Synopsis

After leaving the presidency, Monroe Cole retreats to his vacation home in Mooseport, Maine, hoping to escape a messy divorce. When local officials persuade him to run for mayor, he faces an unexpected opponent: Handy Harrison, a hardware-store owner whose relationship with veterinarian Sally Mannis is already under strain. The small-town election quickly becomes a clash between political experience and local common sense.

Factoids & Trivia

• Welcome to Mooseport was released in the United States on February 20, 2004, by 20th Century Fox.

• The fictional Maine town was represented by locations in Ontario, Canada, including Port Perry, Scugog, Georgina, and Toronto. Port Perry's Victorian main street helped create the film's New England appearance.

• Gene Hackman replaced Dustin Hoffman in the role of former President Monroe Cole several months before filming began.

• The town hall seen in the movie was actually a post office. The newspaper boy was a local student.

• The film became Gene Hackman's final movie performance. He subsequently retired from acting.

• Made for an estimated $30 million, the film earned approximately $14.6 million worldwide, making it a commercial disappointment.