Minnie Driver remembered making Return to Me as “such an incredibly happy time.” She described David Duchovny as a smart, funny, charming scene partner and praised Bonnie Hunt as an actor, writer, director and “epic improviser.” Her account is an affectionate recollection of the shoot—not a report of what Duchovny or Hunt privately thought of working with her.
What Minnie Driver said about David Duchovny
In a 2020 interview with Vulture, Driver recalled Duchovny as smart, funny, handsome and charming. She called him “the great best friend you’d want to hang out with on a set, to shoot the breeze with.” Her praise centers on the ease and warmth of spending time with him during filming.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Return To Me | Buy on Amazon | |
| 2 |
|
Return to Me | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Return to Me / At First Sight (Double Feature) | $17.16 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Return to Me [Region 2]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uDHdj4xtL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Return to Me [Region 2] | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Return to Me | Buy on Amazon |
Why she admired working with Bonnie Hunt
Hunt directed and co-wrote Return to Me, and Driver was struck by the experience of working with a woman in that role. She said it was “completely different, and it was amazing.” Driver called Hunt “the triple threat: a great actress, a great writer, a great director,” and also an “epic improviser.” If a scene or idea was not working, Driver recalled, Hunt could find another approach while holding on to a clear sense of the film she wanted to make.
That combination mattered on a major studio production. Hunt could be under pressure, Driver acknowledged, but she remembered the director as knowing what she wanted the movie to be. The Television Academy’s profile of Hunt also identifies her as the film’s director and co-writer.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Movie dvd
The Rome hotel story Driver remembered
Driver recalled a late shoot at Rome’s Hassler hotel, where the crew needed rooftop access. The hotel manager would not open the freight elevator, and Driver said Hunt was nearly in tears under the pressure. Duchovny encouraged Driver to explain the film’s story to the manager, despite her limited Italian. Driver said she gestured and told the story; the manager became emotional and unlocked the elevator.
The anecdote, as Driver told it, captures the supportive quality she associated with Duchovny and the stress Hunt faced. It remains her recollection rather than an independently corroborated account.
Rank #2
- Factory sealed DVD
Why the film meant Chicago to Driver
Driver’s strongest image of the shoot was “Chicago in the summer.” She remembered riding a bike around the city, making friends, going to the zoo and spending time near the lake. She also recalled sitting with veteran actors Carroll O’Connor and Robert Loggia and asking about their lives, films and theater. “That movie is Chicago to me,” she said.
Return to Me, released in 2000, stars Driver as Grace Briggs, a heart-transplant patient, and Duchovny as Bob Rueland, a widower whose late wife was Grace’s donor. Hunt, a Chicago native, directed and co-wrote the romantic comedy with Don Lake. In a contemporaneous Los Angeles Times report, Duchovny called the movie “a love poem to Chicago.” That report said production finished ahead of schedule and under its $25 million budget; the figure is a 2000 report about the production budget, not an independently audited final cost.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Double Feature: Return to Me, At First Sight - DVD Brand New
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
