Virginia. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd) is the 40 year old spinster who runs her late mean-spirited father's pharmacy. After her mother's death, she gets a letter from her revealing her real Italian biological father. She has a longtime love of quiet miner Jack MacChesney (Patrick Wilson) but gold-digging divorcee Sweet Sue Tinsley (Jane Krakowski) has set her sights on him. Fleeta Mullins (Whoopi Goldberg) is her one employee.This is a lot of Hollywood types trying to play hillbillies. It's a wacky artistic group with too many lacking the prerequisite red necks. Judd and Wilson can pass for photogenic country folk but there are too many other wacky coasters. Elfman and Goldberg don't fit. This lacks the authenticity of a 70's coal mining town. Even poor Pearl Grimes' family has a nice house. The coal mining has no realism. It's a bunch of guys with hand shovels. I do like the actors and characters overall. Judd and Wilson are an appealing romantic pairing. It's not quite enough to overcome the lack of a ramshackle setting or believable town folks. have been more intensity but Fry is good.

I hadn't seen many previews about this movie but I had seen an interview with Jenna Elfman before it came out.The only thing I had trouble with in the beginning was a few of the characters I wasn't sure their relationship with Ave and their professions. But all was explained as the story went on. This was an excellent movie. One minute I was laughing, one minute I was crying.My only problem was why did Jack and Ave wait so long to express their feelings? Ending was different than I was expecting, hoping that Jack and Ave would go to Italy for their honeymoon. But it still ending great. If you see it on DVD, be sure and watch all the bonus features.

Fantastic Movie! Captures the heart of a small town, while making every viewer want a taste of this down home country town. The love story compares to no other, the sacrifice, the warmth, the detail. Love Love Love this movie, I simply did not want it to end. Everyone needs to see this movie, it will make you laugh, cry, and even snort a little at times. A film that captures what life is all about, loving others. LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!! The casting fits the bill. And this is a movie that I can honestly say follows the book to a T! All the way through you can trace the movie by the book. This movie makes you feel at home, as if you are living the story right along side Ave Maria and Jack Mack! By far the best movie I have ever seen! Trigiani simply outdone herself with this one.