New in Town
User Score
4.7 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 25
  3. Negative: 8 out of 25

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  1. ChadS.
    Feb 4, 2009
    4
    No worldly sophisticate by any stretch of the imagination, Marge Gunderson(Frances McDormand) displayed all the tell-tale signs of living in a small-town, but she was smart, on her own terms, funny voice notwithstanding. The Brainerd detective is the sort of character that's sorely missing in "New in Town", a person who could put the city girl in her place. The waitress tries. At the diner, the waitress ridicules Lucy(Renee Zellweger) for believing that the town of New Ulm celebrates a holiday which pays homage to the gopher. But really, the joke is on the old woman and the diner patrons, because that's the extent of the insularity Lucy surmises these rural folks embody. This company henchwoman makes the Bill Murray character in Harold Ramis' "Groundhog Day" seem congenial. At some point, however, Lucy's condesension will come to a halt, and "voila", the people she despises suddenly becomes the people she cherishes. But the manner in which Lucy goes about her transformation seems even more unearned than what is usually part and parcel of the rom-com formula. She simply gets into a car accident and emerges from the accident, a changed woman. This near-death experience negates the occasion for these Minnesota denizens to prove their mettle as Lucy's equals, and truly earn her respect. Instead of feeling contempt for these "lowly" people, now she pities them. Now she has to save them; her dear, dear underlings. Thanks to an undiagnosed concussion, this professional woman, on the fast track to VP stewardship, can now enjoy the simple things in life, like put on a scarf and join the carollers, as they all hold candles in open-mouthed earnestness around a lighted Christmas tree. For "New in Town" to transcend its initial patronizing attitude towards country life, Blanche Gunderson(Sibohan Fallon) needed to launch her "Tapioca Pudding Boom" without Lucy's marketing know-how. As for Ted(Harry Connick Jr.), he has the steering wheel column to thank for his good fortune.… Expand
  2. smijatov
    Jul 1, 2011
    3
    The first and biggest problem this film has is the fact that it is a romantic comedy. Being one, it does not deviate from the typical rom-com recipe, what-so-ever. Being rather predictable (and by rather I mean completely to an annoying degree), the film does not offer anything new to the audience. The screenplay is simply bad, with a storyline that was maybe innovative back in the 1980s, but now has become the standardised cliche. One the film manages well is to create a positive relationship between the audience and the Minnesotans in the film. Some very cute scenes are in the film, and one cannot but feel warmly towards them, especially Siobhan Fallon's character, who is, by far, the best thing in this bad film. Renee Zellweger is rather bad - her strongest asset here seems to be her body, and it's in a film where that shouldn't be an issue. But yes, Zellweger doesn't give anything good to the film, and one can only wonder why she ever got cast. Maybe trying to re-connect to her Bridget Jones' days? Be it as it may, the film is rather bad and annoying, full of cliches concerning both rom-coms and Minnesota, and with generally pretty bad dialogue and acting, makes "New in Town" be one of those films you could have easily gone without ever watching.… Expand
  3. MovieGoer
    Jan 30, 2009
    1
    Awful, awful, awful. Patronizing, painfully obvious, creaky, unfunny. This is industry product every bit as gloppy and unsavory as the sludge produced at the movie's New Ulm factory. Written by people who have obviously never actually been within 3,000 miles of the location in question, there's not a credible character (or characterization - Hogan is particularly ridiculous) in the entire enterprise.… Expand
  4. Bob
    Aug 15, 2009
    0
    Awful. Horrible. I'm from New Ulm and that's why I rented the movie. COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC AND INNACURATE. Not to mention a truly dopey, stupid movie. I like Rene Zellweger and HCJ, but ... what were they thinking?
  5. heather1987
    Oct 8, 2010
    0
    Probably one of the worst movies ever. It's equally off-base with its portrayal of "city people" and "country folks'. Both seem to be outdated and stereotypical. Don't waste your time.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
29 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 32
  3. Negative: 21 out of 32
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    30
    Strictly old hat -- and a poorly assembled hat at that.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    30
    It doesn't help that Zellweger, in an unfortunate attempt to make the aud appreciate her character's uptightness, spends many of the early scenes moving about as stiff as a flagpole in January.
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  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Brian Miller
    40
    The movie wrong-foots Zellweger from the start. She's not enough the ice queen, like Sigourney Weaver in "Working Girl," for us to accept her transition into adorable Melanie Griffith.
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