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Nurse Betty

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

When small-town waitress Betty Sizemore (Rene Zellweger) accidentally witnesses the grisly murder of her underhanded car-dealing husband (Aaron Eckhart), she copes with the trauma by retreating into a dreamlike state. Not only is Betty completely in denial about her husband's death, but she now believes she is the onetime love of her favorite soap opera character, Dr. David Ravell (Greg Kinnear). Leaving her Kansas home in one of her husband's used cars to "reunite" with the doctor, Betty unwittingly carries drugs that the killers (Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock) are after. As Betty arrives in Los Angeles to seek out the fictional Dr. Ravell, the hit men aren't far behind.

Director Neil LaBute's third feature combines elements of thrillers, romance flicks, and road movies into a unique film. Unlike the emotional brutality present in his previous films (IN THE COMPANY OF MEN and YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS), the violence in NURSE BETTY is physical and brief, quickly giving way to a more lighthearted comedic tone. As the title character, Rene Zellweger is sweet, determined, and utterly charming, while Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock are perfectly suited for their offbeat hit-men roles. With its clever script and sure-handed direction, NURSE BETTY makes for a winning oddball comedy about the fine line between fantasy and reality.
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- Rating - For strong violence, pervasive language, and a scene of sexuality.
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 22657
Credits

Rene Zellweger, Renee Zellweger, Renee Kathleen Zellweger, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear, Crispin Glover, Crispin Hellion Glover, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Tia Texada
Critic Reviews

"...[NURSE BETTY] produces that shivery feeling when your heart melts but at the same moment you want to burst out laughing....Ms. Zellweger's Betty [is] a perfectly blended mixture of sweetness, innocence, and stubborn determination....A triumph..."
New York Times
"...Allows [Rene Zellweger] to pull out the emotional stops in a way that audiences can't help but find irresistible....Observing Zellweger as she dispenses her brand of movie magic definitely is good for what ails you."
USA Today
"...Deserving of accolades....NURSE BETTY is alternately funny, scary and deeply poignant, and it confirms LaBute as one of the most exciting new talents to galvanize the movies..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...Zellweger is muffin-fresh....The lines between reality and fantasy, goodness and violence, have rarely been so beatifully drawn as in this tangy dark comedy..." -- Rating: A
Entertainment Weekly
Ranked #6 in Entertainment Weekly's "Lisa Schwarzbaum's BEST MOVIES OF 2000"
Entertainment Weekly
"...Zellweger is a dream -- funny, touching and vital in a role that lets her talents blossom....As ever, Freeman delivers miracles; he's as good as it gets..."
Rolling Stone
"...LaBute sidesteps cliches like a broken-field runner....NURSE BETTY is one of those films where you don't know whether to laugh or cringe, and find yourself doing both. It's a challenge..."
Chicago Sun-Times
"...Original and unusually humane....A compelling oddity..."
Total Film