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40 out of 57 people found the following review useful: Hooray for Helen Hunt, 15 April 2008 Author: James J Cremin (jjcremin@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, CA
Actually, it's very unlikely if "Then She Found Me" will take in the bucks that a new James Bond or Indiana Jones movie might do. But I just saw an advanced screening last night through Film Independent with Hunt present for q and a. I must say I was extremely satisfied. A chick flick this is, but it's a masterful one and I highly recommend it. Gestating for ten years, she took the plunge as co-producer, co-writer, played the lead character and made her directorial feature debut of this tale of broken trusts and betrayals.I will do my best not to reveal any spoilers as there are many surprises here and probably best seen without even seeing the trailer. I will say there's a strong Jewish theme that the novel this was based on had and Hunt saw no reason to change that. In fact, atonement is very big in the Jewish faith. It starts off with her getting married to Matthew Broderick and we quickly find out that he's totally pathetic and selfish.Hunt gets outstanding performances from Colin Firth and Bette Midler whose own characters have their own baggage that Hunt's character is forced to deal with. That in itself is what makes "Then She Found Me" so refreshing. We human beings are so imperfectly perfect and the issues the players here play with are quite believable. On top of everything else, Helen Hunt's character has a baby time clock and she's no longer a spring chicken.As an actress, she is as good as she was in "As Good As It Gets". Actually, there is some "borrowed" dialog towards the ending from that, but that's a moot point. It's perfectly acceptable to repeat what one has done before especially if it was done well. How many times has Woody Allen copied himself and seems to get more self centered each time? With this film, Helen Hunt has proved a woman can also make an excellent film of fractured relationships, a genre he did help invent.In closing, I do hope this film gets the attention it deserves. Like a lot of geeks, I sit through a lot of films and most disappoint or I find myself looking at my watch. Not so with this one, I found this to be very insightful and entertaining.
26 out of 35 people found the following review useful: Another Biological Clock Ticks…But Hunt Provides Heart and Conviction to Her Directorial Debut, 5 May 2008 Author: Ed Uyeshima from San Francisco, CA, USA
Having just seen "Baby Mama", which covers the same emotional territory but in much broader slapstick terms, this 2008 serio-comedy is driven far more by character than situation. In this case, the protagonist is 39-year-old April Epner, a New York schoolteacher who was raised in a close-knit Jewish family and desperately wants the biological connection of a birth child before her alarm clock goes off. She marries fellow teacher Ben, an inarticulate schlub with a terminal case of the Peter Pan Syndrome. After a brief time, he wants out of the marriage, and at almost the same time, April's adoptive mother Trudy dies. Not even a month goes by before April's biological mother suddenly shows up in the form of the brazenly overbearing but genuinely likable Bernice Graves, a cable talk-show hostess who is something of a local media celebrity. If life was not complicated enough, April also finds herself drawn to Frank, the single father of one of her pupils. Unlike Ben, he feels the same about April but is fighting his own bitterness about his own recent divorce.Not only does Helen Hunt star as April, but she also co-wrote the screenplay with Alice Arlen and Victor Levin and makes her big-screen directorial debut. Granted she's more impressive as an actress than a filmmaker, but as a director and writer, she makes the most of a storyline that stacks the deck a bit like a Lifetime TV-movie. There are enough realistic surprises that take the plot off the rails in a good way. Looking gaunt and avoiding much make-up, Hunt is really playing a variation of the beaten-down waitress she played in "As Good As It Gets", as she carries that same constantly pained expression of disappointment and looks about to explode during moments of emotional duress. However, a decade later, Hunt inhabits the character more naturalistically this time and with a deeper sense of vulnerability and haggard exhaustion. Perhaps to minimize any unnecessary dramatic risk, Hunt cast the other principal roles with actors playing familiar parts. Matthew Broderick effectively portrays Ben as the perpetually dazed man-child he is, while perennial love interest Colin Firth gives texture to the seemingly ideal suitor Frank, especially as he edges toward the breaking point in tolerating the sum of April's foibles.In one of her increasingly rare screen appearances, Bette Midler gives a scene-stealing performance as Bernice. She lights up the movie with Bernice's unfettered sense of abandonment while gradually exposing the secrets that threaten to undermine her newly found relationship with her daughter. Other parts are played with minimum fuss - Ben Shenkman as April's physician brother Freddy feeling put-upon for having a biological tie to their mother, and Salman Rushdie (author of "The Satanic Verses" which brought him a death sentence from the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989) as April's doctor. Hunt provides her actors, especially herself, plenty of good, meaty scenes with opportunities for bravura moments. It just doesn't quite come together as a whole by the end, and that may be that Hunt is so used to the sitcom format of the long-running series, "Mad About You". The result is that some laughs feel a bit contrived, some scene transitions seem jarring, and some expected character revelations are given short shrift. Nonetheless, the dramatic developments toward the end carry the emotional impact necessary to make the movie truly affecting, and Hunt should be given credit for a most auspicious debut as a filmmaker.
23 out of 31 people found the following review useful: Deserves a look, 18 April 2008 Author: wxgirl55 from Canada
Seen at a September 2007 Toronto Film Festival screening.First time director, Helen Hunt, said this movie was 10 years in the making. Her passion for the film and subject matter is evident, but also sets her up for her biggest downfall. She indulges the movie (her baby) which is interesting given this is relationship themed (mother/ daughter). Had she struck closer to that thread, the movie would have a tighter, more focused feel.As it is, the outer reach of her film, a foray into her intimate, romantic relationships, with the intent of colouring her main character (April) instead seems like an untrained hand that colours outside of the lines. As a movie director, if this was her greatest weakness; I still give her kudos for doing a pretty good job. The woman took on a heavy load: first time directing, co-producer, co-writing the screenplay, and acting in the main role, all done on a 27 day shoot schedule! I almost feel guilty for any criticism.At the post-screening Q&A Ms Hunt told us that the original story centred exclusively on the mother/daughter relationship. She wrote in the characters of Ben, her passive husband (Matthew Broderick) and Frank, her 'quickest rebound in history' mate (Colin Firth) herself. Understandablly she wants to add subtext to April's world and all the issues she's dealing with, but I felt somewhat 'pinballed' from scene to scene without feeling a smooth transition. A little more editing of these extra layers would help.I can't leave it unsaid that what repeatedly struck me was why April loved her husband and continued to connect with him. He was such a shallow and thoughtless person. To me, that particular character was the weakest link in the movie.Overall, I found many funny and poignant moments in the movie and think it deserves a look by a larger audience.
15 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Wretched Script Cannot Be Redeemed by All Star Cast, 20 March 2009 Author: Danusha Goska (moviefansurvey@gmail.com)
"Then She Found Me" is a wretched movie, and it should not be. The talent here is undeniable: Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler. The problem? An unforgivably awful script. Can anyone in Hollywood read? Hollywood is a world capital of entertainment, of magic; there is so much talent there. And yet, year after year, these awful scripts are greenlighted and talented writers starve. What gives?The main character, April Epner (Helen Hunt) is never fleshed out. What we do know about her makes her incredibly unappealing. She's obsessed with her plump, middle-aged, boy-man husband (Broderick) who has left her to live in his mother's house. April is shrill and rude to her dying mother. She's manipulative and callow in her interactions with Colin Firth, the man all sensible women love and would treat like the treasure he is. In a particularly painful scene, Frank (Firth) makes a poignant confession of love to April, and she blows him off in order to gripe to her husband in a cell phone call. I was literally shouting at the screen, "Run, Colin, run! Get away from this nasty loser female as fast as ever you can!" It doesn't stop there. April attempts to have a quickie with her husband in the back seat of a car. On a busy city street. In broad daylight. With the car door open. It was such an ugly, gratuitous scene. It marked April as someone suffering from borderline personality disorder. But it doesn't stop there. April casually invites both her husband and her boyfriend to her gynecologist's office for an exam, in stirrups and johnny coat, to ascertain that she is pregnant, by her husband. WHY should we care about this woman? Why should Colin Firth be attracted to her? What inspired his poignant love confession? Nothing. There is nothing on screen, nothing in the script, that ever fleshes his attraction out.Speaking of "flesh" … if you read comments here or on the web, you can see that most viewers were fixated on how haggard Helen Hunt looks. She is very thin, and time has not been kind to her face. In some scenes, it is impossible to look at her and not want to sit her down and get some food into her, she looks that much like a refugee from some catastrophe. Some viewers applauded Hunt for being "brave" and allowing the camera access, but focusing on Helen Hunt's courage utterly detracts from ever registering April Epner as a flesh and blood human being. You're not thinking about April Epner, you're thinking, "Hmm…how could Helen Hunt change her look?" Similarly, Bette Midler is never convincing as the character she is playing. She is always Bette Midler, bodacious saloon singer, breezing through a film with a script that is decidedly unworthy of any attempt on her part to bother to pretend to be anyone but Bette Midler.Failed films like this are so painful because there are so few movies made for women over forty. The glory days that could produce a script like Mankiewicz's "All About Eve" are long behind us. Drek like this make us miss classics like that all the more. Older women do lead interesting lives. There are so many real questions that this film could have explored for a forty-plus schoolteacher whose husband wants to leave her. This film ignored all of those real questions and just plopped Colin Firth, the perfect man, and Bette Midler, STAR, in as phony, bogus attempts to stir up some kind of a plot. Sorry – without writing talent and insight, which this script utterly lacks – even starpower like Firth's and Middler's can't create a worthy film.
18 out of 26 people found the following review useful: a grounded in reality chick flick that is terrific, 7 July 2008 Author: soutexmex from Austin, Texas
This movie is not bad at all.I caught the first 10 minutes as I waiting for the film I came to see started. I was intrigued and came back the following week to see this little gem of a movie.With Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick playing against type, it was a relief not to see them so admirable in their roles. Yes, Bette Midler played the typical yenta shrew but hey, at least we see Bette. She's been away from the screen for far too long.I'll be the first to tell you I have never been a Helen Hunt fan at all. I have never even seen her hit t.v. series, Mad About You. Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way in the movies I have seen her in. But then, I saw this movie and I loved it and she did a terrific job in her production.Seriously. All these people who are criticizing her are slamming her for the wrong reasons. Why? This is one of those FEW films in life in which it's neither the director, writer, or actor's fault. If there is any downside, it's the editor's fault. Yes, it is.Why? Because the editor chopped up the scenes. In the editing room, a director can become a genius or a fool. This is one of those cases. I do not fault Helen's direction. I fault the editor here. Some of these scenes should have been allowed to breathe on their own, not jump cut from one emotion to the next.Despite that editing distraction, this chick flick has heart, it does have emotion. How do I know this? I heard a lot of sniffling, tears of sorrow and joy in the audience when this film ended. That is what a film is suppose to do, make you feel something, be a participant, not a witness.
33 out of 60 people found the following review useful: Deliciously Human, 19 December 2007 Author: opiumeyedlove from United States
This is perhaps the most deliciously human movie I've seen this year. It's messy unbearably so at times. The lives these people are living are hard to watch, but you can't look away.I'm a cinematography girl myself and this movie doesn't have stunning panoramic views or killer photography, but it does have great character development and a cohesive plot.Helen Hunt kills in the title role and as a director. She made me believe she was the woman not that she was acting to be this woman. There's a subtle difference.Colin Firth delivers as always and Bette Midler stuns. This movie has Oscar written all over it.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: A wonderfully moving picture., 13 September 2008 Author: stammie from Australia
A wonderfully moving picture. Very real and certainly deserving of higher rating than depicted. The story is real, the acting is poignant and heartfelt. Hunt, Midler, Broderick & Firth are superb. I watched it two nights in a row. This movie is for everyone who knows what it's like to yearn for children and for everyone who has become a parent. As the events unfold, you become attached to the characters and feel for each individual one of them. There are no favorites here, as each actor holds your attention equally in their respective roles. Such a beautiful film. Congratulations go out to Hunt and the whole team. It is so refreshing to watch a movie which has something to say.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Everyone has an opinion, but come on!, 14 August 2009 Author: actorsneedwriters
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Do not watch this movie. If you want comedy, this is not it. If you want human drama, this is not it. This is manufactured drivel. Every few minutes I had to think-you've got to be kidding. This was not real humanity as so many of these reviews have stated. It was too much, too over the top. All of this crap coming down on the same person at the same time might really happen, but come on. It was like what else can we throw in? Rat bastard husband, but he's irresistible, said regrettable words to mom then she dies, must have a baby, won't adopt, but can't get pregnant, loony adoptive mother turns out to be a liar, she's forgiven, but turns out to be a liar again, luckily she's rich and can help with fertility treatments, despite all this let's fall in love with a quirky but perfect man who is of course, the father of one of your students (yes I'm a public servant, of course, and poor) then screw it up, then work it out, oh hello-now I'm pregnant with a baby by my loser husband, so it's complicated with my new man-I just don't know what to feel right now so I'll try to have sex in the backseat of a car in broad daylight on a neighborhood street with loser husband, but then- surprise, surprise -a miscarriage. Throw in a let's curse Christianity "Jesus f'ing Christ" and God damns, I thought God was nice, but he's not rant, life is so unfair, followed by a I'm going to be spiritual anyway-it's OK to be Jewish prayer, slap a happy ending on I've adopted a Chinese baby girl after all and ended up with my man in the end even though this goes against his character because he was the only one with enough sense to stay away from my crazy life, all the while with Helen Hunt's overdone screwing up of the face, hand wringing, and variable tone- which can be charming, but not here in such large doses. This movie was awful. How was it believable? It was just one thing after another and on and on with a Hollywood ending. This was a "I'm not wearing make up, I'm a real person and a real movie making artist, not just some Hollywood actress, let's make a movie about real life that will touch people and make a few statements" movie. If this was real life and all that drama happened to a real person I'm not thinking you would be wrapping it up that neatly with a bow at the end. Life can be complicated, people have strange feelings, and humans make mistakes, but this film didn't make me or my spouse feel anything but regret for having watched this turd. I only gave it two stars because Colin Firth had a couple of good moments. Save yourself from this!
7 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Bonding: Necessities and Consequences, 4 September 2008 Author: gradyharp from United States
In a featurette on the DVD release version of THEN SHE FOUND ME writer (with Alice Arlen and Victor Levin) /producer/director Helen Hunt shares a ten year journey to have a film made of a novel by Elinor Lipman. Her cast shares in the very sentimental story of Hunt's devotion and seemingly endless charisma and abilities. The explanation for making this budget film are in many ways more successful than the film, a work the cast seems determined to classify as a comedy but a work that is far more a human drama. April Epner (Helen Hunt) is married to fellow schoolteacher Ben Green (Matthew Broderick) and longs to have a baby before her advancing age prevents her dream. April was adopted as an infant by a Jewish couple who subsequently gave birth to April's brother Freddy (Ben Shenkman): April has always longed to have been Freddy's biological equal, wondering what it would feel like NOT to be adopted. April's busy life implodes: Ben has decided he doesn't like his life and leaves April, April's mother dies, April meets Frank (Colin Firth) a recently divorced writer and father of two children, and April is contacted by a man who can put April in touch with her birth mother - popular TV talk show hostess Bernice Graves (Bette Midler). And if these turns of events weren't traumatic enough, April discovers that she has become pregnant by Ben and Ben is unsure whether he can handle the restructuring of his life to accommodate April. Cautiously April and Frank begin a rather tenuous courtship which is almost immediately threatened by April's discovery of her pregnant state. April and Bernice meet, exchange backgrounds, and make pacts to test their biologic relationship. How each of these characters makes promises that eventually damage each other and then resolve in unexpected ways becomes a study of the meaning of love and compassion among fragile human beings. While not a satisfying story on every level and a film too cluttered with inconvenient editing choices, the cast is strong and obviously committed, and the story (neither a comedy or a drama but a mixture of the two) tests credibility. But there are some fine moments and the lessons in human behavior are worth examining. Not a great movie but a strong little small budget film. Grady Harp
8 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Pleasant directorial debut from Helen Hunt, 6 August 2008 Author: AdnanZ
The first forty or so minutes of "Then She Found Me" are quite excellent, with Hunt showing impressive skill for a rookie director, the score standing out as quite good, and the acting being very good. The script is surprisingly funny for the most part, and has a sense of authenticity and realism that works in favor of the film. The main problem with the film going past the halfway mark is that little of any real interest is happening, and nothing really stands out. It's still amusing, still well-made, still not a bad film by any stretch of imagination, but there's also absolutely nothing that left me wanting to see it again.6.5/10
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